With reports of data breaches coming so frequently these days, the shock value can start to diminish. But the reporting of an advanced cyberattack at the Office of Personnel and Management should give everyone pause. The possibility of a devastating effect on national security is real – and it’s personal.
As a former government employee—I worked on the Obama campaign, at the White House and at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—it’s possible that my information is among the data stolen.
When I read in the news that the OPM knew they were vulnerable to just this sort of attack and didn’t do enough—or anything—to protect themselves and all of the current and former employee data they are charged with securing, I wonder how many of these attacks need to occur before we start taking the reality of this new threat seriously.
No organization is immune from the possibility of a breach – but they can be as well-prepared as possible. It’s for just this reason that we have launched PNProtect—a unique solution for companies who want to get in front of this threat and proactively guard their reputation, brand and the trust of their customers.
Partnering with Rook Security, the cybersecurity technology company, Porter Novelli is providing an innovative and integrated answer to cybersecurity threats and the risks the issue poses.
The offering is built on the principles of prediction and preparation. An investigation into possible threats to a company’s networks as well as an audit of their defenses allows us to develop a threat score and predict their level of vulnerability to a cyberattack. Armed with this analysis, we can begin to take steps to address specific vulnerabilities. At the same time, we are able to develop a crisis action plan and train company officials through a sophisticated simulation in order to be ready in case an attack materializes.
And in the event of a breach, PNProtect engages to shut it down and reduce its impact—both to your sensitive data and to your reputation. Like me, our crisis experts have managed events at some of the world’s biggest companies and organizations.
In today’s world, where conversations rocket around social media and skeptical judgements are rendered in an instant, almost no company has the reputation it wants or deserves. Being victimized by a cyberattack and mismanaging the handling of it are two of the biggest threats to a company’s reputation. Every CEO should be asking the question: are we ready for both? PNProtect is a valuable resource for companies who want that answer to be yes.