On the Importance of Agility, Transparency, and Positive Reinforcement in Cyber Incident Crisis Communication

Cyber incident crisis management protocols often overlook the importance of crisis communication. This paper reviews the crisis communication literature to define explicit communication strategies for each stage of a cyber incident. We applied the proposed model to analyze the Norsk Hydro case: a Norwegian aluminum and renewable energy company halted operations due to a ransomware attack. By combining traditional communication outlets and social media, the company kept high transparency of their recovery operation, with frequent (i.e., agile) updates about the cyber incident. The positive presence of Norsk Hydro on social media allowed them to manage reputation throughout the process. Employees’ creativity and loyalty were crucial in the recovery process, and it was promptly publicized globally. This empowered other employees at other branches to act creatively and inspired the community. We conclude the study by suggesting the agility, transparency, and positive reinforcement were the success factor of this crisis communication operation.