DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

How do you view your customers?

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Dissent

Wow. I just read some really offensive advice by Ronald Raether about what to say after a data breach.

Well, I should be clear that I didn’t read all of his advice because I stopped reading after his first answer to the interviewer:

RONALD RAETHER: The first place to start is with defining the goals. Traditionally in media management, the goal has been to control the message, to control what happens in print media and now television. In data breach response instances, I believe that the goal really ought to be to satisfy the audience, to provide sufficient information so that number one, the reputation of the company is maintained and then number two, to mitigate or prevent any litigation or government investigation that could harm the business operations of the company.

Any other privacy advocate offended by the language or the priorities? The victims of a data breach are not an “audience.” They are people who do not need to be entertained or lectured to. They are the lifeblood of the business and they have been harmed to one degree or another by a breach. So let’s lose the “audience” image, which also implies that the breached entity  is now putting on an act for an audience.

Second, “number one” is not maintaining the reputation of the company. Number one is taking care of the victims of the data breach to make them as whole as possible. And number two is not mitigating or preventing litigation or government investigation. Number two is engaging forensic experts and hardening  security so the business can tell  its customers why they should trust them going forward.

What a shame that GovInfoSecurity didn’t interview someone who views the breach victims as individuals who need – in plain language – a statement of what happened, how the company appreciates any distress they may feel and how it will help them deal with the breach, and what the company is doing to restore trust and ensure this doesn’t happen again. Yes, the company will be concerned about its reputation and litigation, but the way to minimize those risks is consistent with an approach that really puts the needs of the customers and respect for the customers first.


Related:

  • Qantas obtains injunction to prevent hacked data’s release
  • Ransomware attack disrupts Korea's largest guarantee insurer
  • Theft from Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
  • Global operation targets NoName057(16) pro-Russian cybercrime network in Operation Eastwood
  • More than 100 British government personnel exposed by Ministry of Defence data leak
  • New TeleMessage SGNL Flaw Is Actively Being Exploited by Attackers
Category: Commentaries and Analyses

Post navigation

← High school hack: Teenager suspended for accessing confidential school records and posting them on Facebook
California Dept of Social Services notifying over 700,000 In-Home Supportive Services providers and recipients after payroll data lost in the mail →

1 thought on “How do you view your customers?”

  1. IA Eng says:
    May 15, 2012 at 7:00 am

    Sounds like a long winded way of saying “cover-up”.

Comments are closed.

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Microsoft Releases Urgent Patch for SharePoint RCE Flaw Exploited in Ongoing Cyber Attacks
  • Global hack on Microsoft product hits U.S., state agencies, researchers say
  • Inquiry launched after identities of SAS soldiers leaked in fresh data breach
  • UK sanctions Russian cyber spies accused of facilitating murders
  • Michigan ‘ATM jackpotting’: Florida men allegedly forced machines to dispense $107K
  • Premier Health Partners issues a press release about a breach two years ago. Why was this needed now?
  • Bitcoin holds steady as hackers drain over $40 million from CoinCDX, India’s top exchange
  • Government will ‘robustly defend’ compensation claims from Afghans put at risk by data breach
  • Authorities released free decryptor for Phobos and 8base ransomware
  • Singapore Facing ‘Serious’ Cyberattack by Espionage Group With Alleged China Ties

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • British government reportedlu set to back down on secret iCloud backdoor after US pressure
  • Idaho agrees not to prosecute doctors for out-of-state abortion referrals
  • As companies race to add AI, terms of service changes are going to freak a lot of people out. Think twice before granting consent!
  • Uganda orders Google to register as a data-controller within 30 days after landmark privacy ruling
  • Meta investors, Zuckerberg reach settlement to end $8 billion trial over Facebook privacy violations
  • ICE is gaining access to trove of Medicaid records, adding new peril for immigrants
  • Microsoft can’t protect French data from US government access

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.