The Increasingly Expensive Gap Between a Cyber Breach and Communication, Published in the Daily Journal, Los Angeles

In an article published on 10/9 in the Daily Journal, Los Angeles, Segal McCambridge Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer Jennifer O’Donnell talks about the importance of having a cyber breach communication plan in plan before an incident occurs. O’Donnell outlines how clear, timely internal and client communications can help firms meet notification obligations, reduce reputational harm, and maintain client trust amid increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

“When your reputation is on the line, communication becomes part of the incident response; perhaps, over the longer term, it’s the most important part of the response,” O’Donnell writes. “If the firm doesn't share information, someone else will.”

O’Donnell recommends designating a single spokesperson, one core message, simple manager scripts, and a regular update schedule before a breach occurs. She also urges firms to prioritize direct client communication and rehearse realistic cybersecurity scenarios with leadership, security, IT, legal, HR, and communications teams.

“Clients should never learn about their law firm’s breach from a news alert or a leak site,” O’Donnell writes. “Our next update is Thursday at noon” builds more trust than “We’ll share more as soon as we can.”

Read the article in full (subscriber-based).