Microsoft warns about SharePoint vulnerability. How to inform employees during crisis?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Microsoft has issued a warning about “active attacks” targeting certain SharePoint server software used for document sharing within organizations, Reuters reports. The company urgently advises customers to implement security updates immediately. This is alarming news for thousands of organizations, as the damage from such an attack can be extensive. Effective crisis communication is crucial, particularly in situations like these. In this article, you’ll learn why effective crisis communication matters, the characteristics of strong crisis communication, and how to prepare your communication for any type of cyber crisis.

Effective crisis communication prevents further damage

Good communication ensures that a (potential) crisis remains under control and does not escalate further. When employees are not informed promptly and thoroughly, uncertainty and confusion arise. This can lead to panic, undesirable behavior, and additional harm to the organization.

Traditional channels such as intranet and email are unsuitable as crisis communication tools. They are often overlooked or noticed too late and can even become compromised themselves, leading to further problems. The alternative? Omnichannel push communication. This allows you to immediately deliver information to all employees, regardless of their location, utilizing all available screens: TVs, PCs, and mobile devices.

It is essential that this communication instantly captures attention, immediately takes priority over other messages, and enables employees to confirm receipt. Various tools are available for this purpose, such as Alerts—prominent messages that appear directly on top of all other communications on TVs, PCs, and mobile phones—and Tickers: scrolling information bars immediately visible above all open applications on PCs. These ensure warnings, information, and instructions are not overlooked, enabling employees to clearly understand the situation and the required actions to prevent further damage.

Create redundancy and prepare your communication for any cyber crisis

How do you ensure employees are reached quickly and effectively during any cyber crisis? By creating redundancy. Redundancy is crucial for every organization’s digital survival. It simply ensures that one or more communication channels are always available during a crisis, regardless of the circumstances. Communication should be possible even if the internet has completely failed. By leveraging multiple channels—from communication via TV screens, PCs, and mobile apps, to even SMS messaging—you significantly reduce the risk of a communication failure and, consequently, additional harm.

Prepare yourself to prevent chaos

A crisis demands swift and decisive action, including thorough preparation. Don’t wait until it’s too late; ensure you are ready now. Do this by having the right tools to communicate effectively in the manner described above. Additionally, it is essential to prepare as many different scenarios as possible in advance and to pre-set corresponding messages, allowing quick action during any type of crisis. Every second counts during a cyber crisis; there is no room for improvisation. Solid preparation, the right tools, and fast, thoughtful communication make the difference between a manageable situation and total chaos.

Start improving your crisis communication today. Schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our experts or discover the power of our crisis communication software yourself through a brief demo.