
Enterprise Explores Handling the Hack: The 4 Rules of Crisis Comms
Nov 20, 2025
Dan LaRusso, a Senior Partner at Penta specializing in crisis communications and cyber incidents, discusses how organizations can effectively manage their reputations in the aftermath of cyber attacks. He reveals that reputational damage often arises from poor communication rather than the breach itself. Dan introduces the formula 'speed + transparency = trust' and highlights the emerging risk of agentic AI. He emphasizes the importance of quick, clear responses and shares successful examples like Cloudflare's transparency during a crisis.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Cyber Risk Is Now A Boardroom Priority
- Cyber risk has moved from the IT back office to the boardroom and now carries direct financial impact.
- Boards must treat cybersecurity as a core business risk, not a technical afterthought.
Reputation Hinges On Response, Not Only Breach
- Reputational damage often stems from how companies respond, not just the breach itself.
- Speed, clarity, consistency and humanity drive public perception during incidents.
Cloudflare's Rapid, Transparent Response
- Cloudflare's CTO quickly admitted the outage and promised updates, then the CEO apologised publicly.
- That fast, transparent leadership calmed stakeholders and limited reputational damage.
