When technology moves at AI speed, trust can be lost just as quickly. Is your organisation’s crisis communication plan ready?
A cyber incident may begin as a technical issue, but it can quickly become a crisis of communication, trust and reputation.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, the rise of AI is adding another layer of complexity. From AI-enabled attacks and deepfakes to misinformation and increasingly sophisticated phishing campaigns, organisations need to think beyond how they protect their systems. They also need to consider how they will communicate when something goes wrong.
When an incident disrupts normal operations, employees may be unable to access their usual communication platforms, information can be difficult to verify, and stakeholders may be looking for answers before the full picture is clear.
In these circumstances, having a well-prepared crisis communication plan is critical. Organisations need clear decision-making processes, alternative communication channels and answers to some fundamental questions:
- Who speaks?
- What do you say?
- When do you say it?
- How do you distinguish fact from AI-generated misinformation?
- And how do you maintain trust while the facts are still emerging?
These are not questions organisations want to be answering for the first time in the middle of a crisis.
This Cyber Security Awareness Month, and as the Australian Signals Directorate marks its first Cyber Action Year 2026, we’re reminding organisations that communication needs to be part of their cyber and AI response planning from the outset, rather than something worked out when an incident occurs.
The way an organisation communicates with its employees, customers, media and other stakeholders can influence how an incident is understood, how quickly confidence is restored and how its response is remembered long after the immediate threat has passed.
AI introduces further challenges, particularly the speed at which false or misleading information can be created and shared. A fabricated statement or deepfake involving a senior executive can quickly become a reputational issue in its own right, potentially adding confusion and uncertainty at an already difficult time.
Having clear processes to verify information, respond to inaccurate claims and communicate through trusted channels can help organisations manage these risks and maintain confidence as a situation develops.
But effective crisis communication is about more than responding to external scrutiny. It also requires coordination across the organisation, with communication, IT, security, legal and leadership teams working together to establish the facts, agree on decisions and deliver clear, consistent information.
Communication should not sit on the sidelines of cyber planning. It needs to be integrated into the response from the outset.
The goal is not simply to manage the headlines, but to provide clarity, demonstrate accountability and maintain trust when it matters most.
Because while cybersecurity helps protect an organisation’s systems and information, strategic communication helps protect something equally valuable: its reputation.
At Primary Comms Group, we help organisations anticipate and manage emerging issues, navigate complex situations and protect their reputations through strategic communication, media relations and issues management.
Get in touch to discuss how we can help strengthen your organisation’s crisis communication planning and response.
