Page 52 - Cyber Warnings - November 2015

1. Listen — You may be the first person to listen to what the victim is experiencing and
feeling.
2. Keep an open mind — Well-meaning people have a tendency to blame the victim, when
it’s not the victim’s fault.
3. Normalize the consumer’s feelings — Explain that many victims of these crimes feel this
way.

Help the consumer contact credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert, determine if a credit
freeze may be useful, and request or review his or her credit report. Teach them to engage in
ongoing evaluation of the threat, such as checking credit and bank statements. Hacked
organizations also may volunteer to help consumers file a complaint with the Federal Trade
Commission or file a police report.

Some companies go so far as to implement proactive consumer and employee education programs
about online safety and security basics.

Summary

Attention to the human impact of a cyber-attack limits further damage to a company’s reputation
and, more importantly, helps alleviate the personal pain and identity concerns of individual
customers affected by the breach. A robust response plan captures a clear path to address
anticipated challenges, and positions a company for more resilient recovery.

About the Author

Terri Howard, Senior Director at FEI Behavioral Health is responsible for working
with corporate clients to ensure companies are prepared for, can respond to and
recover from a crisis incident. She also coordinates the people support and
psychological first aid services for those impacted by a crisis incident and is
experienced in developing drills and exercises aimed at testing current crisis
management plans and procedures.

FEI Behavioral Health offers flexible solutions for the full spectrum of workforce resilience goals,
from EAP and wellness to crisis preparedness and management. Partnering with a wide range of
corporations, government entities and non-profits, FEI is a social enterprise wholly owned by the
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, a national network of more than 450 human-serving
organizations. Visit www.feinet.com for additional information.

52 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – November 2015 Edition
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