Why silence destroys trust in a crisis

We’ve seen more examples of big brands in the headlines over data security, with some going to ground and hoping the issue passes by.

This shows dreadful disrespect to customers directly caught up in the situation. 

Qantas remains largely silent about last week’s leaking of stolen customer data onto the dark web – the sequel to the major data breach earlier in the year.

The initial breach saw the airline communicating directly with impacted customers. This time around it’s been crickets, with customers learning of the next steps in the drama via the media.

Meanwhile, American Express has made no statement in response to media reports of widespread customer exposure to identity theft, apparently the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Vocus, the parent company of Dodo and iPrimus, appears to have done a better job after a cyber incident over the weekend.

They’ve released information about what happened and what they’re doing about it, including working directly with impacted customers. Let’s hope their communication continues in this vein.

Clearly, cyber crime is a rapidly escalating problem for businesses. This is bad enough, without making it a whole lot worse by destroying customer trust through absence of communication.

When a crisis erupts, the communication focus needs to be on making sure those directly affected have the information they need. That’s not the time for butt-covering or self-promotion – and it certainly isn’t a time for silence.

Just ask Optus how that went, during the 000 breakdown.

Even if it’s bad news, people would rather know what’s going on with their personal data than be kept in the dark and have to rely on rumours and media stories.   

Leaders need to step up by communicating early about what they know and what they expect to happen next.

The old saying, “let’s not give it oxygen” is out of place in 2025 when people can see deeply into your business.

Want more? Listen to my interview with Mike Jeffreys on 2GB: https://omny.fm/shows/overnights-with-mike-jeffreys/saying-nothing-is-a-terrible-crisis-communication-strategy