Common Myths About Breach Response

By now it’s a familiar scenario: There’s been a breach, but no one is sure about the extent of it. Who do you tell, and when? How much do you need to know first? Alston & Bird attorney Jim Harvey looks at six myths that companies commonly embrace when they find themselves on the hot seat and need to make a move, or decide not to. It’s a multi-faceted problem, with legal, security, and PR implications, he says, and it involves a balancing act. Companies “often make the mistake of saying too much too fast (based on insufficiently developed or nonexistent facts) or saying so little that they are accused of hiding the ball and correspondingly pummeled in the court of public opinion.”