| The following are the top 5 Internet-related actions any | | | | not only dangerous, but highly embarrassing, to be |
| organization must take, in my opinion, to effectively | | | | outranked by your critics! Effective SEO also |
| prevent and/or manage crises: | | | | produces more business (95 percent of my new |
| 1. Be Prepared to Manage Crises 24/7 | | | | business, for example) and makes you visible to media |
| I have had more than a few clients whose culture | | | | so that you can become expert sources in your |
| assumes that work is done during daylight hours on | | | | respective fields. |
| weekdays. The Internet, on the other hand, never | | | | 4. Allocate the Budget Necessary to Maintain |
| sleeps - and neither do the newshounds who feed it. | | | | Information Security |
| Virtually every media outlet has a website, in addition | | | | There are few situations more embarrassing and, |
| to its print or broadcast operation, and some media are | | | | often, more damaging than a breach of confidentiality |
| strictly online operations. The hunger for news is not | | | | resulting from compromise of your computer system, |
| restricted to their time zones or even to their countries | | | | whether it be a single computer or a corporate server. |
| of origin. Recently, for example, a situation that would | | | | Additionally, almost all organizations outside of |
| have only been news in Canada, if it had happened 10 | | | | third-world countries are highly dependent on functional |
| or even 5 years ago, quickly appeared in a Russian | | | | computer systems to operate, so anything which |
| publication. How do I know that? Because I collect | | | | takes those systems down immediately creates a |
| intelligence - in real time - related to my clients. Your | | | | potential crisis. At the same time, corporate leadership |
| crisis management team members, especially anyone | | | | often makes the assumption that someone qualified to |
| responsible for communication, must be available 24/7. | | | | work in your IT department, or as an IT consultant, is |
| 2. Collect Intelligence | | | | also fully qualified to ensure that your information |
| I've said before that the Internet is much like the | | | | remains secure and your systems uncompromised. |
| famous song "Alice's Restaurant," where you can get | | | | THAT IS OFTEN A FALSE ASSUMPTION. There are |
| anything you want (except online you could also | | | | specialists within the IT world just as within the legal or |
| probably get Alice, I'm afraid). Your critics, competitors | | | | PR fields. You may well be best served by an IT |
| and (if you come into the public eye) the media can | | | | "generalist" on a day-to-day basis, but that individual, |
| and will read everything they can find about you, | | | | and his/her CEO, needs to know what they don't |
| NONE of which should come as any surprise to you | | | | know and be humble and practical enough to call in |
| because you should already have read it and be | | | | experts who can optimize system security. If you |
| prepared to answer questions about anything that | | | | have the luxury of such expertise in-house, you are |
| would raise eyebrows. If you don't know how to do | | | | the rare exception, in my experience. |
| such expert research, then hire a geek who can. Heck, | | | | 5. Have Multiple Means of Accessing the Internet |
| often you can find an intern who will be happy to do | | | | Ensure that you have Internet access no matter |
| the job for minimum wage. Remember, though, I'm not | | | | where you are, which is essential for crisis |
| just talking about news clippings, but ANYTHING that | | | | management in this century. A common flaw I have |
| might be in the public record (e.g., court records, | | | | found in the connectivity plans of larger organizations is |
| regulatory agencies). Ensure that any news clipping | | | | too much dependence on their own server's "up time" |
| service you use is capable of delivering you results | | | | and an inability to function when it's down. In particular, |
| almost the moment they appear online. | | | | there is a lack of planning, by small and large |
| 3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | | | | organizations, for how to operate if you can't use your |
| Don't leave your organization vulnerable to critics who | | | | primary server and/or computer system for an |
| can launch an anti-(name of your organization) site in | | | | extended period of time - e.g., following a major |
| minutes. Make sure your own sites - multiple sites if | | | | earthquake or hurricane. This is another of those |
| possible - are highly ranked under your own name and | | | | usually under-funded crisis preparedness activities that |
| under the terms by which you want to be found. It's | | | | come back to haunt you later. |