Dave Oates is an Accredited Public Relations (APR) specialist and the Principal of PR Security Service. Dave helps organizations repair their brand’s reputation in the press and online through any PR situation, including mass layoffs, product recalls, employee misconduct, and cybersecurity breaches.

Dave has over 25 years of crisis PR experience. He’s shared his expertise with HuffPost, Washington Business Journal, NBC, and more. He also wrote the book, Manage COVID-19 Crisis PR for Nursing Homes, which is based on his experiences helping over 50 facilities during the pandemic. Additionally, Dave is the producer and instructor for two LinkedIn learning courses on Crisis Communications.

It’s an unfortunate reality that ransomware attacks are now a regular part of business. No matter how large or small your organization is, the threat of attack is imminent. So, what do you tell your customers if and when it happens?

Dave Oates, a crisis public relations specialist, says the time to prepare is now — before the crisis happens. There’s a delicate balance between waiting until you have substantial information to report and being transparent and upfront with your communications. According to Dave, if you don’t say something quickly enough, someone else will set the narrative — and with social media tyrants on the loose, this may only cause more problems for your company. So, what is Dave’s advice for navigating the minefield of media relations tactfully?

In this episode of She Said Privacy/He Said Security, Jodi and Justin Daniels sit down with Dave Oates, a crisis PR expert, to discuss how to handle public relations during a cybersecurity breach. Dave talks about why planning ahead is crucial, how to communicate with your customers during a crisis, and the benefits of hiring a PR specialist. Stay tuned.