Cybersecurity Vendors Need Rules of Engagement for News Hijacking

What do you want your cybersecurity business to sound like when analysing industry news in discussions with the press? 

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It’s a valid question for any B2B business, but perhaps even more so for cybersecurity vendors. After all, much of the news that a cyber company might respond to bears some negative connotations. A high-profile retailer gets hacked. An airline gets disrupted. Sensitive government secrets are exposed! Figuring out how your cybersecurity experts engage with the media on these incidents is just as important as whether you react in the first place. 

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In my last blog, I covered the tenets behind good news hijacking. Those rules still apply to cybersecurity. The only difference is that there are now many more stories to comment on within the cybersecurity news cycle. It runs at a relentless pace, and breaches seem to occur almost daily. The temptation to respond to everything, even without a unique point of view or perspective, can leave you in a position where you’re saying…well, nothing.

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With this in mind, here are some useful tips.

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Tip #1: Don’t be heartless 

What does your brand sound like? Is it matter-of-fact? Tongue-in-cheek? There’s a line you have to tow. You want ‘punchy’ language that captures attention, but you must be careful not to use rhetoric that might be perceived as victim-shaming. Remember that cybersecurity incidents ultimately affect real people, so don’t paint your brand as heartless – after all, it could be you one day. 

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Think about being constructive and empathetic. Develop a central messaging paper at the start of your campaign to set clear boundaries and make sure you have buy-in from all internal stakeholders. Assume that every victim could be a potential future customer. At Babel, we regularly provide media training to the spokespeople we work with, ensuring they have all the tips and tricks they need to succeed in media interviews. 

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Tip #2: Don’t overpromise

So, you’ve issued a comment to the cyber press about a breach. But react to one breach with a hot take, and you might suddenly find a journalist asking your spokesperson to hop on a call within the next hour.

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Yes, it can move that quickly – not all the time, but often enough that you need to ask yourself if your team is prepared to respond instantly. Can your spokesperson accommodate that? Can someone else? What’s the next best option you can provide (e.g. written comments)? Anticipating these questions is critical. That’s why you should establish the rules of engagement at the beginning of your campaign, not just focus on the messaging itself. This will help prevent overpromising and underdelivering to the media. 

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Tip #3: Don’t be a copy-paste commentator

Not to burst anyone’s bubble, but if you’re commenting on a cyber incident, you’re not the only one. In fact, you probably don’t want to see what journalists’ inboxes look like in the wake of a breaking cyber news story. There’s usually a flood of commentary from vendors rushing to give their opinion. 

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And sure, not every comment needs to revolutionise the entire cybersecurity industry. However, comments do tend to blur together more than you might think – the same buzzwords, the same vague ‘this highlights the importance of cybersecurity hygiene’ line. If you’re not bringing anything new to the table, why would a journalist choose your comment?

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Instead, consider what makes your brand’s point of view unique. Do you have data supporting a fresh perspective? What about technical insights that haven’t been discussed yet? Or perhaps you have a viewpoint based on anecdotes from your experience within the sector? Finding your distinctive story, that only your experts can tell, will dramatically increase your chances of standing out and getting quoted in a saturated space. 

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News hijacking can be an incredibly fruitful endeavour for tech vendors in generating coverage – especially for breaking through with nationals. But as powerful as the tactic is, any comms team has to be mindful of its execution to avoid damaging its own reputation, not just with the media but with the industry it's trying to serve. That’s why our team at Babel works closely with technology firms to ensure their messaging is consistent and continually evolving to add a unique perspective to a rapidly changing news agenda.

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