Cardinals Caught in a Pickle after Alleged Astros Hack

Erik Bernstein crisis management, cyber security, cybersecurity, data breach, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein Leave a Comment

Cyber crime history in the making Yesterday, the NY Times broke the story of the ongoing investigation by the F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors into the possible hacking of a Houston Astros internal network by St. Louis Cardinals staff. This hack, if proven, marks the first-ever cyber attack by a …

[Infographic] Reputation Management Strategy

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Always be watching for ways to enhance your reputation management efforts The best reputation management strategies are constantly evolving to be as effective as possible given our ever-changing world. That means always watching for new ideas to incorporate and innovative ways to accomplish your goals. We found this w3police infographic …

Army.mil Hack – a Reminder of the Need to Prepare

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, cyber security, cyber threats, cybersecurity, data breach, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein Leave a Comment

Chances of being the victim of a cyber attack continue to rise While the military has had its share of web issues, it’s still safe to say that its official websites are more secure than your average page. Although there’s no way to keep 100% of hackers out of any …

Talking FIFA, Sepp, and Crisis Management

Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, PR, public relations, reputation management, sports crisis management Leave a Comment

An ugly situation and a chance to do better Although FIFA’s reputation has slowly been sliding downhill as a result of years of questionable decisions and shady dealings, the corruption charges leveled against officials at the organization by Swiss and U.S. authorities gave it a big shove off the reputation …

Are You Sending the Right Message Internationally?

Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Erik Bernstein, internal communications, internal crisis management, Jonathan Bernstein Leave a Comment

Chances are some of your communications are being lost in translation It’s quite common for even smaller organizations to operate across international borders, and those that don’t are still likely to need to communicate in more than one language from time to time. While your communications may be polished and …

Reputation’s Direct Connection to Your Bottom Line

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Reputation and finances are inextricably connected A stronger reputation means more customers and clients, along with greatly reduced risk of lasting damage when crises do hit. Although it can be hard to specifically translate reputation to dollar amounts, research like that behind this infographic from Reputation Institute is becoming more …

Reputation and the Financial Sector

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Crisis Response, cyber security, cyber threats, cybersecurity, data breach, Erik Bernstein, information security, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Identifying the biggest threat to financial firms’ reputations Reputation is your most valuable asset, and today there are more threats to reputation than ever before. One of the fastest-growing and most impactful issues is information security, and the results of the 2015 Makovsky Wall Street Reputation Study show why. According …

Cyber Threats 101

Erik Bernstein computer security, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, cyber security, cyber threats, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein Leave a Comment

The time to prepare for a cyber attack is before it happens, not while you’re picking up the pieces A recent poll from the cybersecurity experts at CyberEdge returned some startling stats. A full 71% of respondents’ networks were breached in 2014, 59% saw a rise in mobile device threats, …

Austin City Managers Take a Trip Back in Time

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

A situation that begs the question, “what were they thinking?” Austin, Texas has been making a name for itself as a hip and progressive city in recent years. While you would expect city officials to be celebrating their new majority female City Council, the first in Austin’s history, their reaction …

Customer Service Matters for Crisis Management

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, customer service, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations Leave a Comment

Customer service is often the first line of defense when it comes to reputation We’ve all had an awful customer service experience. Whether it was in person, over the phone, or now through email and social media, it never leaves you feeling eager to do business with the entity responsible. …

Sexual Innuendo Bus Ad Backfires

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, reputation management, social media Leave a Comment

Another easily preventable crisis creates financial loss In a perfect example of the type of crisis that would have been averted had those responsible thought to use the just-launched AvoidTheApology.com, UK-based New Adventure Travel Limited thought it would be brilliant if there were images of half-naked folk holding signs that …

Tech Failure: American Airlines iPad Glitch

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You need backup plans in place for when technology fails Many organizations have looked to technology to lower costs and lighten the load, but they often seem surprised when that very technology encounters issues or just plain stops working. This was the case when iPad software used by American Airlines …

Send in the Reinforcements!

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein Leave a Comment

Don’t let a sudden spike in workload worsen an ongoing crisis When you’re running an organization you staff for day-to-day operations because keeping extra bodies on the clock is a waste of resources. What happens, however, when a crisis suddenly ups the volume of work far beyond what you’re able …

Information Security (or Lack Thereof)

Jonathan and Erik Bernstein crisis management, data breach, information security Leave a Comment

A look at an all-too-common cause of crisis Whether it’s exposing client data or losing corporate secrets to unknown competitors, failing to secure sensitive information can quickly create a crisis. But, despite the high profile examples we’ve seen over the past couple years, an “it won’t happen to me” attitude …

The Price of Losing Your Cool

Jonathan and Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Flipping out is not an option Composure is everything, and whether you’re a public figure or an ordinary Joe, blowing up in front of anyone with a recording device can quickly make you headline material. The Cincinnati Reds have been having a tough time recently, and manager Bryan Price finally lost …