back to article Once more unto the breach: El Reg has a go at crisis management

Hacks played representatives of a hacked company in an incident response exercise run by F-Secure this week. The Live Security product interactive workshop was based on an actual customer experience adapted for a media audience. Around 20 members of the international media became the board members and managers of a company …

  1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    Moral. Preparing for when, not if, this happens stop "headless chicken" syndrome.

    Which sounds like a pretty good investment in (senior) staff time.

    But how many other companies will do it?

    And (far more importantly) what were the refreshments like?

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Moral. Preparing for when, not if, this happens stop "headless chicken" syndrome.

      But how many other companies will do it?

      Not mine.

      "Here's the phone, we'll call you if it goes wrong, welcome to on call."

  2. Commswonk

    Obligatory Dilbert...

    http://dilbert.com/strip/2000-08-15

    1. My other car is an IAV Stryker

      Re: Obligatory Dilbert...

      Enough budget to create a color, graphical transparency.

      (Oh my gosh, it's an overhead projector!)

  3. jake Silver badge

    When the time comes, put your head between your knees ...

    and kiss your ass goodbye.

    (Or you can invest in a real computer/network emergency response team.)

  4. Chairman of the Bored

    Your exercise summary needs a soundtrack

    Might I recommend "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" by Warren Zevon?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "didn't see the point in doing this since the information was already out there"

    Being journalists, they didn't see the point just because they hate not seeing news around - a real CSIRT team would have not bothered for a different reason - they would have been really busy working on understanding and stopping the threat - and knowing what leaked (and even where it shows up) helps, to they would monitor what's being published. People pointing the finger are just noise.

    Taking down blog posts is something only a pointy haired boss would think about.

  6. Hollerithevo

    Simples

    Have a plan in place that involves all the absolutely necessary bodies, from CEO to CIO to the grunts, have one person in charge of techie info and one person in charge of comms to the public, let them be joined at the hip, and then be honest, quick, and honourable in what you say to the world.

    I can dream.

  7. druck Silver badge
    Flame

    How not to do things

    Did they have cards for "Buy off the attacker", "Cover up the breach" and "Lie to regulators" in the CEO pack?

  8. Alistair
    Windows

    header pic

    Does not look like the situation is going well.

  9. deadlockvictim

    Where was Marketing in all of this?

    Surely Marketing would be in charge of Crisis Management?

    There's nothing worse for a company than bad news getting out. Crises must be managed properly.

    You can't let people (and especially journalists — they are just muckrakers) outside the company have the facts.That would be irresponsible. It would just cause confusion and delay.

    And the shareholders would be dismayed. This can't be right.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: Where was Marketing in all of this?

      And of course the prepared boiler plate statement about "we take security very seriously".... For some reason, every time I see or hear this, I have a mental image of Bozo the Clown delivering it.

      1. Captain DaFt

        Re: Where was Marketing in all of this?

        And of course the prepared boiler plate statement about "we take security very seriously".... For some reason, every time I see or hear this, I have a mental image of Bozo the Clown delivering it.

        I'm happy for you.

        To me, the image is that of a gang of thugs in an alley with a gun pointed at me, with one hand beckoning. "We take security, seriously"

  10. This post has been deleted by its author

  11. 404

    Security? We've heard of it.

    Yet tell them the 10 year old/never updated firewall appliance needs to be replaced to balance their gigabit/fiber network and increase network speed, they're all over it.

    Is it a lie? Or just presentation?

  12. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    Some of the software I use features a "Panic Button" to click on.

    Would that be helpful in any way in the event?

    1. jake Silver badge

      You know you want one ...

      http://www.thepsychologyshop.com/panic-button/

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like