How to Protect Your Reputation After a Cyber Attack

When a cyber attack happens to your business, it may feel like the ground has shifted underneath you. Beyond the financial impact and the operational disruptions, there’s another major risk that small businesses sometimes overlook: your reputation. Trust takes years to build, and it can be lost in a matter of moments if customers, suppliers, or the public feel that they’ve been let down by your business, even if the cyber incident isn’t your fault.

The good news? How you respond after an incident can make a huge difference! Here are some practical steps you can take to help protect your business’ reputation if you’ve been targeted by a cyber attack.

Quick but careful communication

Silence after a cyber attack can fuel rumours amongst your customer base or the public. Be open and honest about what has happened as soon as you can, even if you don’t have all the answers yet. A simple statement advising that you are aware of a recent cyber incident affecting your business and that it is being investigated with the support of industry experts shows accountability without causing any unnecessary panic.

Be honest in your words

We’re all human, we don’t expect perfection from the brands we’re loyal to, but we do expect honesty. Avoid jargon and legalese-ridden statements where possible and acknowledge the disruption, apologise to your customers, and explain what you’re doing to put things right. A human tone goes a long way in rebuilding your customer’s trust.

Show the action that you’re taking

Share the steps you’ve taken since the attack to rectify things. This might include working with cyber security professionals, notifying affected customers directly and strengthening your systems to protect your customers’ data and ensure that further incidents do not happen. Transparency is key here. Being honest about the improvements you’re making helps reassure people that your business is learning from the incident. Review some good practices of responding to a cyber incident.

Support your affected customers

It’s common during cyber attacks for personal and financial data to be exposed; this includes your customers’ data. This can be a worrying time for customers, so it’s important that you give them clear guidance on what they should do next, including resetting passwords, monitoring their bank accounts, or contacting cyber security professionals for expert advice. You must also reassure them that you’re doing your best to recover their information to prevent further implications. Proactive support shows that your business puts its customers first, even in times of crisis.

Consider signposting your affected customers to Data Breach Guidance support page.

Learn and improve your protocols

Once the dust settles, reflect on what happened and what you can do next. Could security awareness training for your staff help? Was your incident response plan as effective as it could have been? How did the attacker gain access to your systems? Showing that you’re learning and adapting can strengthen your reputation in the long run as it builds trust with your customers that this won’t happen again.

Share the positives!

We understand that in the wake of a cyber attack, it may be difficult to find the positives. However, many organisations have emerged from cyber incidents with stronger relationships because of how they handled them in the aftermath. If you respond with transparency, accountability, and care for your customers, people are more likely to remember how you reacted rather than the implications of the attack itself.

Final thoughts

A cyber attack is never good news, but it doesn’t have to define your business. Quick action, open communication, and taking responsibility can protect and even strengthen your reputation. The South East Cyber Resilience Centre helps organisations just like yours prepare for and respond to cyber incidents, including providing expert advice on how to protect your reputation.

Become a member of the Cyber Resilience Centre Network for free today if you’d like guidance on building your company’s cyber resilience. If you’d like to report a cyber incident within your company, we can help you with that too.