BlueChip Communications and Horizon GR launch cyber crisis management tool
BlueChip Communication and government relation agency Horizon GR have today launched a new joint venture, ‘Horizon Blue’, Mumbrella can reveal.
The joint-venture product, ‘Horizon Blue Cyber Simulation’ is a first-to-market cyber crisis management product, developed in response to growing risk of cyberattacks from ransomware, denial of service and other potential threats, to challenge and strengthen an organisation’s readiness to respond to a major cyber crisis.
BlueChip Communication founder, Carden Calder (L), and Horizon GR managing partner, Dr Carl Ungerer (R)
The “highly organised, sophisticated and global” nature of cyber attacks has contributed to “a yawning gap between what government agencies know about emerging cybersecurity threats and what board and management teams are doing to protect themselves”, according to Horizon GR managing partner Carl Ungerer.
He credited Australia with being ahead of the US and Europe in its preparedness for these risks, in terms of cyber-security protection and upgrades, but said: “it is the lack of organisational preparedness to respond in a crisis that is causing the most significant damage to companies”.
BlueChip Communications founder, Carden Calder told Mumbrella: “The recent experiences in Australia demonstrated how critical coordination between the technical team, government agencies and organisational leadership is to ensure customers and others gain timely, accurate and transparent communication. This also depends on having the systems and relationships in place and tested prior. The gaps are only apparent in practice. Learning that in the middle of a crisis is where we see the mis-steps that result in catastrophic reputational impact.”
The new product will be aimed at C-Suite and board level participants, offering real-time cybersecurity crisis simulation that combines crisis management, government relations, crisis communication and cybersecurity threat intelligence including criminal tactics.
The costs of cyber attacks are on the rise, with Ungerer citing the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s data that puts the cost of cyber-breaches at a 14% increase over the last year, encompassing costs attributed to “damage and loss of data, stolen money, theft of personal and financial data, business disruption and the clean up including forensic investigations, restoration of hacked systems”.
Carden noted that businesses that fall victim to cyber attacks also suffer “almost unquantifiable ‘trust loss’ costs”.
“Direct and measurable costs include litigation, regulator fines, higher compliance costs, increased cost of capital or funding, and often a drop in share price which persists a year or more after the initial crisis.”
The Horizon Blue Cyber Simulation encompass tailored simulation experience, coaching and upskilling for c-suite and board members, and audit and advice to improve the organisation’s crisis management plans and procedures.
“The pairing of Horizon GR and BlueChip brings strength from leaders in the two disciplines most critical to crisis preparedness,” said Ungerer. “Having a crisis plan in place is one thing – however it’s not worth a lot unless it’s tested in a real-life scenario every six months. It’s the only way to ensure your people and your systems are cyber-ready.”
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topics
BlueChip Communication
Carden Calder
Carl Ungerer
Cyber crisis
Horizon Blue
Horizon Blue Cyber Simulation
Horizon GR
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