Crisis Management: Communications in a Major Incident

Richard Knowlton
Oct 27, 2025
3 min read

From Natural Disaster to Hostile Attack: Do’s & Don’ts

Richard Knowlton Associates draws on decades of experience in crisis leadership across corporate, diplomatic, and cybersecurity domains, supporting organisations worldwide in strengthening their resilience and reputation before, during, and after a major incident.

Crisis communications - crisis management

Communication is key in crisis management

Effective Crisis Communications: The First Step Toward Resilience

In today’s hyperconnected world, crises spread faster than ever—whether caused by natural disasters, system failures, cyberattacks, or human error. The way an organisation communicates in the first hours after an incident determines how quickly it can recover, protect its reputation, and maintain trust with stakeholders.

Good crisis communication doesn’t erase the damage of an incident—but it can preserve credibility, contain reputational fallout, and strengthen stakeholder confidence. At RKA, we help clients prepare, coordinate, and communicate effectively when it matters most.

✅ Do’s – What to Do

1. Acknowledge quickly.Even if details are scarce, confirm an incident within hours, not days. Silence breeds speculation.

Example: During the July 2024 CrowdStrike software outage that grounded airlines and disrupted banks and hospitals globally, the company’s CEO publicly acknowledged the issue early, setting a constructive tone despite the scale of disruption.

2. Coordinate messaging.Align IT/security, legal, HR, operations, and communications teams before speaking publicly. Inconsistent messages erode trust.

3. Be transparent (within limits).State what you know, what you don’t know, and what steps are being taken. Lack of clarity does more harm than admitting uncertainty.

4. Prioritise affected stakeholders.Customers, suppliers, and employees should hear from you before the media. Early outreach builds loyalty.

5. Update regularly.Commit to a regular cadence—daily or weekly—to demonstrate control and continuity.

❌ Don’ts – What to Avoid

1. Don’t over-reassure.Avoid phrases like “no data stolen” unless absolutely certain. Incorrect reassurance destroys credibility.

2. Don’t assign blame prematurely.Pointing fingers at vendors or “rogue actors” before confirming facts undermines integrity and may increase legal exposure.

3. Don’t hide behind jargon.Use plain language—say “deliveries will be delayed” instead of “process latency will occur.”

4. Don’t delay regulator notifications.

Legal deadlines (e.g., GDPR’s 72 hours) are non-negotiable.

5. Don’t forget the human cost.Acknowledge stress, inconvenience, or harm. Genuine empathy always reinforces reputation.

Learning from Recent Crises

Global IT outage (CrowdStrike, July 2024): Early acknowledgment and visible leadership helped manage stakeholder frustration.
Telecoms blackout (Optus, Australia, 2025): Delayed crisis communications and unclear accountability worsened reputational damage after emergency services were cut off. Failures here highlight the cost of delayed acknowledgement, lack of stakeholder prioritisation, and insufficient transparency under human-impact conditions.

The company faced heavy criticism for delayed crisis communications to authorities and customers.
Across sectors, from critical infrastructure to manufacturing, the lesson is the same: communicate early, clearly, and empathetically.

Why Good Crisis Communication Matters

Preserves trust: Stakeholders (customers, employees, regulators) judge not only the event but how you respond.
Limits reputational fallout: A controlled, timely and honest response reduces speculation, third-party narrative hijack, and social-media escalation.
Protects regulatory standing: Proper communication is part of compliance and governance response.
Strengthens resilience: Organisations seen to handle incidents well tend to recover stronger, and can embed learning into culture and systems.

Top Tips for our Clients

Pre-designate a Crisis Communications Team spanning Legal, IT, HR, and Internal and External Communications.
Maintain ready-to-use holding statements for immediate release.
Map out stakeholder contact protocols before a crisis hits.
Review notification obligations regularly.
Conduct post-incident communication reviews to identify lessons learned.

Bottom Line

Good crisis communication doesn’t eliminate the impact of a major incident—but it preserves trust, contains reputational damage, and shows leadership under pressure.

By responding swiftly, transparently, and empathetically, organisations not only recover faster—they emerge stronger.

Contact us here to request your free Crisis Communications Checklist.