Reputation Loss is the worst result from a data breach.
Reputation Loss will:
- Bankrupt your business faster than any fine.
- Lose your customers faster than you are able to react.
- Drag your business down faster than any criminal sentences.
- Act faster than any slap on the wrist from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
- Be slow to impossible to rebuild even if you had the chance.
Why is reputation loss so destructive?
It shows that you did not value your client’s data enough to care for it
If you don’t maintain your duty of care, clients will not care about anything else
Why does reputation loss cause problems so fast?
On hearing there has been a breach (despite whatever your business might announce to calm people), everyone will fear the worst.
As a result, they will not want to deal with you – possibly - ever again.
Who is “everyone”?
- Clients – if you have lost their credit cards for example, you will not have happy clients
- Suppliers – if you have lost their bank details, you will not have happy suppliers
- Staff – if you have lost their bank details, you will not have happy staff
- Authorities/Shareholders/Board – if they hear of this, they will know you cannot keep your data safe – ie you don’t have control of your business.
Result = no-one is happy with you!