In cybersecurity, timing isn’t everything—it’s the only thing.
A major breach hits the news. Zero-day in the wild. Everyone scrambles. CISOs want answers. Boards want updates. Prospects want to know: Are we exposed?
This is your two-hour window. Miss it, and you’re just another vendor chiming in on day three, when the panic’s passed and inboxes are full.
But there’s a right way to jump in—and a wrong one.
Don’t lead with product. No one wants a feature pitch during a breach. Start with facts. What happened? What’s confirmed? What’s not? Cite the original CVE, if available. Link to the vendor disclosure. Be useful first.
Say if you’re affected—clearly. If your product stack touches the exploit vector, state it. If not, say that too. Ambiguity creates doubt. Doubt kills deals.
Offer next steps. “Here’s what our customers should do.” Even if it’s just monitor or patch guidance. It shows leadership. It shows you’re already thinking ahead.
Use the channels you own. A two-paragraph blog. A LinkedIn post. An email to affected clients. Don’t wait for a PR review cycle. Get legal to approve a template before something breaks.
Don’t wait to be asked. Inbound from prospects asking “are you exposed?” is already too late. You should be pushing reassurance, not reacting to fear.
The best day-zero comms hit within 90 minutes. No fluff, no opportunism. Just clarity.
You’re not selling during a breach. You’re showing that when things go sideways, you lead.
That’s what people remember. Not your logo. Your response.
Leave a Reply