Colonnade Communications was founded with privacy and data security as a core agency focus. We have extensive experience helping organizations prepare for and respond to cybersecurity and other data-related communications challenges.
We help clients navigate today’s challenging environment of evolving public expectations surrounding data security – including striking the right balance when responding to often competing demands for speed, accuracy, transparency and confidentiality. We do so by working in close coordination with our clients’ legal counsel and with multidisciplinary teams from within client organizations.
We work to protect your business interests and your relationships and reputation by providing insight, experience, and teamwork, while prioritizing responsiveness and confidentiality.
Cyber-attacks now account for 57% of major corporate crises – larger than all other types combined.
– The Economist Intelligence Unit
Preparation and Response Services
Breach Preparedness Planning
Assessing your existing crisis communication plans, creating cybersecurity and data breach incident response plans, and developing resources and tools to support an effective response.
Incident Response Support
Working with your organization to anticipate, develop, and deliver the timely communications needed to satisfy notification requirements and to manage your reputation with customers, regulators, investors, employees, and other stakeholders. We will help you start out on the right foot and continue to build trust with key audiences through strategic and timely communications.
Data Security Communications Training
Including management training on data breach and data security response dynamics, preparing your team to activate your response plan, supporting crisis simulations and drills, and media training key spokespeople.
Experience and Teamwork
At Colonnade and through prior public relations agency roles, our team has developed deep expertise serving the data security communications needs of a wide variety of companies and organizations across the public and private sectors. This includes supporting more than 100 data breaches, ransomware responses, and data security incidents, and conducting numerous planning and preparedness projects. We use the insight and best practices gleaned from past assignments to inform our current engagements.
We are attentive listeners and excellent partners, knowing that our clients’ success often depends on tight coordination and adherence to team roles. We have teamed on incident responses with legal experts at a number of the nation’s top privacy and data security law practices, as well as leading cybersecurity and data forensics investigative firms. We have been engaged by numerous underwriters of cyber insurance and related risk management products to help protect the interests of their policyholders, and we are familiar with the needs and processes of insurance providers.
Experience by Sector
Our team has responded to data loss and data exposure assignments across the threat spectrum, including incidents resulting from malware and phishing attacks, card skimmers and point-of-sale intrusions, physical theft of equipment and records, insider misuse, denial of service, ransomware, and other criminal acts and human errors. We have incident response experience in the following sectors:
Financial Services
Large regional bank holding company
Southern US bank
National financial advisory network
Large online investment company
Regional insurance company
Title insurance agency
Wealth management advisory network
Regional tax advisory firm
Healthcare
Large regional hospital
Local mental health services provider
Health counseling company
Northeast medical specialty clinics
Statewide physicians group
National prescription eyewear provider
Retail
Western supermarket chain
Computer products retailer
Franchise restaurant chain
Large nationwide supply retailer
Regional car dealership
National restaurant management group
Hospitality
Online travel services provider
Boutique hotel chain
Midwestern entertainment complex
Regional casino chain
Online gaming company
Restaurant technology services company
Education
High-profile Southern public university
Large Midwestern state college system
Large Western college district
Northwestern public school district
Nonprofit
Nationwide humanitarian organization
Statewide food bank
Prominent grantmaking foundation
Government & Government Services
Western city government
Southern city government
Southwestern county government
Government security contractors
Defense systems integration contractor
Regional electric utilities
Business Support & Professional Services
Online transaction provider
Regional Southeast marketing firm
Security services providers
Business process outsourcing company
Cloud computing services provider
Payroll processing company
Staffing and translation provider
B2B customer engagement company
Sales and marketing support company
National document destruction company
Internationally recognized law firm