Digital attacks cause enormous economic damage every year. According to Bitkom, German companies face around €223 billion annually from immediate impacts such as data loss, system outages, or ransom demands. However, this figure only captures the visible part. The real costs, including lost trust, customer churn, and strained business relationships, are often much higher.
The attack itself is rarely the main problem. Instead, the second, often larger wave is caused by poor or unclear communication.
When Everything Suddenly Stops
A moment of silence hits: systems are blocked, data inaccessible, and phones remain silent. While IT assesses the situation, the crisis team improvises, and executives wait for reliable information. This scenario is increasingly common and affects businesses of all sizes more frequently.
Technical costs such as recovery, forensics, or possible ransom payments mark just the beginning. The real financial pressure usually comes from how communication is handled—or mismanaged.
Communication Damage – Often Bigger Than the Attack
Delayed or contradictory statements, downplaying the situation, and lack of transparency with employees and partners frequently cause the largest losses. As a result, companies experience customer departures, regulatory pressure, diminished trust, and longer operational downtime. Studies clearly show that indirect costs often exceed technical recovery expenses.
Whether an organization retains credibility after an attack depends on its communication, not the complexity of the breach.
Where Communication Fails After Cyberattacks
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Silence: Companies wait too long due to uncertainty or internal disagreement.
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Jargon instead of clarity: Terms like “security incident” or “technical irregularities” create distance instead of trust.
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Contradictory messages: Departments and executives fail to speak with one voice.
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Ignoring media dynamics: The speed of public discussion is often underestimated.
The result is almost always the same: trust erodes instead of being restored.
Three German Cases – Lessons Learned
Continental (2022):
An attack allegedly compromised 40 terabytes of data. Delayed and vague communication severely affected trust. The ransom demand was around $50 million.
Rheinmetall (2023):
The civilian division suffered damages in the tens of millions. Communication was relatively open, yet the case shows: transparency alone is not enough – preparation is critical.
Ludwigslust-Parchim District (2021):
Reliable information was absent for days. Citizens and media reacted with frustration. The reputational damage was significant, even without reported ransom payments.
Why Poor Communication Is Expensive
IBM points out that poor communication during a data breach significantly increases costs. Reputation loss, regulatory pressure, and customer departures push total expenses higher—often exceeding the technical damage itself. Similarly, the World Bank confirms that indirect costs can be as serious as direct financial or technical losses.
New Risks Require New Skills
In the book We Are Fake! by Dr. Nikolai A. Behr and his co-authors, it becomes clear how crisis logic has shifted. The speed at which rumors, deepfakes, and misinformation spread makes communication the key risk factor.
Companies therefore need new capabilities to manage cyber crises professionally:
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Scenario training: Define roles, procedures, messages, and practice them in advance.
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Communication skills development: Specialized training for executives, communication teams, and IT specialists.
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Proactive perception management: Lead and explain actively rather than just react.
The Age of Fakes! International Amazon Bestseller
The new book: “We Are Fake” now available in stores in german language
Bottom Line: The Attack Will Come. You Decide Its Impact.
Cyber risks are no longer hypothetical. What matters is not if an attack occurs but how prepared you are communicatively. Waiting until systems fail means paying twice: first with data, then with trust.
Key question:
Do you have a clear communication plan for emergencies? Who speaks publicly when internal systems fail?
“The time before an attack is your most valuable resource.”
Over 600 companies—from hidden champions to DAX-listed firms—already rely on coaching and training programs from the German Institute for Communication & Media Training (DIKT GmbH).
Contact:
📞 0700 CALL-BEHR
📧 office[at]medientraining-institut.de
Photo: DIKT GmbH
Yours sincerely,
Nikolai A. Behr
Dr. Nikolai A. Behr CSP® ist Keynote Speaker, Kommunikationsexperte und Medientrainer für Führung, Vertrauen und empathische Kommunikation in Zeiten von Wandel und KI.