NEW YORK — BCW has rolled out a new offering that provides a systematic approach to crafting communications in response to cyberattacks.

The new tool, called CyberTREE, is designed to serve as a framework for crisis communications surrounding cyberattacks, based on 25 factors that victims should weigh in formulating strategic responses. Each factor relates to the threat itself, the response, expectations or engagement.

Who carried out a cyberattack, and by what means, for instance, are among the primary influences on strategy, said cybersecurity crisis team lead Michael Estevez. So is whether or not technicians have been able to diagnose and remedy ensuing problems.

Timing is also a factor, Estevez said, as companies should typically take longer to respond to cyberattacks than other kinds of reputational crises, as there are legal and technological implications, as well as impact on affected stakeholders.  “One main decision point in crisis communications is whether we try to get ahead of the story by being proactive”, Estevez said. “In a (cybersecurity situation) it’s almost never a good idea.”

Chief growth officer Brooke Hovey said those host of influences on cybersecurity communications, as well as rapidly changing regulations, precipitated BCW creating CyberTREE.

“BCW has proven crisis planning methodology but (in cybersecurity) specific needs arrive that warrant a bespoke offering,” Hovey said. “You can’t handle these situations with a standard approach because there are so many nuances.”