Leveraging the cybersecurity function to build influence and strategy: An empirical study of public relations professionals’ cybersecurity acumen
Leveraging the cybersecurity function to build influence and strategy: An empirical study of public relations professionals’ cybersecurity acumen
Abstract: This study investigated PR professionals’ attention to and perceptions of cybersecurity, and their involvement in handling cybersecurity incidents. Preliminary findings include that practitioners in the US and Canada did not significantly differ in terms of their perceptions of cybersecurity. The most consistent predictors across our research questions were prior experience with a cyber incident (i.e., whether their own organization had ever been a victim of a cyber-attack or data theft), and perceptions of the quality and power granted to the communication function within one’s own organization. These were consistent predictors across each of the four regressions run.
Related Research
-
Organizational Crisis Confidence Based on Ability and Perceived Integrity: A Framework for Development and Delineation of an Overlooked Aspect of Crisis CommunicationW. Timothy Coombs, Sungsu Kim (PhD Alum), and Yan Jin. (2025). “Organizational Crisis Confidence Based on Ability and Perceived Integrity: A Framework for Development and Delineation of an Overlooked Aspect […]
-
Listening as a ‘secret weapon:’ How emotional intelligence and mindfulness drive public relations outcomesZifei Fay Chen & Place, K. R. (in press). “Listening as a ‘secret weapon:’ How emotional intelligence and mindfulness drive public relations outcomes,” in W. Zhang (ed.), Emotional intelligence and public […]