Background
A central tenet of emergency response is preparing for the unexpected. Effective communication is a vital part of any emergency response and must begin with preparedness before an event occurs. Similarly, strong nuclear security relies on effective communication within an organisation and between an organisation and its regulator, government agencies, police, local community, other nuclear organisations and the media.
When responding to an incident or emergency, it is essential that the right people have the right information at the right time. Even well-prepared and practised response plans can fail to effectively communicate information to relevant stakeholders during an emergency, and a cybersecurity event can introduce additional complications for response organisations.
This webinar highlighted the importance of communication during a cybersecurity event, provide an overview of valuable resources that already exist in this area, and introduced participants to the challenges of communicating in response to a cybersecurity event through a guided response exercise.
Objectives
The purpose of this webinar was to:
- Introduce challenges to communication during a cybersecurity event;
- Learn about the IAEA’s work in emergency preparedness and response (EPR) and the role of its Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC); and
- Engage in a live exercise to examine the complexities and challenges of communicating in response to a cybersecurity event.
Our special guests for the webinar were:
- Mr. Andrew Bramnik, Emergency Response Training Officer, Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC), Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA);
- Ms. Danielle Dahlstrom, WINS Consultant, International Expert on Safety and Security Communication.
Process
This webinar included the following agenda items:
- Introduction to the topic of communication during a cybersecurity incident;
- Review documents, guidance and best practices in the area;
- Undertake a live exercise to critically examine the complexities and challenges that one can face in communicating in response to a cyber security event.
Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2021 at 10:00 (CEST) Vienna time
Duration: 60 minutes
Language: English
Reference Materials
IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre
IAEA Nuclear Security Series
IAEA Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR)
IAEA International Symposium on Communicating Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies to the Public
