Post-Breach Communication: How to Involve Employees in the Recovery Process

January 2025 marked a concerning start to the year for cybersecurity, with numerous high-profile data breaches reported across various sectors. One of the most alarming incidents involved PowerSchool, a leading K-12 edtech provider, where attackers accessed its support platform using compromised credentials, exposing sensitive data from its Student Information System (SIS) customers.

With cybercrime costs projected to hit $15.63 trillion by 2029 (Statista), organizations must look beyond technical recovery and actively involve employees in breach response. Excluding them leads to miscommunication, panic, and repeat incidents. Employees are the first line of defense, helping to contain breaches quickly and reduce the risk of future attacks.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to effectively engage employees in post-breach recovery, ensure clear communication, and reinforce a strong security culture through real-world strategies and a practical example.

Why Employee Involvement Is Significant

After a cybersecurity breach, many organizations focus solely on technical fixes, neglecting the human factor in recovery. However, employees are directly impacted by the incident and can play an active role in mitigating risks, preventing further damage, and strengthening future defenses. When employees are engaged in the recovery process, they become more aware of cybersecurity risks, improving the organization's overall security posture.

Employees Play a Key Role in Cybersecurity Recovery

Employees are often the first to notice suspicious activities, making them essential to breach response. Their involvement enables faster recovery, strengthens security awareness, and helps prevent future incidents.

Transparency Prevents Panic and Misinformation

Without clear communication, employees may spread rumors or misinformation, leading to confusion and mistrust. Transparent updates help maintain trust and ensure employees act correctly.

Leveraging Employee Insights for Stronger Defenses

Employees interact with systems daily and may identify vulnerabilities that security teams overlook. Encouraging their feedback improves security measures and helps prevent repeat attacks.

A Phishing Attack at ABC Corporation: A What-If Scenario

Imagine a scenario where ABC Corporation, a mid-sized tech company, experiences a cybersecurity breach when an employee unknowingly clicks on a phishing email disguised as an HR request to verify payroll login credentials. The attacker uses the compromised credentials to access sensitive employee and customer data, triggering an urgent response.

How should ABC Corporation involve employees in the recovery process?

How should ABC Corporation involve employees in the recovery process?

When a cybersecurity breach occurs, swift action is critical—but recovery isn’t just an IT responsibility. Employees must be actively involved to help contain the damage, prevent further compromise, and strengthen the organization’s defenses. By providing clear guidance, ongoing communication, and proper training, companies can turn their workforce into a key asset in the recovery process.

To make these steps more practical, we’ll walk through them using the ABC Corporation phishing attack scenario below:

1. Immediate Communication: Transparency from the Start

Clear and timely communication is the first step in mitigating the impact of a cybersecurity breach. Employees need to know what happened, how it affects them, and what immediate actions they should take. Providing transparent updates not only prevents misinformation but also reassures employees that the organization is actively addressing the situation.

At ABC Corporation, IT detects the breach within the first hour and immediately alerts leadership. The CEO quickly sends a company-wide email acknowledging the incident, reassuring employees, and outlining the necessary steps to secure their accounts.

Example:

To prevent further damage, employees receive an internal guide with step-by-step instructions:

• Reset passwords immediately using a secure link.
• Report phishing emails to the IT department.
• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to secure accounts.

Understanding that employees may feel concerned or uncertain, ABC Corporation schedules a live Q&A session where leadership and IT teams address questions, clarify next steps, and maintain calm, transparent communication throughout the recovery process.

2. Create a Recovery Team Involving Key Employees

A coordinated response is essential for managing a cybersecurity breach effectively. Involving key employees from different departments ensures that technical, legal, and communication aspects of the recovery are handled efficiently. Assigning clear roles prevents confusion and speeds up the response.

At ABC Corporation, leadership quickly assembles a recovery team consisting of IT, Security, HR, Legal, and Communications to ensure all critical areas are covered.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Each department contributes to the response effort:

• IT: Investigates the breach, identifies vulnerabilities, and secures affected systems.
• HR: Addresses employee concerns about data exposure and provides support.
• Legal: Ensures compliance with data protection laws and regulatory reporting.
• Communications: Delivers regular updates to employees, leadership, and external stakeholders.

Appoint Security Champions

To reinforce security measures, ABC Corporation selects Security Champions within teams. These employees help share updates, ensure compliance with security protocols, and assist colleagues with necessary actions.

By defining clear responsibilities, ABC Corporation improves coordination, efficiency, and internal communication, leading to a faster recovery process.

3. Keep Employees Updated Throughout the Process

Keeping employees informed and engaged during the recovery process is essential to maintaining trust and ensuring a coordinated response. Without clear updates, employees may feel uncertain, spread misinformation, or fail to take necessary precautions. Regular communication reassures employees, clarifies their role in the recovery, and strengthens the company’s overall security posture.

At ABC Corporation, leadership ensures that employees receive timely updates on what has happened, what actions have been taken, and what is expected from them moving forward.

Structured Updates

Employees receive daily email updates summarizing progress, security improvements, and any required actions. Additionally, an internal dashboard is set up so employees can track key developments, such as system restorations, security patches, and new protection measures.

Explain Actions Taken

The IT team locks compromised accounts, strengthens system defenses, and scans for additional threats. Employees are informed of these actions so they understand how the company is working to secure their data and what further steps may be required.

Example:

Encourage Employee Feedback

ABC Corporation sets up a dedicated incident response hotline where employees can report concerns, ask questions, and share feedback. This helps identify suspicious activities and potential security weaknesses that may have been overlooked.

By keeping communication open, ABC Corporation reassures employees, prevents confusion, and ensures they play an active role in the recovery process.

4. Incorporate Security Awareness Training and Reinforcement

A cybersecurity breach is not just a moment of crisis—it’s also an opportunity to strengthen employee awareness and security practices. Training after a breach helps employees recognize threats, reinforces best practices, and reduces the likelihood of similar incidents happening again.

At ABC Corporation, leadership ensures that employees receive targeted training and hands-on reinforcement to improve their ability to detect and respond to threats in the future.

Refresh Security Awareness Training

Employees complete a mandatory 30-minute refresher course covering phishing detection, secure password practices, and how to handle suspicious emails. Security Awareness Training is made available for continued learning and reinforcement of key security principles.

Check out Keepnet’s Security Awareness Training to reduce high-risk security behavior by up to 90% and equip employees with the skills needed to recognize and prevent cyber threats.

Run Simulated Phishing and Social Engineering Tests

One month after the breach, ABC Corporation launches a Phishing Simulator to test employees’ awareness and measure improvements. Employees receive feedback on their responses, helping them recognize phishing tactics and avoid falling for similar scams in the future.

By integrating ongoing training and real-world simulations, ABC Corporation ensures that employees are better equipped to identify, report, and prevent cybersecurity threats, strengthening the company’s overall security resilience.

Strengthen your security awareness program with Keepnet’s AI-powered Phishing Simulator—designed to increase phishing reporting by up to 92% and minimize social engineering risks through real-world training.

5. Empower Employees to Contribute to the Recovery

Employees play a key role in preventing future breaches by staying vigilant, reporting threats, and providing feedback on security practices. Encouraging their involvement strengthens the company’s defenses and reinforces a culture of security.

At ABC Corporation, leadership ensures employees actively contribute to the recovery process.

Encourage Reporting

Employees are reminded to report suspicious emails, unauthorized access, or unusual activity through a clear reporting process to help prevent future incidents.

Involve Employees in Post-Breach Evaluations

A post-incident survey gathers employee feedback on communication, training, and security measures, helping leadership improve future breach responses.

Recognize and Reward Engagement

Employees who report phishing attempts or security concerns receive recognition for their efforts.

Example:

By keeping employees engaged, ABC Corporation builds a more security-aware and proactive workforce.

Empowering Employees for Stronger Post-Breach Recovery

A cybersecurity breach isn’t just an IT issue—it affects the entire organization. Involving employees in post-breach communication ensures a faster response, minimizes confusion, and helps prevent repeat incidents. When employees receive ongoing training, clear guidance, and practical reinforcement, they become an active defense against future cyber threats.

A human-centric security approach is key to reducing employee-driven threats, insider risks, and social engineering attacks.

Keepnet’s Human Risk Management Platform provides AI-driven phishing simulations, adaptive security awareness training, and automated phishing response to help organizations strengthen their security culture and resilience.