Trust after Times of Cyber Crisis

Nowak, David; Brandt, Tobias

Keywords
In recent years the public sector and especially critical infrastructures are increasingly targeted by cyber-attacks with impacts extending beyond technical systems. In this article we explore the impact of cyber-attacks on trust relationships between organizations in the public sector. Drawing on 24 interviews in affected municipalities across 2 interview waves, the article follows municipalities through the cyber crisis. We plan to complete a third wave of interviews by the time of the conference. Through a comparative case study, it investigates the complex interplay between cyber crisis and trust, emphasizing the potential of trust repair tactics in mitigating the negative impacts of a trust transgression in the public sector. Furthermore, it highlights how organizational responses after a crisis may provoke negative responses if they are not backed up by a solid communication strategy.