The incident response through IRT
Overview
In case of any incident, the immediate people attacked to it is the Incident Response Team (IRT). Therefore, it is the primary purpose of IRT to spread relevant news concerning the incident among the people within the industry or the government. Sometimes, some events may demand the spreading of news to outside agencies or outside people. This task is undertaken and fulfilled by the IRT through various methods. Some of these are backed by technology, whereas others might be old and traditional methods of information sharing.
Methods of information relay:
The essential thing that an IRT member needs to carry is a smartphone. It can perform multiple tasks at once. It can also click relevant pictures of the incident and can forward them through social media channel or emails. Furthermore, smartphones today also support video calling, which could be very handy in situations that demand immediate communication between superiors, which may require visual confirmation of the incident.
Other channels may include printed and electronic media of communications. For printed media, essential details are jotted down by the team and are put down on printed paper, which is later on displayed in a public place (like notices) or is delivered personally to the employees (like letters or notice). This, in turn, helps to spread the news at a faster rate and reaches a maximum number of people at the same time. This saves a lot of time and money on behalf of the company but may prove to be costly sometimes for the company.
On the other hand, the electronic medium may be of two types: audiovisual, or just audio. These channels include telephones, intercoms, radios, televisions, or social media. These channels are usually cheaper than print media, as almost everyone carries a smartphone with them, which makes it easier for them to receive the message and act on it. For example, in case of a change in roster due to an essential upcoming even inside the company, a manager can notify the employees using WhatsApp and can provide relevant details on it. The employees can then act on it and change their routine accordingly.
For external communication, social media can be a fantastic medium, as everyone nowadays is logged on to hem, and can receive the news within a short period after the news has been spread. Important or key officials can have social media handles, which they can use to address the population, make them aware of an issue, or issue an official explanation regarding any incident or mishap. For example, the Prime Minister of a country can notify the population about any changes in taxations systems, through his/her twitter handle. The IRT can guide him/her on what to write, and which information would be relevant enough to share.
Conclusion:
The IRT team’s main objective is to avoid or nullify the effects of any fake news being circulated outside or inside through various counterfeit stories. These channels ensure that this doesn’t happen when any major incident goes down, as any false report can be harmful to the reputation of the government or the company in some way or the other.