# Should we tell employees about a cyber incident?

Yes, quickly, with what they need to do and nothing that harms the investigation. Employees notice when systems go down and they talk about it, so silence produces rumours and sometimes a post on social media. Tell them what is known, what they should and should not do (do not switch affected machines back on, report strange e-mails, refer press questions to the spokesperson) and where updates will come from. If employees' own data may be affected, they may also be entitled to a notice under the GDPR. Thank the person who reported the first suspicion: people who are blamed stop reporting. Network evidence helps target the message to the departments and devices actually involved, without naming individuals before the facts are clear.

General information, not legal advice. National laws can add to the EU texts quoted here, for example deadlines, forms or reporting channels: check your own country's rules.

FAQ: [For the board and finance](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/board) · https://netsenx.com/en/faq/should-we-tell-employees-about-a-cyber-incident

## Read next

- https://netsenx.com/en/problems-we-solve
- https://netsenx.com/en/blog/2026-10-09_cybersecurity-for-the-board
- https://netsenx.com/en/pricing

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