Communicating Under Pressure: Best Practices for Service Providers (CISA Guidance)
First seen Sep 3, 2026 · Updated Sep 3, 2026
CISA, the FBI, and international partners released joint guidance on best practices for service providers to communicate clearly and effectively during IT and OT outages, whether caused by cyberattacks, human error, equipment failure, or natural hazards. The guidance stresses clarity, accountability, and transparency to reduce public panic, preserve trust, and support containment and recovery efforts during disruptions. This is a policy/best-practice advisory rather than a description of an active threat, exploit, or vulnerability.
Technical Analysis
This publication is non-technical guidance rather than a threat advisory; it contains no CVEs, malware samples, exploit techniques, or IOCs. It addresses crisis communication planning for service outages affecting IT and OT environments, recommending organizations assume telecommunications may be unreliable during major incidents and maintain backup communication channels. The guidance ties into CISA's CI Fortify initiative, which helps critical infrastructure operators isolate and recover OT systems during cyber incidents. There is no direct technical attack vector described, but the underlying scenarios referenced (cascading outages, OT isolation during cyber incidents) are broadly relevant to resilience planning. No plausible direct impact to AI agent systems is described in this material, as it focuses on organizational crisis communications rather than technical exploitation.
Affected Systems
Not applicable — this is organizational guidance rather than a vulnerability advisory; broadly applicable to critical infrastructure IT/OT environments and their service providers
Indicators of Compromise
- None — this is policy/guidance content, not a threat report
Remediation Steps
- 1
Develop Crisis Communication Plans
Establish clear, audience-appropriate communication plans for IT/OT outages that align with legal, operational security, and law enforcement requirements.
- 2
Integrate Backup Communication Methods
Assume primary telecommunications may be disrupted during major incidents and maintain alternative communication channels for stakeholders.
- 3
Adopt CI Fortify Recommendations
Leverage CISA's CI Fortify resources to prepare for OT isolation and recovery during major cyber incidents or crises.
- 4
Practice Transparency and Accountability
Ensure crisis messaging is timely, accurate, and consistent to minimize public speculation and preserve stakeholder trust during outages.
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