From breach to bias: Measuring reputation value and trust recovery after cyber incidents in critical infrastructure

Bonnie Rushing, Shouhuai Xu and Ashley Fairman

International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, 2025, vol. 50, issue C

Abstract: Cybersecurity incidents increasingly affect not only operational integrity but also business reputation, especially for companies managing critical infrastructure. This study introduces the Reputation Impact Score (RIS), a novel, repeatable metric that quantifies reputational damage using a combination of financial volatility, investor trust, and sentiment analysis from employees and customers. The RIS model is applied to real-world case studies of high-profile cybersecurity incidents affecting operational technology (OT) companies, including Equifax, SolarWinds, and American Water Works. By integrating open-source financial data and public sentiment ratings, the RIS enables organizations to assess recovery progress and predict potential reputational harm. This work introduces a practical framework to quantify reputational resilience in critical infrastructure firms.

Keywords: Cybersecurity; Reputation impact score; Critical infrastructure protection; Operational technology; Stakeholder sentiment; Psychological biases (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ijocip:v:50:y:2025:i:c:s1874548225000484

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcip.2025.100787

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