Abstract
America's private sector faces an unprecedented challenge in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. For the first time in the nation's history, its business assets, workers, and critical infrastructures are on the front lines of the battlefieldβkey targets, and possibly pathways, for future attacks. With terrorism, unconventional declaration of war can be waged, chaos created, and borders crossed by attacking our information highways. Although the catastrophic 9/11 attacks shifted our attention to the United States, the fact remains that Internet attacks against private and public organizations around the world leapt 28% in the 6 months after 9/11. These attacks targeted technology, financial services, and power companies. In order to βseek to understand our enemiesβ, the PREPARE Model of Technological Crisis Management (TCM) along with the application of the Johari Window psychology model will offer business leaders techniques to increase awareness of potential threats to their businesses. The best practice TCM model, a model of continuous process and analysis, takes business cyberβsecurity to a new level, not only identifying the risks and threats to businesses, but also assessing and creating systemic plans to respond to those risks. Copyright Β© 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.