A case study is presented of management issues in the aftermath of a
data security breach at a mobile payments processing company, focusing
on a demand from the board of directors that a senior executive be let
go as a way of showing the public that the firm was taking the problem
seriously. It looks at the question of whether the chief executive
officer should resign, in part in order to avoid the firing of the chief
information officer or the head of public relations (PR), two
executives identified by the board for possible firing. Topics include
crisis management, scapegoating, and the importance of extensive
communication with all stakeholders following business crises such as
data breaches. Responses to the case from two experts are included.