Managing Your Cyber Risk Posture: From Risk Transfers to Business Continuity Management

Despite being 80 percent more likely to be targeted by hackers than the rest of the world, cyber risk mitigation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region are generally weak.  This can be seen in the low levels of awareness and insufficient cybersecurity investments.  It is also reflected in the lower than necessary cyber insurance adoption rates in Asia.

In this paper we begin by realigning the common misconceptions businesses have regarding cyber risk insurance. Then, we recommend a three-pronged approach, which details an action plan to demonstrate to organizations key considerations in moving towards a greater focus on cyber resilience:

  • Effective endpoint security management. First putting in place best practices in cyber-defense, including effective endpoint security and IT infrastructure. As the first line of defense, it is important to continuously upgrade to smarter endpoint security. This can be achieved via threat intelligence to scale up the capabilities of detection and prevention of cyber adversaries that continue to evolve and increase in frequency and severity.
  • Leverage on risk transfer. Managing the cost of remediation once a compromise has occurred, insurance is one of the many essential tools in the risk mitigation toolbox. However, businesses need to be fully aware of the implications cyber threats may bring before deciding which cyber insurance coverage is necessary and suitable for their organizations.
  • Make business continuity management plans. Businesses are also strongly encouraged to consider putting in place crisis management plans to ensure critical business activities are recovered and quickly resumed, to minimize operations and business interruptions.

Evolving with the emerging risks and uncertainties in our increasingly digitized world, organizations and businesses should continuously assess and improve their cyber risk understanding to help make informed strategic decisions around business operations. 

View the full report here

More articles from Marsh

03 Nov 2017 Marsh
The Belt & Road (B&R) Initiative, a development strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping that focuses on connectivity and cooperation – with an investment of many billions in railway lines, pipelines, and ports, could provide a boost for international trade – and also for insurance. However, the opportunities that the B&R initiative brings also result in some risks and challenges. B&R will pass through diverse countries spanning Africa, Asia, and Europe, exposing participating companies to political, credit, and security risks. Numerous countries receiving Chinese financing already bear elevated debt levels and B&R will weaken their sovereign credit position further. The Fitch ratings agency warns that the creditworthiness of many countries along the B&R are rated as extremely low. This significantly raises the risks for Chinese banks that are financing parts of the project. Moreover, China’s growing regional influence will elevate geopolitical
The Belt & Road (B&R) Initiative, a development strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping that focuses on connectivity and cooperation – with an investment of many billions in railway lines, pipelines, and ports, could provide a boost for international trade – and also for insurance. However, the opportunities that the B&R initiative brings also result in some risks and challenges. B&R will pass through diverse countries spanning Africa, Asia, and Europe, exposing participating companies to political, credit, and security risks. Numerous countries receiving Chinese financing already bear elevated debt levels and B&R will weaken their sovereign credit position further. The Fitch ratings agency warns that the creditworthiness of many countries along the B&R are rated as extremely low. This significantly raises the risks for Chinese banks that are financing parts of the project. Moreover, China’s growing regional influence will elevate geopolitical
09 Jun 2017 Marsh
Cybercrime is becoming a greater risk in doing businesses in Asia-Pacific (APAC) as compared to the West. Rapidly growing connectivity and the accelerating pace of digital transformation expose the APAC region, and make it particularly vulnerable to cyber exploitation. Evidently, according to the 2017 edition of the Global Risks Report, cyber concern around the likelihood and impact of technological threats has sharpened among business executives in APAC, and cyberattacks are ranked among the top 5 risks of doing business in the region. To complicate matters further, the lack of transparency in the region renders weak cyber regulations and enforcements by authorities, as well as low cyber awareness and security investments among corporations. Historically, data breach notification laws have been lacking across the region, bringing forth one key insight – governments and policy-makers have yet to recognize the importance of transparency in the battle against cyberattacks. Moreov
Cybercrime is becoming a greater risk in doing businesses in Asia-Pacific (APAC) as compared to the West. Rapidly growing connectivity and the accelerating pace of digital transformation expose the APAC region, and make it particularly vulnerable to cyber exploitation. Evidently, according to the 2017 edition of the Global Risks Report, cyber concern around the likelihood and impact of technological threats has sharpened among business executives in APAC, and cyberattacks are ranked among the top 5 risks of doing business in the region. To complicate matters further, the lack of transparency in the region renders weak cyber regulations and enforcements by authorities, as well as low cyber awareness and security investments among corporations. Historically, data breach notification laws have been lacking across the region, bringing forth one key insight – governments and policy-makers have yet to recognize the importance of transparency in the battle against cyberattacks. Moreov
15 May 2017 Marsh
Global Risks Report Highlights Geopolitical and Technological Risks Today’s business leaders face new threats but can find new opportunities in a changing global risk landscape. The just-released 12th edition of the Global Risks Report, prepared by the World Economic Forum with the support of Marsh & McLennan Companies and others, points to the need for businesses to understand and plan for an array of risks that are emerging in a context of rising geopolitical tensions, deepening societal polarization, and rapid technological change. The report also explores interconnections among risks. Social instability was at the center of the risk web: Social and Political Challenges Across the globe, people are sending a clear message to political leaders: They feel let down and they want change. Voters in advanced economies have rejected the political establishment and the status quo — most notably in the UK Brexit vote and the US presidential election. Anti-establishment se
Global Risks Report Highlights Geopolitical and Technological Risks Today’s business leaders face new threats but can find new opportunities in a changing global risk landscape. The just-released 12th edition of the Global Risks Report, prepared by the World Economic Forum with the support of Marsh & McLennan Companies and others, points to the need for businesses to understand and plan for an array of risks that are emerging in a context of rising geopolitical tensions, deepening societal polarization, and rapid technological change. The report also explores interconnections among risks. Social instability was at the center of the risk web: Social and Political Challenges Across the globe, people are sending a clear message to political leaders: They feel let down and they want change. Voters in advanced economies have rejected the political establishment and the status quo — most notably in the UK Brexit vote and the US presidential election. Anti-establishment se