{"id":43392,"date":"2026-10-27T04:27:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bbrown.com\/?post_type=insight&p=43392"},"modified":"2026-10-28T10:43:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T15:43:50","slug":"some-businesses-worry-about-fire-and-theft-could-they-be-overlooking-a-bigger-modern-threat","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/bbrown.com\/uk\/insight\/some-businesses-worry-about-fire-and-theft-could-they-be-overlooking-a-bigger-modern-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Businesses Worry About Fire and Theft. Could They Be Overlooking a Bigger Modern Threat?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Marc Rocker<\/p>\n

\n Some Businesses Worry About Fire and Theft. Could They Be Overlooking a Bigger Modern Threat?\n <\/h1>\n\t\n <\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t
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\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-4″ el_class=”overflow-visible overlapping-row”][vc_column el_class=”overlapping-column”][vc_single_image image=”43437″ img_size=”1082×439″ alignment=”center” el_class=”brand-rounded-corners-right”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-0″ row_padding_bottom=”pb-0″ gap=”0px”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Cyber risk is potentially the most significant and constant risk that is faced by businesses and whilst nearly all businesses accept that the risk exists, some may underestimate the impact it could have. Here Marc Rocker, Cyber Insurance Executive at Brown & Brown, looks at some of the things that we believe may contribute towards this thinking.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

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Invisible Threat<\/h3>\n
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Unlike an incident involving a Fire, Flood or Theft etc., cyber-attacks are largely invisible. Therefore, the only time that it gains widespread attention is when the press decides to publish information. This only tends to happen if the victim themselves are deemed to be newsworthy, so the majority of attacks remain hidden from the public view.<\/p>\n

Many people have heard of the attacks on Marks & Spencers or Jaguar Land Rover, but if we talk about Beacon CRM, Knights PLC or British Library, how many people can honestly say that they are aware of all three?<\/p>\n

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It Will Not Happen to Me<\/h3>\n
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There can be a perception among some SME\u2019s that cyber criminals only target large organisations (perhaps due to press reporting only on those types of organisation) potentially because the perceived \u2018reward\u2019 may be greater. The reality of this is very different. Attackers are increasingly targeting smaller organisations because they often have weaker security controls in place and are less likely to have dedicated IT resources.<\/p>\n

However, according to Government figures 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach or attack \u2013 UK Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025.<\/a><\/p>\n

The advancement of AI and automated tools means that cyber criminals can potentially attack large numbers of businesses simultaneously, increasing the reach of their campaigns without the need to select individual victims.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s an IT Risk<\/h3>\n
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Some may view cyber security as a technical problem which should be owned by their IT Department \/ Supplier. However, the impact of a cyber incident will likely reach beyond just a computer outage.<\/p>\n

Cyber incidents commonly affect operations, revenue and reputation. At the same time they can create legal liabilities and regulatory issues for any business.<\/p>\n

There can be an assumption from business owners of multiple locations, is that only part of the business would be affected (similar to a fire destroying one location). However, a cyber incident affecting shared systems can disrupt multiple locations simultaneously and, in some cases, significantly impair business operations.<\/p>\n

Business owners should consider Cyber risk as a business risk and not simply an IT problem.<\/p>\n

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Historical Experience<\/h3>\n
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Most have experienced Theft, Vandalism or Property Damage and have recovered from them successfully. It is easier to prioritise something that you have had past experience of resolving.<\/p>\n

Far fewer decision makers have actually experienced a cyber incident and therefore cannot yet comprehend the impact that this will have on the business and the people within it.<\/p>\n

Significant cyber incidents can shut down key business operations and may require teams to work around the clock for a considerable period of time to achieve resolution, without even considering the associated financial costs.<\/p>\n

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Financial Impact<\/h3>\n
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Businesses will often focus on the actual potential Ransom demand itself. However, the majority of the costs involved in dealing with an incident sit beyond this.<\/p>\n

Consider that you may need to engage some (or all) of the following \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n