Cyber incidents aren’t just a “big business” problem

Every week there’s another headline about a cyber attack.

The recent Jaguar Land Rover breach, costing an estimated £1.9 billion in disruption, grabbed attention for good reason.

But what doesn’t make the news are the countless SMEs quietly hit by similar attacks, often with fewer resources and no dedicated recovery plan.

These businesses rarely make headlines, yet they make up the majority of our economy.

They’re often easier to target and less prepared to respond, holding valuable client data, supply chain access, and operational systems that attackers can easily exploit.

• 73 % of SMEs have experienced a cyber incident in the past five years.

• Yet only half have a standalone cyber policy, and a third who once did, no longer do.

• Many still believe they’re too small or too niche to be targeted, despite 46 % of attacks being automated and indiscriminate.

And while cybercrime is expected to reach $10 trillion globally in 2025, many business owners still think:

• “It won’t happen to us.”

• “Our IT setup is strong.”

• “We’re probably covered elsewhere.”

The reality?

Human error remains the #1 cause of incidents, around half start in an employee inbox.

General insurance policies often don’t include rapid incident response or recovery support that a specialist policy provides.

The average claim still hurts:

• < £25 m revenue → £58 k
• £25–100 m → £103 k
• £100 m+ → £168 k

But it’s not just about the claim.

• We've seen businesses lose key clients because they couldn’t access data for weeks.

• Manufacturers forced to halt production lines because systems were locked by ransomware.

• Professional firms spending months rebuilding trust after a data breach they thought their IT would prevent.

Those are the stories that don’t get reported, but they’re the ones that truly define resilience.

Cyber resilience today isn’t just about prevention, it’s about how quickly you can respond and recover.

A dedicated cyber policy not only protects finances but also preserves limits under other covers and gives access to the right experts when every hour counts, from forensic analysts to PR support and legal guidance.

You can’t stop every attack, but you can control how well you recover.

No system is foolproof, but your response plan can be.

Prevention helps. Preparedness wins.

It’s not about if, it’s about how ready you are when it happens.

How confident are you that your business (or your clients’) could recover from a cyber incident tomorrow?