Cyber attacks are a well-known risk, but a new survey from CyberCube and Munich Re suggests many businesses still underestimate the potential for a widespread, disruptive malware event.
The report, released on 15 July, based on responses from 93 senior cybersecurity professionals across finance, IT, and infrastructure sectors, examines how prepared organisations are, and where they fall short.
How likely is another global malware outbreak?
Most experts surveyed consider another incident on the scale of 2017’s NotPetya or WannaCry attacks not just possible, but likely.
Some went further: while a malware infection affecting 10% of global systems would be surprising, it would not be unimaginable. A 25% infection rate, though far less probable, was still seen as a plausible worst-case scenario.
For risk managers, the findings reinforce that cyber threats have evolved beyond isolated IT disruptions. A major malware outbreak could trigger system-wide failures, with traditional risk frameworks struggling to keep pace due to the speed and interconnected nature of modern attacks.
How fast could a major malware attack spread?
The survey highlights how quickly malware can…
