Why 2020 Has Made the Ever-Evolving Cyber Landscape Even More Dynamic: Part III

The business community is evaluating risk through a transformed lens, in light of COVID-19. The (re)insurance sector is also identifying the lessons learned about unforeseen aggregated exposure. The systemic nature of both affirmative and silent cyber risk has long been one of its most defining, and challenging, characteristics, according to Guy Carpenter colleagues Will Garland, President, Centers of Excellence, and Erica Davis, North America Cyber Center of Excellence Leader, Guy Carpenter.

When the impacts of COVID-19 were evidenced in 2020, we identified parallels to cyber exposure unfold through this other newly emerging industry risk:

• Potential for an aggregated global event with no regional boundaries
• Cascading effects on direct and indirect supply chains
• Multi-prong industry impact manifesting across property, casualty and specialty lines of business
• Policy language that may not explicitly address underwriting intent, or may be triggered inadvertently
• Sweeping financial consequences that could ultimately be an existential threat.

The far-reaching impacts of this event have yielded valuable insights on the criticality of business continuity planning, supply chain…