If you’ve attended any cyber panel in the past 10 years, you’ve probably heard from several experts: “It’s not a matter of if you’ll be attacked, it’s a matter of when.” Unfortunately, this cautionary phrase has now become a reality. Most people have been the victim of some sort of breach or attack – whether in their personal or professional lives. In a world where change is constant, corporate risk managers must stay ahead of the curve with smarter, data-driven decision making supported by risk management data analytics tools.  

Even comprehensive insurance policy data management can only mitigate part of the impact. A resilient organization requires visibility into its insurance data analytics and real-time insight into how cyber events could affect its total cost of risk (TCOR). 

Let’s explore why cybersecurity remains the top concern for many global organizations and what risk managers can do to reduce their exposure.  

What the Data Tells Us

The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook (GCO) 2025 revealed that nearly 60% of organizations report that geopolitical tensions have directly influenced their cybersecurity strategy. This illustrates how cyber threats are interconnected risks. Malicious actors can exploit connections to international conflicts — such as vulnerabilities in a supply chain or third-party vendor — to infiltrate systems.   

Furthermore, 72% of respondents to the GCO survey reported an increase in organizational cyber risks, with ransomware remaining a top concern. Nearly half of global organizations now cite the malicious use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) as their top cybersecurity concern, and over 40% have already suffered successful social engineering attacks in the past year. 

Additional leading risk management surveys in 2025 consistently identify cyber risk as the top concern for organizations worldwide, with specific emphasis on threats such as ransomware, data breaches, and IT disruption. Examples include: 

• The Aon Global Risk Management Survey, which encompassed business decision-makers from 63 countries, found that cyber risk remained the number one concern globally.  

• In the financial sector, a joint survey by the Institute of International Finance and Ernst & Young revealed that 75% of chief risk officers at banks see cybersecurity as the top near-term risk (for 2025).   

The volume and sophistication of ransomware, data breaches, and social engineering continue to grow, leading to higher potential losses. And the attack surface has only expanded in the past five years with increased remote work, connected devices, and increased data sharing.

Practical Strategies to Reduce Cyber

Risk 

The cyber threat environment is being reshaped by AI, evolving regulations, and increasingly complex attacks, requiring a multilayered defense approach. In an effort to be proactive, risk managers must align with their IT leads to mitigate cyber risk and focus on adaptive strategies that integrate technology, governance, and human resilience. Some effective ways to strengthen cyber resilience include: 

1. Adopt Zero Trust Architecture.  

Organizations should implement a Zero Trust framework grounded in the principle of: “Never trust. Always verify.” Zero Trust is a strategy – not a product – built on fundamental tenets defined by security frameworks like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).  

This approach continuously authenticates users, devices, and applications, reducing lateral movement within systems. A highlight of Zero Trust is that many organizations already have its elements embedded in their enterprise infrastructure. By incrementally adding Zero Trust principles, process changes, and technology solutions, risk officers can better protect their data assets and business functions by use case. 

Given its adaptability, Zero Trust will be a baseline expectation for regulatory compliance, especially in hybrid and cloud systems. 

2. Manage Third-Party and Supply Chain Risks.  

Organizations rely on complex digital supply chains, increasing exposure to interconnected vulnerabilities. Corporate risk managers should assess suppliers’ cybersecurity postures, include robust security clauses in contracts, and require proof of compliance with standards like ISO 27001 or SOC 2. Using third-party monitoring tools that evaluate vendors’ real-time risk levels enhances visibility and accountability. 

3. Leverage AI-Driven Cyber Defense.  

AI is now indispensable in detecting and mitigating advanced cyberattacks. Machine learning models can identify anomalous activity, anticipate emerging threats, and automate incident response. AI-driven monitoring and behavioral analytics can speed up detection and limit damage from evolving threats such as AI-assisted malware and adaptive ransomware. 

4. Prioritize Human-Centric Security.  

Even with AI working for you, it should not be solely relied upon for protection. Employees are often the first entry point for attackers. Ongoing training, including phishing simulations and real-time feedback, can turn employees into a powerful first line of defense. Organizations that make cybersecurity a shared responsibility across all roles build stronger defense cultures and reduce social engineering success rates. 

5. Review Cyber Policies. 

Risk managers can reduce cyber risk through proactive insurance-based strategies. By using policy data management platforms such as LineSlip, they can consolidate all cyber policies, limits, and deductibles in one place—streamlining risk reporting and ensuring coverage keeps pace with emerging threats. Commercial insurance data analytics enables risk teams to conduct coverage reviews, understand premium allocation, and strategically prepare for renewals. 

In addition, risk managers should collaborate with brokers and carriers to confirm policy terms reflect emerging threats and evolving regulations. Conducting frequent policy reviews helps close gaps in cyber, business interruption, and liability coverage. Leveraging benchmarking and peer data to evaluate loss trends and coverage adequacy supports more informed decision-making, while integrating cyber insurance risk data analytics strengthens incident response planning and minimizes potential losses. 

Tools To Help Risk Managers Mitigate Gaps

 By combining proven security frameworks, regular employee training, and emerging technologies like AI and insurance data analytics platforms, risk managers can reduce cyberattack risks and strengthen their organizations.  Just as importantly, gaining clear visibility into cyber insurance policies ensures your coverage matches your actual risk exposure—without leaving gaps or paying for more than you need. 

Strike this balance, and on your next cyber panel, you’ll be equipped to say, “’It’s a matter of when—and thankfully, we’re protected.’” 

That’s where LineSlip Risk Intelligence comes in. It provides instant visibility into policies, coverage limits, and spend data. With insurance policy data analytics, you can quickly locate cyber coverage details and easily provide answers to your CISO or CFO about spend and performance.  

 Contact us to discuss how we can help.    

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