In episode 53 of CyberVersed, Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Tom Egglestone, Head of Claims, International at Resilience.

After a short introduction to Resilience from Tom, Mandy and he go on to discuss a range of topics around cyber insurance, the trends the company has witnessed across their client base recently, and some of the issues and challenges Tom predicts companies will face now and in the future.

Tom begins by noting that cybercrime trends often align with geopolitics, citing a shift in the nature of cybercrime evident around the start of the war in Ukraine.

The conversation then explores insurance cover and how cyber insurance differs from traditional insurance, given its relative newness and the need for the cover to reflect current cybercrime trends. Tom explains the challenges of determining what type of cover you need, but he does offer SMEs guidance on the baseline cover they must consider.

Mandy then quizzes Tom on what surprises him about the nature of the claims, to which Tom comments on how quickly trends change and how quickly cybercriminals can act to exploit vulnerabilities. He also talks about the rapid rise in Infostealers that collect information and steal Session Tokens, and how these are being used to help cybercriminals gain entry to systems.

Mandy asks Tom whether some of the recent high-profile attacks have influenced insurance uptake, especially among the SME community; Tom believes it has an impact, but he also highlights the low uptake of cyber insurance among smaller companies, and suggests that the cyber insurance industry needs to do more to promote the value of cyber insurance to the SME community. However, he acknowledges that many SMEs still believe it won't happen to them because they mistakenly think cybercriminals focus on large organisations.

The conversation then moves to the business lifecycle and whether there are different stages when a business might be more vulnerable. Tom offers some interesting thoughts on this and explains the different types of vulnerabilities a business might encounter as it grows from a micro business to a small business. He also offers valuable advice on the basics and on how following NCSC's guidance can significantly improve an SME's cyber resilience.

Tom also discusses reporting and the need to encourage more of it. He shares his thoughts on why the reporting rate is low and on some of the challenges faced by victims of cybercrime. He cites 'Ransomware: Victim Insights on Harms to Individuals, Organisations and Society', a paper by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Tom recommends the paper for valuable insights into the psychological and long-lasting impact of ransomware attacks.

Tom also talks about AI attacks and how cybercriminals are currently using AI, especially to make phishing attacks much harder to detect. However, he counters this by once again highlighting why having the basics in place makes a significant difference to your cyber resilience.

The conversation rounds off by exploring the supply chain, what SMEs need to do to understand the vulnerabilities in their supply chain, and assessing the impact an attack on a supplier's system would have on their own business.

In episode 51 of CyberVersed, Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Michelle Ohren, T/Detective Chief Inspector and Director at the Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands, and Wayne Horkan, Founder and Project Lead at the West Midlands Cyber Hub.

The podcast focuses on the work and the purpose of the recently founded West Midlands Cyber Hub. Mandy begins by asking about the concept of the Cyber Hub and why it is an important addition to the West Midlands' cyber ecosystem. She explains how and why Wayne came to her with the inspiration and how it is now establishing itself as a place for collaboration and innovation across the region.

Wayne then explains how Hub8 in Cheltenham and DISH Manchester (Digital Innovation Security Hub) inspired him to create something in the region where SMEs could work with Enterprise businesses and students to create a friendly, innovative space that provides a real sense of community.

Wayne and Michelle discuss how the Hub's location at Millennium Point is ideal, from the space and facilities available to the location's accessibility for visitors.

Michelle explains the importance of policing's involvement in the Hub and how it complements the ongoing work being done with SMEs through the Cyber Resilience Centre. She explains how this collaboration provides a much broader view of the cyber landscape than policing alone could ever achieve. Wayne expands on this by pointing out the region's heavy reliance on manufacturing and the specific threats these companies face as part of the supply chains of large-scale enterprises in the future.

Mandy then explores the structure of the Hub and how it is run and governed, to which Wayne outlines the current Steering Group and his longer-term plan to turn the Hub into a C.I.C. (Community Interest Company)

The attention is then turned to how the Hub will also benefit Cyber PATH students, offering them much greater opportunities for engagement and skills development. She cites an example of a student who is thriving through working with Michelle, the CRC, and the Hub, who was offered a week's work experience, which led to a year-long placement with one of the Hub partners.

Michelle also touches on her plans to introduce clinics at the Hub and how they will be an important part of what's available there for SMEs and students.

Wayne rounds up the discussion by outlining what he wants to see regarding the development of the Hub for the rest of this year and beyond. The primary goals are to champion women and neurodiversity in cyber. However, this year the focus will be on how they engage more young people at the Hub and in cyber in general.