Business leaders put cyber preparedness to the test

Senior cyber, risk and business leaders recently gathered in Sydney for Leading through a Cyber Crisis, an event hosted by QBE and CYGNVS focused on the leadership decisions that shape an organisation's response to a major cyber incident.

Through expert discussion and a live crisis simulation, attendees explored how organisations can strengthen their preparedness and coordinate their response under pressure.

Andrew Horton, Group Chief Executive Officer of QBE, opened the event by highlighting the increasingly complex cyber risk environment facing organisations.

"One of the realities of modern business is that cyber incidents are no longer rare events. For most organisations, it's not a matter of if an incident will occur, but when," Mr Horton said.

"The organisations that respond best to cyber incidents are the ones that have invested in preparation, leadership and practice before a crisis occurs. Put simply, cyber resilience is built long before it is needed.” 

Drawing on his experience leading organisations through periods of change, Mike Wilkins, Chair of Medibank and former QBE Group Board Chair, shared perspectives on leadership accountability, governance and decision-making during high-pressure situations.

Following the discussions, the day’s insights were put into practice through an interactive cyber crisis simulation led by Arvind Parthasarathi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CYGNVS. Participants worked through a realistic cyber incident scenario, testing the decisions, communications and coordination required during a crisis.

"Exercises like these help organisations identify gaps, challenge assumptions and build that muscle memory, helping organisations turn business-critical incidents into business-as-usual,” Mr Parthasarathi said.

The discussion reinforced QBE's broader approach to cyber risk, combining insurance, risk insights and resilience support to help organisations prepare for, respond to and recover from cyber incidents.

For more information about QBE’s Cyber Insurance offering, visit: www.qbe.com/au/business-insurance/cyber