Markel Insurance has introduced a set of pre-incident services for its Cyber360 policyholders in the UK, offering legal consultation, privacy policy reviews, and access to cyber risk assessment tools.
The move aims to help clients prepare for potential cyber threats and better understand regulatory expectations.
The new package provides a one-hour consultation with a cyber and data risk solicitor from Markel Law. The session focuses on privacy legislation and current developments in UK data regulation. A policy review service is also included to assess whether a client’s existing privacy policies meet legal and industry requirements.
Clients can also participate in a claims onboarding call. This session provides a walkthrough of the procedures involved in engaging Markel’s cyber claims and breach response teams, offering clarity on what to expect should an incident occur.
In partnership with Black Kite, a cyber risk intelligence company, Markel is offering clients access to a cyber security posture assessment using external IP scanning. This service is provided at no additional cost and allows clients to evaluate their exposure to cyber risks through non-intrusive technology.
In addition, Cyber360 policyholders retain access to the e-Risk Hub, an online portal that provides cyber incident response guides, risk management tools, and resources tailored to small and medium enterprises.
Chris Burgess (pictured), director of cyber at Markel International, said the current cyber environment is defined by rapid shifts in technology and regulation, and that insurance providers need to look beyond risk transfer products to support clients
“At Markel, we feel we’re uniquely positioned as a business because we’re going behind risk transfer solutions by offering these additional pre-loss services to help clients manage their cyber risk,” Burgess added. “The complimentary one-hour call and policy review pre-loss services with Markel Law are truly a differentiator as few competitors are currently offering this in the market.”
According Mark Rankin, the head of civil litigation at Markel Law, legal concerns related to data are becoming routine for many businesses. He noted that Markel Law’s experience in managing data and privacy breach consequences has positioned it to help clients identify preventive measures that avoid unnecessary operational disruption.
“We’re excited by the opportunity to use that experience and our commercial know-how to support Markel’s UK cyber clients in identifying pre-emptive steps that can be taken to minimise the considerable risks without them becoming a barrier to business activity,” said Rankin.
Are legal consultations and policy reviews a necessary addition to cyber insurance, or should they remain separate services? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
