Beyond the breach: rethinking vendor management in the age of cyber risk

Cyber resilience starts before the attack: why proactive coverage is the new standard

In today’s hyper-connected business landscape, cyber threats are no longer a distant possibility – they’re a daily reality. From ransomware to supply chain vulnerabilities, the risks are evolving faster than many organisations can adapt. But at rrelentless, we believe the answer lies not just in reacting to incidents, but in proactively preparing for them.

With cyber incidents never out of the news, here are some of the most critical considerations for organisations in building adequate defences and a resilient approach to their operations.

Third-party vendors: Trust, but verify

Businesses increasingly rely on third-party vendors for critical operations – from cloud hosting to payment processing. But how many of these vendors design their services with security in mind, rather than prioritising functionality alone?

Due diligence is no longer optional. Organisations must ask:

• Are vendors embedding cybersecurity into their product lifecycle?

• Do they have contingency plans for service outages?

• Can they demonstrate resilience in the face of a breach?

Recent incidents underscore the importance of these questions. When SAP software was exploited, businesses like Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) faced significant disruption. Those without a backup plan were left scrambling.

Contingency planning: Lessons from BA and JLR

When British Airways faced a cyber-attack, they swiftly switched to an alternative check-in system. Other airlines weren’t so lucky. Similarly, JLR’s reliance on SAP left them exposed when vulnerabilities were exploited – reportedly without a completed cyber insurance policy in place.

These examples highlight a critical truth: resilience isn’t just about recovery – it’s about continuity. Businesses must have workarounds ready for when critical systems go down. That means:

• Identifying single points of failure

• Stress-testing backup systems

• Ensuring vendor contracts include robust Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and breach protocols

Cyber insurance: A safety net, not a silver bullet

The financial fallout from cyber incidents can be staggering. M&S reportedly faced losses of around £300 million, with only £100 million covered by insurance. JLR, reportedly without a completed cyber policy, could be exposed to £200 million in losses.

At rrelentless, our cyber insurance goes beyond financial protection. It’s a holistic solution that includes a range of embedded legal and risk management services from leading legal enterprise, rradar. These cover. The embedded tools and services offered by rradar within relentless cyber insurance are designed to proactively strengthen an organisation’s cyber resilience, reduce exposure, and ensure legal and regulatory compliance. These tools go beyond traditional insurance by offering preventative, educational, and responsive support

This proactive model empowers businesses to identify vulnerabilities before they become liabilities - and to respond swiftly when incidents occur.

Supply chain fallout: The ripple effect

Cyber incidents don’t just affect the target – they impact suppliers, partners and customers. Businesses must ask:

• How reliant are we on any one contract?

• What’s our strategy if a key partner goes offline?

• Could a breach in a customer’s system compromise ours?

System integration between suppliers and customers creates shared risk. Without proper segmentation and monitoring, an exploit in one system can cascade across the network.

Looking for broker support with cyber insurance?

Read more on our Broker Partners page, or Contact us for more information about how we can help you understand how to build resilience from the inside out.

At rrelentless, we believe that prevention is the best protection. That’s why every policy we offer provides clients with access to a dedicated cyber advisory team for pre-loss planning, comprehensive e-learning modules to educate staff, robust risk audit tools to identify and address vulnerabilities, and legally privileged advice to help organisations navigate the complexities of regulatory fallout.

This proactive approach ensures that businesses are not only prepared to defend against cyber threats, but also equipped to respond effectively if incidents occur.