Betterment

The scenario

A charity suffers a cyber incident after attackers gain access to its IT network, causing critical systems to fail, disrupting access to essential information, and raising concerns that sensitive donor and personal data may have been compromised.

The immediate priority is getting systems back up and running. However, as the organisation begins planning its recovery, it becomes clear that simply restoring what was there before may not be the best option.

Some systems are outdated. Others no longer meet the charity’s needs. Replacing them like-for-like could leave the organisation facing the same vulnerabilities in the future.

But budgets are tight, and every pound spent on technology is a pound that cannot be spent elsewhere.

The charity faces a difficult decision: restore the past or invest in a more resilient future.

The challenge isn’t just recovering from the incident – it’s rebuilding in a way that reduces the risk of it happening again.

The risks to consider

For many organisations, recovery is not simply about replacing what has been lost.

A cyber incident can expose weaknesses in existing systems, highlight ageing technology, and create opportunities to improve resilience. However, the cost of upgrading technology can be difficult to justify, particularly for organisations operating with limited budgets.

The question is not just how quickly a client can recover, but whether they can recover in a way that leaves them better prepared for future incidents.

The Markel difference

Markel’s cyber cover can help with the reasonable and necessary costs of repairing, replacing, or upgrading computer systems where there is no other reasonable option following a covered cyber incident.

This can allow organisations to rebuild using upgraded or improved systems, helping them strengthen resilience as part of the recovery process.