A report designed to help professionals protect themselves from cyberattacks, and deal with the aftermath of data breaches, has been released by the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

A cyberattack hit companies and organisations in more than 64 countries this week. The attack particularly affected Ukraine, but also caused disruption in countries as far apart as Russia, Netherlands, US and Australia.

Rims has released its professional report Cyber Protection: what to do before and after a cyber incident, which points to the critical need for strong partnerships between IT, legal, risk management and public relations to create an effective cybersecurity programme.

The report guides risk professionals through precautionary steps and post-incident responses critical to effectively managing a data breach. It highlights the importance of understanding business strategy and susceptible assets, employee training, cyber insurance and developing collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.

“The difference between successfully navigating a cyber incident and falling victim to one is preparation,” said Teri Cotton Santos, senior vice-president, chief compliance and risk officer at The Warranty Group and a Rims’ Cyber Security Task Force member.

“Risk professionals are in a unique position and are often called upon to foster collaboration between business area leaders. As cyber concerns continue to mount, greater expectations will be placed on practitioners and the invaluable role they must play to manage this evolving risk.”

The report is available in Rims Risk Knowledge library at www.RIMS.org/RiskKnowledge.