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Cybercrime across Asia
Hackers are exploiting this vulnerability in the region. Ransomware incidents, online scams, and COVID-19-related phishing activities have all seen a huge spike5. In Singapore, for example, cybercrime increased from 9,349 cases in 2019 to 16,117 cases in 2020, meaning it made up for a total of 43% of overall crimes in 2020. At the same time, situations similar to an incident in Mumbai in which a woman was robbed of over 92,000 Rupees (approx. US$ 1250) appear to be rising. Likewise, a simple attempt to sell a used sofa online resulted in a criminal impersonating a buyer and gaining access to the bank account. The amount may seem small, but occurrences such as these are on the rise, affecting individuals on a personal level.
The Covid-19 situation has undoubtedly exacerbated this influx by altering the environment and creating new touchpoints for hackers as people are spending more time online and working virtually6. These new variables are changing the way we work and how we perceive the online world around us.
According to research conducted by Norton, 70% and 73% of individuals in India and Japan, respectively, believe that remote work has contributed to an easier playing field for hackers and cybercriminals to take advantage of people. This sentiment is not surprising considering that 66% of Japanese consumers now spend more time online due to Covid. In India, this figure is up to 72%. Naturally, as criminals exploit this societal sea change, social perceptions are lacking confidence. As a result, 63% of consumers in India and 53% in Japan feel more vulnerable to cybercrime since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Personal Lines Cyber to bridge the gap
Outlook for Personal Lines Cyber in Asia
While commercial cyber insurance remains vital, people need to have more support from the insurance industry. While COVID-19 has changed the landscape, this is not a temporary transformation, and we can expect the way people interact and do business to evolve continuously. As we see people spending more time online, their feelings of vulnerability remain evident of the existing cybercrime threat against them. The insurance industry has the responsibility to cover these risks and generate awareness and educate customers of the various exposures. With people more informed, our resilience strengthens. in this landscape, we must continue to provide adequate risk transfer solutions such as Personal Lines Cyber products and cover people before and after they fall victim to an online crime. The question of “not if, but when” a cyberattack happens no longer only applies to just companies, but individuals as well.
At Munich Re, we are ready to tackle the opportunity of personal lines cyber to protect individuals in the emerging threat landscape. Please contact us if you would like to discuss how we can jointly develop and shape this exciting area of the cyber insurance market.
2 https://www.ipa.go.jp/security/vuln/10threats2021.html
3 https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/_qs/documents/9497/Consumer_Shift_Report_Digital.pdf
4 https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/seas-digital-consumer-growth-leaps-past-2025-forecasts-in-a-single-year/43963
5 https://www.csa.gov.sg/News/Press-Releases/ransomware-incidents-online-scams-and-covid19-related-phishing-activities-dominated-cyber-landscape-in-2020
6 https://investor.nortonlifelock.com/About/Investors/press-releases/press-release-details/2021/COVID-19-Pandemic-Leaves-Consumers-Vulnerable-to-Cybercrime/default.aspx
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