In this podcast episode, we feature cyber claims examiner Toni Sukhan as she outlines the critical steps businesses must take when facing a cyber incident. Sukhan, with over 20 years of experience, stresses the immediate need to notify an insurance carrier to ensure coverage and proper handling. She details a multi-disciplinary process involving breach counsel, forensic IT experts, and forensic accountants, explaining how this team manages incidents from initial notification to investigation and recovery. Sukhan also highlights the careful and highly-regulated decision-making process involved in ransom payments, which are treated as a last resort and require thorough assessment, legal compliance, and expert negotiation to mitigate risk and ensure a safe recovery of data.The episode particularly emphasizes the vulnerability of small to medium-sized businesses, which are disproportionately targeted by cybercriminals. According to Sukhan, the most crucial preventive measure for these businesses is maintaining viable and frequent data backups. She likens the cyber claims process to emergency room triage—stabilizing the situation, restoring systems, and then reconciling losses. This structured approach, combined with the expert management of ransom negotiations, underscores the complexity of modern cyber claims and the necessity of proactive preparation and a clear incident response plan.#CyberClaims #Ransomware #Cybersecurity #DataBreach #SmallBusinessSecurity #Insurance #IncidentResponse