Willis Towers Watson is embarking on a research programme with the University of Oxford focused on the cost of equity arising from severe cyber breaches.

Conducted by the Willis Research Network, the work will focus on the systemic risk brought about by breaches within publicly listed companies; the nature of cyber attack resilience; and the current risk landscape of AI-facilitated impersonation, or phishing, which has consequences for insurers.

Peter Foster, Chairman of Global FINEX Cyber and Cyber Risk Solutions, said “We are delighted to be in partnership with the University of Oxford and it’s world class research facilities to investigate further the impact that cyber security risk has on an organisation’s risk profile. This unprecedented research project will enable us to provide an in-depth look into the implications of cyber security and to enhance existing solutions as well as advise our clients on how to mitigate this ongoing and ever-increasing risk factor.

Stuart Calam, Programme Director, Willis Research Network, Willis Towers Watson, said “The work at the University of Oxford perfectly complements our existing partnerships and allows us to expand on our technology risk research themes which combine broad areas of understanding with niche areas of research reflecting the specialist knowledge typical in this field. We look forward to developing our relationship with the Cyber Security Centre further over the course of this work.”

The first piece of research is expected in 2020 with more to follow into 2021. It is hoped the work will help inform policy makers and corporations alike.

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