More than nine in ten mid-market businesses in the UK and Ireland have experienced at least one significant disruptive incident in the past three years, despite continuing to pursue ambitious growth plans, according to research from insurer Chubb.

Its 2026 Middle Market Risk Radar found that 97% of businesses surveyed plan to introduce new products or services over the next 12 months, while 89% expect to increase their workforce and 82% intend to expand internationally or enter new markets.

However, cyber security remains the leading concern, cited by 70% of respondents, followed by economic uncertainty (64%), talent acquisition and retention (62%) and operational risk (61%). More than eight in ten mid-sized businesses rated cyber security, data privacy and financial crime as a major or significant risk, compared with 52% of smaller businesses.

The impact of cyber incidents is already being felt across the supply chain. While phishing and business email compromise were the most commonly reported cyber events, experienced by 42% of respondents, 37% said they had suffered disruption caused by an incident affecting a supplier or technology provider.

Despite these exposures, only 36% of businesses surveyed said they had a cyber insurance policy that was regularly reviewed and tailored to changing risks. Chubb’s separate cyber claims research also found that the average value of cyber claims for mid-sized businesses in Europe and the UK tripled between 2020 and 2025.

Andy Houston, head of commercial insurance, UK&I at Chubb, said: “Middle market businesses in the UK and Ireland are clearly ambitious, but our survey shows just how commonplace disruption has become. Growth inevitably changes a business, from the markets it operates in to its reliance on technology, suppliers and other partners. Understanding those dependencies, planning for disruption and making sure insurance protection reflects how the business is evolving are all important parts of building resilience.”

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