The recent internet outage in London’s insurance market, caused by a deliberate attack on fibre optic cables, has drawn attention to an often-overlooked vulnerability in the industry’s infrastructure. However, it appears the impact was not as significant as the protestors might have hoped. This is likely because robust internet communication infrastructure is inherently designed to be resilient to such attacks.
Matthew Geyman, Managing Director of Intersys, shared his observations with leading news sites such as The Guardian, Commercial Risk, Insurance Edge and Insurance Times
“We noticed a significant slowdown of internet speed in the City of London at the time it happened, which suggested high contention (i.e., some communications links were becoming saturated, or stretched, as they took excess load from the damaged lines). Beyond this, I’ve heard of very little disruption. This either speaks highly of the preparedness of the organisations involved and their BCPs or means they’re excellent at remaining tight-lipped.”
Reflecting on the broader lessons learned from the incident, Matthew highlighted the importance of viewing operational resilience holistically:
“The recent internet outage affecting London’s insurance market highlights a critical vulnerability in the industry’s infrastructure. While the immediate cause — a deliberate attack on fibre optic cables — was an unconventional physical threat, it serves as a reminder that operational resilience must address both physical and cyber risks holistically.
Most organisations have invested heavily in refining their Business Continuity (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR) plans, especially following the pandemic. By 2025, even highly coordinated attacks like this should encounter multiple layers of redundancy — ranging from alternative fibre routes to wireless and radio link backups — designed to limit the impact of severed connections.
In today’s digital-first landscape, continuity plans must also account for workforce flexibility. With remote access technologies and the ongoing digitisation of the London Market, many employees can seamlessly shift operations from one location to another, ensuring minimal disruption.
Ultimately, resilience is not just about recovering from incidents; it’s about proactively embedding robust systems and processes to minimise vulnerabilities and maintain business continuity. Insurers, as leaders in risk management, must demonstrate this ethos — ensuring they are prepared for both the risks we can predict and those we cannot.”
This incident underscores the need for the insurance market to build on its digital transformation efforts with equal emphasis on resilience.
It’s clear that climate activists are zeroing in on the insurance sector in particular and that they are embracing newer methods of disruption since the introduction of tougher anti protest legislation in the UK.
As Matthew notes, the industry must remain vigilant and proactive, ensuring its infrastructure and workforce are equipped to withstand both expected and unforeseen threats.