Tips to prevent and prepare for cyber attacks

Cyber crime incidents can impact property businesses of all sizes. A lack of cyber security can leave firms vulnerable to substantial losses and the impact can be huge and long lasting. Even using third-party hosting companies or sites doesn't remove the risk of exposure to crime and subsequent liabilities. Propertymark industry supplier, Gallagher, explains the steps property agents can take to prevent and manage risk.

Gallagher image for 10 April article.jpg

Could an agency team operate without IT? What would happen if business data (including banking) was lost, stolen or misused? How could an agency cope if IT and web systems were hacked or suffered a virus attack? What would be the impact on an agency’s business’ reputation?

Enhancing cyber security

There are several steps property businesses can take to enhance their cyber security and help protect against a cyber-attack:

  1. Train staff: Incidents can be caused by social engineering, targeting staff members who have access to the business systems. Continuous training of staff to become ‘secure humans’ ensures they can play their part in defending organisations.
  2. Vulnerability scanning: Invest in systems to monitor external boundaries for any vulnerabilities to prevent these becoming an entry point for cyber criminals. Penetration testing, a form of ethical hacking, allows for a deeper understanding of vulnerabilities by assessing systems from an attack rather than defensive lens.
  3. Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Making use of MFA can make it harder for criminals to gain access to accounts through stolen or reset passwords. Not all MFA methods are equal, and attackers are constantly looking at ways to bypass weaker methods. Agents should carefully consider which option provides suitable protection.
  4. Importance of a plan: Creating a plan that can be easily implemented in the wake of an attack can make a vast difference in how a business responds and the severity of the outcome. Plans should consider all eventualities, down to how to communicate when all usual systems are unavailable.
  5. Cyber insurance: Having cyber insurance in place can support a business getting back to full operations in the event that it falls victim to a cyber-attack.

Support from the Cyber Defence Centre

To help avoid cyber crime attempts from being successful, consider training employees and utilising cyber defence tools. Gallagher provides a cyber-defence package suitable for business owners with offices of all sizes. Cyber Defence Centre members can benefit from a range of resources, including vulnerability scanning, threat intelligence webinars, cybersecurity training, and regular email updates on the latest cyber thinking. 

Specialist Cyber Insurance 

  • 24/7 hotline to report incidents
  • Liability cover for legal costs and damages following a data breach
  • Cover for potential fines and penalties following a data breach
  • Specialist team to investigate and manage crisis communications
  • Cover for costs associated with cyber extortion or ransomware attacks

Policy limits and exclusions may apply, please see the policy documentation for full details. Contact the Gallagher Propertymark team for a quote on 0800 612 0062 or  Request A Call. 

Why Gallagher?

  • Partnered with Propertymark for over 35 years to provide specialist insurance solutions for estate and letting agents.
    • Professional Indemnity Insurance – included as standard with Propertymark’s Company Advantage scheme
    • Employers’ Liability Insurance
    • Public Liability Insurance
    • Office Insurance
    • Directors'and Officers' Liability Insurance 
    • Cyber Insurance
  • Trusted by over 100,000 businesses across Gallagher in the UK*.
  • Rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, with over 8,000 reviews*.
  • All Propertymark Protected Company policyholders have access to support from a dedicated account management team.

*Correct as at July 2026.

The sole purpose of this article is to provide guidance on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited and Propertymark Ltd, an Appointed Representative of Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, accepts no liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein.

Propertymark Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reference number: 311786) and which is permitted to arrange general insurance contracts. Registered address: Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, Spectrum Building, 55 Blythswood Street, Glasgow G2 7AT. 

Topics

Industry supplier