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What is the greatest risk for a company: a cyberattack or fire damage?

As an entrepreneur, you want to be able to assess your risks. Fire, for example, is a risk that many entrepreneurs take into account, but cybercrime often is not. Yet a single cyber incident can be enough to shut down your business and cause significant costs. In this blog, we will tell you more about what constitutes cyber damage and how you can protect your business against it.

Sofie Zegers

Date January 22, 2026

Man behind laptop with cyber slot icon


How likely is cyber or fire damage?

When it comes to fire, many entrepreneurs immediately think of major impact, but the risk of fire and therefore fire damage is relatively small: 1 in 8,000. The risk of a cyberattack on businesses, on the other hand, is 1 in 5. This is an even greater risk that you cannot ignore.

 

What does cyber damage cover?

A successful hack can lead to data loss, reputational damage, and financial claims. But repair costs are also considered cyber damage. Think of the ransom you have to pay to hackers when your data files are held hostage, the costs of repairing damaged data, and the costs of investigating the data breach. If the cyberattack leads to a data breach, the government may also fine you. These costs can amount to up to 4% of your total business turnover.

What types of cyberattacks are there?

There are various forms of cybercrime. Two common ones are:

 

1. DDoS attacks

In a DDOS attack, criminals send so much traffic to computers, networks, and servers at once that they become unusable. What makes it even more annoying is that such an attack is relatively easy for hackers to carry out.

 

2. Phishing

Phishing also remains a common occurrence. Cybercriminals use this technique to obtain personal information from employees, such as PIN codes. This often happens via email, in which the recipient is asked to verify personal details, for example. The danger here lies in its simplicity: all it takes is one employee to click on the wrong link and the hacker is in your system.

 

How can I protect my business against cyber attacks? Schouten Zekerheid you.

Precisely because one wrong click can be enough, it is important to have your basic security in order. This starts with your digital hygiene. Make sure you have a good firewall and run updates on your computer systems on time. This reduces the risk, but you can never completely rule it out. That is why cyber insurance provides extra security when you need it most.

 

 

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