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According to the 2025 Gallagher Business Owners Survey, 72% of business owners are extremely or very concerned about cyber attacks. This figure has risen from 69% in 2024, showing a clear upward trend. In response, 36% of owners want to acquire or expand cyber insurance coverage. This indicates a stronger focus on proactive digital risk management. Additionally, 27% of insurance claims made last year were cybersecurity related, confirming the real-world impact of these threats.
“Right now, Gallagher is seeing a lot of ransomware claims, though those have decreased in severity over the years due to increased cyber resilience among insureds and better cyber hygiene practices,” Christa Johnson, Team Leader, Cyber Practice, Gallagher Bassett told Cyber Insurance News.
Johnson added, “Gallagher also continues to see threat actors targeting key players in supply chains, in order to make the most impact. Social engineering continues to be a point of interest, especially with the proliferation of AI.”
AI Anxiety Escalates Amid Business Integration Plans
Gallagher’s survey also reveals that 93% of business owners are concerned about AI impacting their businesses in the following year. As you might expect, this is up from 85% in 2024. Despite this concern, 46% plan to invest more in AI tools during 2025.
Most business leaders (95%) say AI misuse requires stronger regulation, while 90% agree it needs better protections. Business owners are walking a fine line between embracing innovation and safeguarding operations.
“The insurance industry is at the beginning of developing insurance policies specific to AI risk,” said Johnson. Adding, “Best practices for cyber security and thwarting cyber criminals state that a checks and balances system should be in place. “For example, if an employee in finance receives a request that it is out of the ordinary and is requesting payment be sent to an account that has a changed number, they should call the payee to verify the new account number.”
Unsurprisingly, 36% of business owners would like to acquire or expand insurance coverage for cyber attacks.
2025 Gallagher Business Owners Survey
Cyber Insurance Gains Ground
Increased concern over cyber attacks is translating into insurance action. Over one-third of business owners are considering bolstering their cyber coverage. This aligns with recent claims data, showing that cyber events remain a costly liability, with many claims exceeding $25,000.
AI: Both Opportunity and Threat
AI continues to draw investment interest, especially in supply chain and operational tech. Still, fear lingers. Many owners want clear AI guardrails. They see the promise but demand accountability.
Business owners believe that stronger AI protections will help rather than hinder innovation. Regulatory clarity is no longer optional; it is a necessity.
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Beyond Cyber Attacks: Weather and Supply Chain Disruptions
Cyber and AI aren’t the only worries. Severe weather (69%) and supply chain issues (69%) rank among the top business threats. Many businesses are investing in automation and cloud tools to increase the resilience of their supply chain.
Beyond the digital deluge, we noted floods, in particular, are a significant concern. Yet, only 30% of business owners have flood insurance, despite 35% expecting flooding to affect their business or suppliers in 2025.
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