Cyber Risks Extend Beyond Traditional IT Breaches

As digitalization continues to evolve, the ways in which organizations collect, use and manage personal data are creating new forms of cyber exposure. Today, the risks are increasingly driven not only by system failures, but by everyday data-handling practices across the company. In this article, Zurich Nordic’s Cyber Claims Handler, Emely Pardo, outlines key the challenges facing the Nordic market.

The continuous development of new technologies has created a society where information is shared almost instantly and with unprecedented ease. This openness enables learning, collaboration and transparency, as we are constantly exposed to one another’s actions, ideas and experiences. At the same time, rapid information sharing increases the value, and sensitivity, of certain types of data, particularly when access depends entirely on an individual’s choice to disclose it. As a result, private and personal information has become, and must remain, a critical focus area for protection.

While ransomware continues to dominate public discussions around cyber risk, it is far from the only driver of claims. Across several markets, particularly in the United States, there has been a noticeable increase in disputes and complaints linked to data collection practices. These cases often relate to the use of tracking technologies such as pixels or behavioral analytics tools and do not stem from traditional security failures. Instead, they arise from how personal data is collected, shared, or disclosed without appropriate transparency or consent.

Although US regulation differs in several respects from the Nordic and broader European regulatory landscape under the GDPR, these developments should be studied closely. Organizations operating websites, applications or analytical tools may face similar exposures, regardless of geography. Definitions of personal data can vary by jurisdiction, but under the GDPR, personal data is defined as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. In practical terms, this means any information that identifies, or could reasonably be used to identify, an individual.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, personal data is no longer limited to obvious identifiers such as names or ID numbers. Information that may appear harmless, including a user’s journey across a website, click behavior, scrolling patterns or mouse movements, can, when combined with technologies such as tracking pixels or behavioral analytics tools, be linked back to a specific individual. As a result, such data may also qualify as personal.

Ransomware is not the only threat

When organizations think about cyber risk, it is still common to associate it primarily with IT security incidents. However, exposure related to personal data spans far beyond the IT function. Compliance, marketing, customer experience and data analytics teams are all actively involved in processes that collect, analyze and share personal data. Consequently, cyber-related claims may arise not only from unauthorized system access or technical failures, but also from everyday business activities involving data handling, transparency and consent.

For the Nordic market, this presents a growing challenge. The concept of personal data is continuously evolving, closely shaped by how technologies are used and integrated into business operations. Understanding this development, alongside assessing exposure, regulatory implications, preparedness and organizational resilience, is essential to strengthening protection against emerging cyber risks. Prevention remains critical, whether the exposure originates from traditional IT-related threats or from regulatory and data governance risks.

For more information on how Zurich can help to protect your business against cyber threats, please contact Emely Pardo, Cyber Claims Handler.