Gallagher Appoints Three New Cybersecurity Specialists

Insurance broker Gallagher has announced the appointment of three new cybersecurity specialists to grow its cyber-risk knowledge, thereby helping clients better prepare themselves against attacks.

The appointments are designed to enhance Gallagher’s cyber-practice within its UK retail division, which provides clients with cyber-protection and insurance cover to prevent cyber-incidents in addition to protection in the event they suffer a cyber-attack.

Jay Lucas has taken on the role of cyber-risk technical lead, in which he will oversee penetration and vulnerability testing to allow clients to identify security weaknesses across their network architecture. Lucas was previously a cybersecurity specialist at IntaForensics and prior to that, worked for Leicestershire Police for 16 years.

Gallagher has also appointed two new cyber-risk consultants, Stephen Randles and John Clarke, who will help clients achieve relevant industry accreditation, such as Cyber Essentials. They will also conduct open source intelligence investigations on behalf of clients to understand the risk of sensitive information being harvested by those with malicious intent towards the business. Randles joins from McLaren Automotive while Clarke moves from insurance broker Clearview Credit and Financial Risks Limited.

Johnty Mongan, cyber-risk consultant at Gallagher, commented: “As businesses become more reliant on their digital capability, in part driven by the increase in remote working as a result of COVID-19, ensuring they have a high level of protection against cyber-attacks, and identifying ways in which common cybersecurity risks can be mitigated against, is now an important consideration for companies of all sizes. 

“There isn’t a one size fits all approach to cybersecurity, and our practice plays a crucial role in helping organizations identify, mitigate and respond to any cyber-risk they might be facing, and ensuring they have appropriate insurance cover in place should they become victim to cyber-criminals.”