UK businesses are experiencing increased losses as business interruption, cyber and supply chain disruptions converge, but few have formal risk management plans or have quantified their exposure from these combined threats, according to a new report from Aon.

Its Navigating business disruption in the UK: strategies for a new risk reality 2026 highlights that 30.8% of UK organisations had experienced significant financial losses from supply-chain disruption, 27.3% from business interruption and 9.3% from cyber incidents. Despite these losses, only 21.6% of organisations have formal risk management plans for business interruption, rising to 23.6% for supply-chain disruption and 24.6% for cyber risk.

The report also identifies gaps in the financial assessment of exposure. Only 16% of organisations have quantified their potential business interruption losses, while 12.4% have done so for supply-chain disruption and 13.1% for cyber incidents.

Aon warns that without reliable financial modelling, businesses may struggle to make informed investment decisions, establish appropriate insurance programmes or understand the potential costs of prolonged disruption. It also highlights the limitations of relying on high-level assumptions and intuition when assessing potential losses.

Rob Kemp, CEO of commercial risk, UK, at Aon, said: “The current environment, while challenging, presents an opportunity for organisations to strengthen their resilience. Businesses can use advanced analytics and scenario planning to quantify what's at stake, while matching limits and structures more closely to realistic loss scenarios and clarifying the breadth of cover and policy.

“This approach not only helps them learn from past claims and better understand contractual limits but also allows them to strengthen coverage by reinvesting premium savings to close protection gaps. Overall, leaders who quantify their exposure with precision, challenge assumptions and invest early in the capabilities that keep their organisations moving amid disruption, will be better positioned to navigate the new risk reality.”

---