When MGM Resorts suffered a breach that led to more than $100 million in losses, including an estimated $45 million in payouts to victims whose data was exposed, it wasn’t because the attack was unpredictable.
In fact, long before the breach made headlines, DynaRisk intelligence had already detected 1,200+ risk signals and 1,270 leaked credentials associated with MGM. These indicators were visible months ahead of time, painting a clear picture of rising exposure.
This is the essence of predictive intelligence: using early warning signals to understand where the next breach might occur.
Cyber Attacks Rarely Come Out of Nowhere
Incidents like the MGM breach are not sudden lightning strikes. They are the result of prolonged reconnaissance, credential theft, and vulnerability exploitation, often playing out quietly over months or even years.
By the time a breach becomes public, the groundwork has already been laid, often in the open, across hacker forums and dark web markets.
Predictive intelligence allows insurers and brokers to see those warning signs before they escalate into claims, turning what was once invisible into actionable insight.
The Expanding Threat of Third-Party Risk
The same pattern applies to vendor-related attacks, such as the recent wave of Salesforce account compromises.
When a major third-party platform is exploited, the consequences ripple far beyond the original target. A single exposed integration can cascade through hundreds of dependent businesses, amplifying both operational disruption and insured losses.
Cyber risk is rarely isolated. It spreads through supply chains, digital ecosystems, and even entire economies, blurring the lines between direct and indirect exposure.
Incident Response Alone Isn’t Enough
Relying solely on incident response is like offering flood insurance without monitoring the rising water levels.
By the time the floodwaters break through, it’s already too late.
The smarter approach is to monitor upstream indicators such as stolen credentials, unpatched systems, and hacker chatter, and act before the damage is done. For insurers, this means transforming cyber from a reactive line of business into a proactive, intelligence-driven one.
The Wider Context: Cyber Risk at a Global Scale
As our recent research into cyber warfare and the geopolitical landscape shows, these risks now extend far beyond corporate networks.
Hospitals, transport hubs, and food supply chains are all potential targets. When one node fails, the effects can cascade across societies and economies.
The NotPetya attack in 2017 was originally aimed at disrupting systems in Ukraine, but within days, it had spread globally, paralysing logistics, shipping, and retail operations. That is the reality of modern cyber risk: fast, borderless, and systemic.
Moving from Reaction to Resilience
Predictive intelligence gives the insurance industry a fighting chance to stay ahead.
By continuously tracking digital exposures, monitoring adversary behaviour, and correlating those signals within a broader geopolitical and technological context, we can shift from reaction to resilience, preventing losses before they occur and protecting both businesses and society at large.
Because in a world where cyber threats never sleep, seeing what’s coming next isn’t just an advantage, it’s essential.
How DynaRisk Powers the Insurance Industry with Intelligence
At DynaRisk, we turn global threat intelligence into practical, preventative insight for the insurance industry. Our intelligence engine continuously monitors hacker activity, data breaches, and exposed digital assets, transforming these signals into meaningful risk scores and alerts. These insights help insurers, MGAs, and brokers predict and prevent losses, enhance underwriting accuracy, and support proactive engagement with policyholders. By embedding our data and tools into insurance products, DynaRisk empowers the industry to deliver smarter protection, reduce claims, and strengthen resilience across portfolios worldwide.
Want to find out more? Why not get in touch with our team: https://dynarisk.com/contact