Veni, Vidi, Vici: AI-Driven Cyber Risk and the Broker’s New Role

At Cybertech 2026, Shay Simkin, Chair-Howden Cyber will be joined by global experts to explore one of the most pressing challenges in risk: the rise of AI-driven cyber threats. Here, Shay shares why this shift matters and what it means for brokers and businesses worldwide.

Veni, Vidi, Vici: AI-Driven Cyber Risk and the Broker’s New Role

Two thousand years ago, Julius Caesar summed up military dominance in three words: I came. I saw. I conquered. Today, that phrase captures the reality of AI-powered cyberattacks. Threat actors no longer creep in slowly or wait for human response cycles. They arrive, learn, and act —  at machine speed.

For brokers, this isn’t just another evolution in threat tooling. It’s a structural shift in risk. AI-driven hacking is hacking on steroids, forcing the market to rethink assumptions about detection, containment, and resilience. While these risks are considerable, it’s worth noting that current market conditions and claims trends remain broadly favourable, and AI has not yet been cited as a major contributor to losses. This context matters - it ensures we’re not overstating the threat or ‘talking up the market’.

Hyper Hacking: When Speed Becomes the Weapon

Defenders once relied on “breakout time” —  the window between initial compromise and lateral movement. That window used to be measured in hours, sometimes days. AI has collapsed it into minutes, even seconds.

AI-assisted malware can autonomously:

• Perform reconnaissance and escalate privileges
• Map network topology and trust relationships
• Identify the fastest route to critical systems
• Adapt behaviour in real time to bypass defences

By the time a human analyst sees an alert, the blast radius may already include production systems, backups, and identity infrastructure. Traditional “detect and respond” strategies are no longer enough.

Agentic AI: The New Single Point of Failure

One of the most underestimated risks is the rapid deployment of agentic AI - autonomous agents embedded in business processes. These agents approve payments, manage supply chains, deploy code, and make operational decisions at scale. If the AI stops, the process stops.

When compromised, these agents don’t behave like breached systems. They keep operating — confidently — while making harmful decisions.

Closing the AI Risk Gap: The Broker’s New Mandate

Most cyber programmes weren’t built for model integrity or autonomous logic failure. This is where experienced brokers step up. Our role is evolving—from policy placement to AI risk translation and architecture. We’re no longer just insuring servers and networks. We’re insuring decision-making at machine speed. That demands deeper technical fluency and the confidence to challenge both clients and carriers.

And while AI can be deployed offensively, it can also be used defensively — strengthening detection, accelerating response, and improving resilience. That duality is key to a balanced conversation about risk.

Conclusion

AI-driven risk isn’t a future problem—it’s here. At Howden, we’re helping clients navigate this new frontier with insight, innovation, and resilience. By combining technical expertise with fearless thinking, we’re shaping the conversation on cyber risk—and setting the standard for what modern broking should be.