October 2, 2025
The Case for Cyber Insurance in Today’s Freight Economy
Cargo theft and fraud aren’t edge cases anymore, they’re business realities. Reported cargo theft rose 57% in 2023, with losses topping $1B (and that’s only what’s reported). As criminals lean on sophisticated cyber tactics, the entry point into your operation is often digital even when the loss is physical.
“Both motor carriers and freight brokers need cyber liability insurance, and the policy should include coverage for both financial loss and physical loss of goods,” says Jessie Merritt, EVP of Sales at Reliance Partners. “The digital nature of our current theft environment requires a similar risk management approach.”
Why cyber coverage now?
Threats have evolved well beyond classic phishing or wire fraud. Bad actors are:
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Spoofing identities (including deepfakes) and impersonating carriers or brokers
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Altering documents like Bills of Lading
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Acquiring small carriers to build trust, then stealing loads once lanes and processes are understood
“The level of attack we see today is different and constant,” Merritt notes. “It’s theft at a massive scale, and the broker or carrier’s cyber environment is the most critical entry point.”
What a strong cyber policy should do
A comprehensive cyber liability policy should:
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Cover financial losses (e.g., social engineering, ransom/extortion)
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Include property/physical loss elements tied to a cyber event (not just monetary damages)
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Provide incident response, legal guidance, and reputational support to restore operations
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Complement (not replace) your cargo policy (many cargo forms exclude cyber-triggered losses)
“A lot of protection is afforded by a good cyber policy as long as the insurer will pay some element of property damage in a claim and not just monetary damage,” says Merritt.
Risk is both “straight theft” and “strategic theft”
From ransomware-style load holds (e.g., a $40,000 ransom demand on a reefer) to sophisticated impersonation schemes, carriers and brokers face simultaneous physical and digital exposures. That’s why rounding out traditional insurance with cyber liability is now non-negotiable.
“We’re encouraging clients to buy coverage in a way that reflects their risk,” Merritt adds. “Rounding out coverage with cyber liability is now necessary to reduce that risk.”
Prevention + Protection
Insurance is just one layer. Strengthen your defenses with:
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Identity verification: Rigorously verify subcontractors and carrier IDs; use carrier identity solutions and real-time alerts
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Document integrity: Validate Bills of Lading and rate confirmations; train teams to spot alterations
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Cyber hygiene: MFA everywhere, least-privilege access, patching cadence, phishing simulations, vendor risk reviews
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Operational controls: Real-time load tracking, geo-fencing, pickup/delivery PINs, and escalation protocols
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Playbooks: Clear incident response plans that coordinate IT, legal, ops, and insurance notification steps
How Reliance Partners can help
We build coverage programs that align with your real-world exposure across cargo, contingent cargo/primary cargo, and cyber liability and we pair them with practical loss-control guidance so you’re not just reacting, you’re preventing.
Let’s pressure-test your program. We’ll review your current policies, identify cyber-related exclusions that could leave gaps, and recommend coverage and control upgrades tailored to your lanes, tech stack, and partners.
