61% of Funeral Directors are underprepared for a Cyber Attack | Insights from SEIB’s Cyber Readiness Research

Cyber security is a growing concern for businesses of every size and sector. For funeral directors, the risks can be particularly significant, with funeral homes handling sensitive personal information, financial data and information relating to families at an already difficult time.

As part of our work supporting the funeral sector, SEIB’s Funeral Directors Insurance team carried out research to find out how prepared funeral businesses are for a cyber attack.

Respondents were given a cyber readiness rating based on their answers, categorised as Green, Amber or Red. Green indicates good cyber practices and stronger preparedness, Amber highlights areas where improvements may be needed, while Red indicates that a business could be more vulnerable to common cyber threats.

The overall results showed that 39% of respondents achieved a Green rating, 49% an Amber rating and 12% a Red rating.

While the results show that many businesses have good cyber security measures in place, they also highlight some areas where greater awareness and preparation could help strengthen resilience. For funeral businesses looking to strengthen their protection against the financial and operational impact of a cyber incident, Cyber Insurance for Funeral Directors can form part of a wider approach to managing cyber risk.

Business continuity remains an area for improvement

One of the clearest findings from our research was around business continuity and disaster recovery.

46% of respondents said they did not have a Business Continuity or Disaster Recovery plan, while a further 36% were unsure whether they had one.

Having a plan in place can be an important part of preparing for a cyber incident. If systems are unavailable following an attack, knowing who is responsible for responding, how critical services will continue and how data and systems can be recovered can help minimise disruption.

For funeral directors, continuity planning is particularly important. Businesses provide services that families rely on, meaning disruption to systems, communications or access to important information could have consequences beyond the business itself.

More than half don’t use MFA across the business

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is one of the ways funeral homes can add a layer of protection when employees access email and cloud-based systems.

The quiz found that 49% of respondents said all employees use MFA, while 16% said only some employees use it. A further 24% were unsure, and 10% said no employees use MFA.

This highlights a potential opportunity for funeral businesses to review whether MFA is enabled consistently across their workforce, particularly for systems containing sensitive information. If you want to find out more about MFA, download our cyber security guide for Funeral Directors here.

Are backups being properly protected and tested?

Backups can play a vital role in recovering from incidents such as ransomware, accidental deletion or system failure. However, simply having a backup does not necessarily mean a business can recover successfully.

53% of respondents said regular backups were taken, but 28% were unsure and 13% said backups were not stored securely.

Businesses should consider not only whether backups are being taken, but also where they are stored, who can access them and whether recovery has actually been tested.

A backup that cannot be restored when it is needed may provide much less protection than expected.

Cyber awareness starts with employees

Technology is only one part of cyber security. Employees also play an important role in identifying potential threats, particularly phishing emails and other forms of social engineering.

The research found that 53% of respondents said employees were trained to recognise cyber threats, while 29% indicated that they had some training or arrangements in place. Meanwhile, 11% were unsure, and 7% indicated that there was no training.

Regular awareness training can help employees recognise suspicious emails, links and requests for sensitive information before they become a problem.

Who would respond to a cyber incident?

Another important consideration is knowing what to do when something goes wrong.

When asked who was responsible for handling a cyber incident, 69% of respondents said they had a dedicated response team. However, 12% relied on a third-party provider, 11% were unsure, and 8% said they did not have a dedicated person or team.

Having clear responsibility for responding to an incident can help avoid confusion during what is likely to be a stressful situation.

Businesses should consider establishing an incident response process and making sure employees know who to contact if they suspect a cyber-attack or data breach.

Cyber-attacks can affect organisations of all sizes, and high-profile incidents involving larger businesses can provide useful lessons for smaller organisations too. Read our article on 2025 UK Cyber Attacks: What Funeral Directors Can Learn From the Year’s Biggest Breaches to explore some of the key lessons from recent attacks.

There are positive signs too

The results weren’t all about areas for improvement.

77% of respondents said all their devices were protected by security software and firewalls, while 13% had some protection in place and 10% were unsure.

There was also a positive result around software updates, with 71% saying critical software updates were applied promptly by all employees. A further 16% said computer software updates were applied, while 13% were unsure.

These measures demonstrate that many businesses are already taking practical steps to protect their systems.

Cyber resilience is about preparation, not just prevention

No business can eliminate cyber risk completely. Even with strong security controls in place, organisations should consider what they would do if an incident occurred.

The results from SEIB’s Cyber Readiness research provide a snapshot of the responses from the 80 funeral professionals who completed the assessment. While they should not be taken as representative of the entire funeral sector, they highlight some useful areas for businesses to consider when reviewing their own cyber resilience.

Want to see how your business compares? Take SEIB’s Cyber Readiness Quiz and find out how prepared you are for today’s cyber risks.

Once you’ve completed the quiz, there are some simple questions you can ask yourself to identify any areas where your business could strengthen its cyber resilience

• Do we have a documented Business Continuity or Disaster Recovery plan?
• Is MFA enabled for everyone who needs access to our systems?
• Are our backups secure, separate from our main systems and regularly tested?
• Do employees receive regular cyber awareness training?
• Does everyone know who to contact if a cyber incident occurs?
• Do we understand what sensitive information our business holds and how it is protected?
• When was our cyber security strategy last reviewed?

Taking time to address these questions can help your funeral home identify weaknesses before they become problems.

For further guidance on improving cyber security, see our article Why Cyber Security Matters for Funeral Directors in 2026, which explores the latest Government cyber security findings and practical considerations for funeral businesses.

How can Cyber Insurance help Funeral Directors?

Cyber Insurance can form part of a wider risk management strategy, helping businesses respond to the financial and operational consequences of a cyber incident.

Depending on the policy, cover may include areas such as incident response, data recovery, business interruption, cyber extortion and liability arising from a data breach.

However, insurance should complement rather than replace good cyber security practices. Strong preventative measures, employee awareness and a clear recovery plan can all help businesses reduce their exposure to cyber risks.

If you would like to discuss your options, you can request a quote from our experts by clicking the button below.

Want to strengthen your cyber protection?

If you’re looking to improve your business’s cyber resilience, our Cyber Insurance and Fraud Protection Guide for Funeral Directors provides practical guidance on common cyber threats, fraud and social engineering, steps you can take to reduce your risk, and how cyber insurance can support your business before, during and after an incident.

About SEIB Insurance Brokers

SEIB have been providing Funeral Director Insurance and Funeral Car Insurance for over 40 years. If you’d like further guidance or have questions about your insurance cover, call 01708 850000 or email info@seib.co.uk.