Global study reveals almost three quarters predict the levels of outsourcing around cyber security to increase over the next three years
Family offices are increasingly becoming attractive targets for cyber criminals as they manage vast private wealth, sensitive financial records, confidential family information, and complex global assets. A new global survey by Ocorian has revealed that despite rising cyber threats, many family offices remain underprepared to defend themselves or recover quickly from an attack.
The study shows that nearly one in five family offices do not have any cyber defence plan in place, while more than a fifth lack an incident response strategy. These findings raise serious concerns at a time when cyber attacks can damage reputations, disrupt operations, expose confidential data, and cause significant financial losses.
The research also points to a growing shift towards expert support. Nearly three quarters of respondents expect cyber security outsourcing to increase over the next three years, suggesting that family offices are beginning to recognise the need for stronger, specialised protection in an increasingly complex digital environment.
It’s estimated that 43% of family offices globally have suffered a cyber attack in the past two years but Ocorian’s study among family members and senior family office employees handling total wealth of $119.37 billion shows almost a fifth (19%) don’t have any defence plans in place to protect themselves from a potential attack. However, 18% of them say that they do plan to put one in place.
This compares to three quarters (75%) of respondents who have taken steps to strengthen their defences against a potential cyber attack in the past two years. Just 7% say they had plans in place more than two years ago.
Should they suffer a cyber attack more than a fifth (22%) of those surveyed say they don’t currently have an incident plan in place to respond and recover. Around 78% say they do have an incident plan ready.
More than one in 10 (11%) family offices surveyed admit that they feel significantly challenged when it comes to delivering the level and quality of cyber security expertise they need to operate effectively. Almost half (49%) say they currently receive advice and support from third-party professionals over cyber security, but this is set to significantly increase, with 72% saying they see the levels of outsourcing around cyber security to increase over the next three years. Of these 41% say they expect a dramatic increase.
Ian Rumens, Head of Private Client – Jersey, at Ocorian said: “A cyber security attack is becoming an increasing reality and can have huge implications for family offices, damaging reputations, triggering loss of stakeholder confidence and putting long-term relationships at risk. While many are taking steps to put the necessary precautions and defences in place, such as getting expert third-party advice, there are still too many who are highly susceptible.
“The financial impact can also be significant, from direct theft and fraud to business interruption, incident response costs, regulatory fines and potential litigation. It’s also vital that family offices work closely with all their service providers and suppliers to make sure those partners have the right protections in place too, helping reduce the risk of a cyber incident spreading through the wider ecosystem.
“Finally, organisations should ensure strong backup and recovery arrangements are tested regularly to help protect against data loss or corruption, so critical records and reporting can be restored quickly and accurately. On top of this, with no incident plan in place, it could also take those affected by an attack much longer to respond and recover afterwards.”
Ocorian’s award winning dedicated family office team provides a seamless and holistic approach to the challenges and opportunities families face. Its service is built on long-term personal relationships that are founded on a deep understanding of what matters to family office clients. Its global presence means Ocorian can provide bespoke structures and services for international families no matter where they live.
Key services include formation and administration of family offices, HR support services, support with lifestyle and luxury assets, family governance, resident and relocation services and specialist support with immigration, visas, payroll, marine and aircraft crew management and financial reporting.
*In February 2026 Ocorian commissioned independent research company PureProfile to interview 200 people in the family office sector including family members and full-time employees of family offices. The total value of wealth managed or owned by the families was $119.37 billion and respondents were based in the UK, Switzerland, Mauritius, South Africa, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, US, Jersey, Guernsey, Bermuda and Cayman.
The article is intended to provide a very general overview of the matters to which it relates and is provided for your convenience. It is not intended as legal or investment advice and should not be relied on as such.
(India CSR)
