Lawyer Duncan Card is to speak on the risk of cyberattacks at a major conference in Bermuda next week.

Mr Card, managing principal at Bennett Jones, will be part of a panel at the annual conference of the Association of Trade and Forfaiting in the Americas.

He said: “Every month that goes by, the news reports of cybersecurity incidents get scarier.

“I’m going to be talking about measures that corporate boards can take to not only prepare for cybersecurity incidents, but how to respond to them and lessen any harm which may be caused.”

Mr Card will be part of a panel including Giles Harlow, vice-president at Aon Bermuda and Noel Pearman, senior vice-president and cyber product lead at XL Catlin.

The panel will look at cyber-risks, breaches and how organisations should react if attacks on their systems happen.

Mr Card said recent allegations that North Korean hackers had targeted European banks and fears that critical infrastructure in major US cities had been compromised were typical of recent incidents.

He said issues included third parties, customer liabilities, loss of data, the loss of ability to use computer infrastructure, financial hits and reputational risk all had to be considered.

Mr Card added: “It’s about making sure that companies are doing everything they are supposed to be doing to manage that risk, avoid it or respond to it.”

Mr Card has significant board of directors experience, is co-head of Bennett Jones’s global technology practice and is seen as a world-leading technology, outsourcing and infrastructure lawyer.

Bennett Jones is certified in cybersecurity by the International Organisation for Standardisation.

A spokesman for the firm said: “The work undertaken to achieve and retain this certification gives our firm unique insight into clients’ challenges in minimising exposure and maintaining compliance in this increasingly complex and threatening area.”

Atfa is a non-profit body of trade finance professionals set up to promote the exchange of information on best practices in global trade finance.

The conference will be held over three days at the Hamilton Princess starting next Wednesday.