Cyber Tales

Cyber Tales: Bringing the Human Touch to Cyber

When his go-to insurer went all digital, broker Martin Ginnish missed the human touch—until a chance webinar with BOXX changed everything. What followed? Real conversations, real support, and a cyber crisis averted.

Human to Human

Places, industries, and names have been changed to preserve client privacy.

Martin Ginnish, an insurance broker based in Moncton, had been in the industry long enough to see it change—some of it for the better, some of it not. His preferred cyber insurance provider had recently implemented a chatbot system and gone almost entirely digital. He didn’t have an issue with artificial intelligence. In fact, he used it regularly—for admin tasks, to check his grammar for client emails and even for some accounting. But when his clients had real questions—”What does this clause mean for my IT infrastructure?” or “Can we talk to someone about preventative services?”—the only answer he could give was, “Apply and find out.”

Martin was frustrated. As an independent broker he was a small business owner himself. He knew that nothing beats a real conversation with someone who understands your world.

Then he attended a webinar hosted by BOXX Insurance. He expected a pitch. What he got instead was a panel of cybersecurity experts, a virtual CISO (Chief Information Security Officer), and a menu of free services available to both prospective and existing clients.

“They talked about people,” Martin recalls. “And about building trust and helping businesses big and small stay safe. That got my attention.”

At the end of the webinar, the BOXX team invited brokers to get in touch. So, Martin did.

A Surprise Connection

Martin made the call and braced himself for an automated menu. Instead, he was connected directly to Jack Brooks, BOXX’s vCISO.

“I thought I’d be talking to a rep,” Martin laughs. “Not the guy who trains security teams and builds response strategies.”

What surprised him more? No sales pitch.

“I half expected a hard sell,” Martin admits. “But it was more like… talking to someone who actually gives a damn about small businesses. And he really seemed to care about cyber security. For everyone.”

Martin explained that he had a client—Tidal Bored Entertainment and Production Co.—whose cyber insurance renewal was coming up. They had a competent head of IT, Lyne Doucet, who felt their bases were covered. But Martin wondered if Jack would be open to having another chat, this time with Lyne.

Jack didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. Happy to join the conversation.”

No Strings, Just Support

A few days later, Martin set up the call. Jack, Martin, and Lyne connected for what was supposed to be a quick Q&A—and ended up in a deep dive on backup protocols, redundancy, and cyber hygiene best practices.

They eventually landed on a topic that raised some flags for Jack: backups.

“Tidal Bored had backups and Lyne seemed confident.” Jack recalled. “But there was no mention of segregated backups. It was a great opportunity to speak to a client directly about how very important this is.”

Jack explained in plain language for Martin’s benefit how separating and isolating backups from the main network could be the difference between a fast recovery and a total loss. When it became clear that Lyne’s team needed some support with backups, Jack shared some suggestions.

Lyne paused, “Okay, this is all super helpful… but are we going to get a bill for this?” she asked, half-joking, half-not. “I don’t have approval to spend anything extra.”

Jack chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s on the house. I share this stuff because I believe in it—and honestly, if more businesses prioritized backups, I might finally get a weekend off.”

With a few well-directed questions, Jack was able to recommend actionable changes that made Tidal Bored’s infrastructure more resilient without adding new costs.

“I appreciated the way Jack explained things,” Lyne said later. “It didn’t feel like a lecture. It felt like talking to a colleague who genuinely wanted to help me make smarter decisions. As a woman in a leadership role in tech, I can assure you, that’s not always how these conversations go. I learned a lot from that call.”

Making the Switch

About a month after their initial conversation, Martin reached out again.

“Tidal Bored’s ready to make the move to BOXX,” he told Jack. “Lyne put a few of your suggestions in place right away, and the CEO was impressed by how proactive and budget-friendly the improvements were.”

The transition to BOXX was smooth. For nearly 18 months, things ran quietly—until they didn’t.

When the Worst Happens

Disaster struck when an employee at Tidal Bored unknowingly clicked on a malicious email link, unleashing a payload that gave cybercriminals access to critical systems: production schedules, contracts, and even archived footage.

Lyne didn’t waste a second. She called BOXX Hackbusters® for emergency help and was immediately connected with a cyber security expert who understood the urgency. Within 30 minutes, her phone rang—and to her surprise, it was Jack calling back personally.

“I guess vCISOs really don’t take vacations,” Lyne quipped. “But seriously, it was hugely comforting knowing Jack was leading the charge.”

Jack and the Hackbusters team sprang into action. Thanks to the backup improvements they had implemented months before, the team was able to contain the breach, resecure the environment, and begin recovery immediately.

Most operations were back online within 24 hours. Full recovery took just three days.

Real People Make a Real Difference

Thanks to the groundwork laid in that first call—Martin’s initiative, Lyne’s openness and the expertise of Jack and the Hackbusters—the Tidal Bored team had the right pieces in place to recover quickly. What could have been a major setback became proof that preparation, collaboration, and good relationships really do pay off.

“Working with BOXX—and with Jack—has honestly made my job easier,” Martin reflects. “I’m not stuck waiting in a chatbot queue or wondering who to call. I know I can pick up the phone, talk to someone with real world expertise, and get answers that help my clients. That’s a value-add I didn’t know I was missing until I had it.”

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