SINGAPORE: Companies in the Republic lost nearly S$2 billion last year due to data loss or unplanned downtime arising from illicit cyber activities – a fact not lost on insurance companies, which are beginning to offer protection to firms here as cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated. But as the industry gears up to offer coverage, which can include the cost of investigative work and rectification, market watchers say a general lack of awareness, underestimation of the risks of security threats and few precedents for designing and setting premiums are impediments.