For some people, even to discuss the impact on an economy, let alone financial markets, of a tragedy such as the Paris attacks is poor taste. But one of the aims of terrorists is to cause economic and financial damage; hence the attacks on Wall Street on 9/11 or on tourists in Tunisia earlier this year. So the issue is worth considering.

A fleet commander in the Indonesian Navy has said that about 90 percent of piracy cases in the Malacca Strait area turn out to be bogus claims related to insurance fraud or business competition.

In 2014, a total of 11,625 heavy equipment thefts were reported to law enforcement - an increase of 1.2 percent from the 11,486 reported in 2013, according to a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the National Equipment Register.

Large cargo losses are having a significant impact on the marine insurance sector, says Nick Derrick, chairman of International Union of Marine Insurance's cargo committee. He spoke in Berlin, at IUMI's annual conference.