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Protect Your Home and Business From Cyber Threats

By January 10, 2021November 30th, 2022Cyber Attacks, Cyber Liability Insurance
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Cyber Liability Insurance

Email and Text Phishing Scams, Data Breaches and Cyber Threats Growing Concern 

With an unprecedented number of people now working remotely and an unprecedented upsurge in online ordering, cyber threats are on the rise.  Scams taking advantage of goodwill or encouraging individuals to open documents/files to access important information are increasingly frequent.Health and life sciences businesses may be a particular target.

Cyber Security for Businesses – We strongly recommend you review cyber liability coverage to ensure your business is appropriately protected.  Check out current resources for managing cyber threats during COVID-19.

What you need to know about Cyber Liability Insurance in 2020

Did you know the Windows 7 operating system is due to expire on January 14, 2020?  What does this mean for you if your devices are operating with Windows 7?  It means there will no longer be free security updates and therefore your personal files, passwords and documents are at increased risk of being hacked in a cyber attack.   Now is the time to review what operating systems your devices run on, then consider options for updating or replacing devices running on Windows 7.  Some large organizations will have access to Windows 7 updates but no longer for free.

You should also review your cyber coverage because your policy may have an exclusion if your devices  are using Windows 7 without updates after January 14, 2020.

As cyber hacks continue to occur, businesses both large and small should address cyber security as a key component of business insurance.  Did you know that in the event that your business is hacked, you are liable for client information taken from your server?  Cyber security insurance mitigates some financial responsibility to the Insurance company.

Among large companies, it is estimated that 30% are covered under some form of cyber insurance policy; however, among businesses of all sizes the number is around 10%.  It is important to note that while cyber attacks of large businesses make news headlines, in fact, small businesses with 250 employees or less are attacked more often and 60% of small businesses close within six months of a data breach.  There are two different types of cyber insurance.  Below we will discuss first and third party risks. It is important to think about possible ways to protect and insure against cyber attacks.

First-Party Cyber Risk Insurance

First-Party insurance covers damages to the Insured’s information, data, income, or other types of damage that occur due to a data breach. First-party coverage’s include:

  • Theft and Fraud. This covers the loss of the policy holders data resulting from criminal or fraudulent cyber events, including theft and the transferring of funds
  • Forensic Investigation. This covers the legal, technical and forensic services need to asses whether an attack has occurred, measuring the impact of a breach and stopping an attack.
  • Business Interruption. This covers lost income and other costs when the insured is unable to do business after a cyber attacks or data loss
  • Computer data loss and restoration. Covers any physical damage done during a cyber attack.  Some damage this might include the cost of retrieving lost data, hardware, software or other information destroyed as a result of a cyber attack.

Third-Party Cyber Risk Insurance

Third-Party insurance insures the policyholder for the liability to a clients or government institutions, resulting from a cyber attack

  • Litigation and regulatory. Covers the costs associated with lawsuits and other penalties stemming from a cyber event.
  • Notification Costs. This covers the cost to notify clients, employees or other people affected by a cyber attack
  • Credit monitoring. Covers the cost of credit and fraud monitoring, or other related services to people affected by a cyber attack
  • Media Liability. Provides coverage for media liability, including coverage for copyright, trademark and other services mark infringement resulting from online publication by the insured.
  • Privacy Liability. Provides coverage for liability to employees or customers for a breach of privacy.

Cyber Security for Individuals –  Individuals can also take steps to protect themselves from cyber attacks:

  1. Review your personal cyber liability coverage, which is often included in a homeowner’s policy.
  2. Monitor your credit with a credit monitoring service.
  3. Use an identity theft protection service.  (Some insurance companies are offering this service for free through the end of the year).
  4. Secure your home network/WIFI, computers and devices, and accounts with strong passwords.  One way to secure account passwords is to install a password manager, which encrypts users’ information and automatically changes your password every time you access a site.
  5. Install anti-virus software and be sure to keep it updated.
  6. Prevent Email and Text Phishing – Review sender’s email/phone number, especially emails purported to come from your employer or a trusted information source like the World Health Organization, or claiming to have information about your stimulus check.  Review emails with COVID-19 themed subject lines, to determine if its a valid source or a scam.  Don’t open documents/files from unfamiliar sources even if they claim to provide useful information.
  7. Question any pandemic related apps because it may be a trick to install ransomware on your device.
  8. Question online charitable requests carefully due to scams preying on your goodwill to help others.
  9. Review your social media and be aware of  personal information you share online.  Requests or posts to answer questions about your favorite things may be scams to figure out your passwords.
  10. Secure your Smart Home Technology.  Read more about this here.

With cyber attacks on the rise, now is the time to review your coverage for cyber liability insurance, both personal and business coverages.  An experienced independent agent at AIS Insurance Group, Inc. is here to here to help, so don’t hesitate and contact us today at 610-578-9797 or Info@aisinsurance.net.

 

 

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