Not Quite Enough: General Liability Insufficient for Cyber Coverage
Take a look at your business’ general liability insurance policy, and you’ll probably see a reference to property damage. To the uninitiated, that sounds like it covers a multitude of potential events – even an online hack or attack, right?
Wrong. Seriously wrong.
Cyber liability insurance is not automatically included in a general liability policy. Cyber liability insurance, priced and purchased as its own policy, can pay for expenses if a small business suffers a data breach or malicious software attack, including customer notification, credit monitoring, legal fees, and fines.According to Insureon.com, when criminals infiltrate a network, steal data, or hold data hostage, the business they steal from could be held liable. A data breach at a small business can end up costing thousands of dollars in customer notification expenses, legal fees, and fines or settlements. In fact, the average cost of a small business data breach is $86,500, according to the Internet security firm Kaspersky Labs. The coverage included in cyber liability insurance pays these costs, allowing your company to survive a breach.And don’t assume that hackers won’t come after small businesses. A recent report by Verizon found that 61% of all cyberattacks hit small businesses, and that those attacks often succeed because small businesses are less likely to have a strong defense.Cyber liability insurance is key for companies that handle sensitive information, work in the cloud, operate in cybersecurity, or typically handle:.
- Credit card or bank account information
- Medical information
- Social Security or driver license numbers
- Customer names, email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses
- Cybersecurity for other businesses
Contact the professionals at The Reschini Group to learn more about fashioning an appropriate cyber liability insurance package for your business. Your existing general liability policy may not be quite enough.
Copyright 2020 The Reschini GroupThe Reschini Group provides these updates for information only, and does not provide legal advice. To make decisions regarding insurance matters, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional or firm.