Do Small Businesses Need Cyber Liability Insurance?

Recent workplace trends and advancements have seen technology become more prevalent within organizations of all sizes and across all sectors. Implementing various applications, programs and tools in your workplace may help optimize existing functions and enable new innovations; however, these additions may also increase your organization’s cyber risks and exposures. To offset these increased risk levels, the importance of cyber liability insurance may be more apparent than ever. After all, without adequate loss control measures, even a single data breach or cyber incident could incur devastating financial consequences.

What Is Cyber Liability Insurance?

Cyber liability insurance fulfills its name by providing critical financial protection from losses and damages involving your organization’s technology and data. The details of cyber liability insurance vary, but policies may include coverage options to protect against the following losses and expenses:

• Breach response costs—Your insurance may help pay for digital forensic investigators to look into the cause of your cyber incident. It may also provide financial aid for managing the aftermath, such as hiring a public relations firm.
• Assistance for affected parties—This coverage may help pay to notify other parties, such as customers and clients, and provide credit and fraud monitoring services if a data breach exposes their sensitive information.
• Ransomware payments—If your organization is the victim of a ransomware attack during which a perpetrator locks your data and threatens to expose it to the public, this coverage may help you meet their financial demands.
• Lost revenue—This coverage may compensate your organization for lost or reduced income resulting from a cyber incident.
• Legal costs—If a cyber incident leads to your organization being sued, this part of your policy may help pay for your legal representation, court fees, settlements and judgments.

Why Is Cyber Liability Insurance Necessary for Small Businesses?

If you operate a small- or medium-sized business, you should not expect to be disregarded by cybercriminals. As technology has become more engrained in workplaces of all sizes and sectors, perpetrators have widened their target selection well beyond large corporations. Moreover, smaller businesses may lack the resources to adequately defend against cyberattacks, making them particularly vulnerable.

An adequate cyber liability insurance policy may prove to be an invaluable investment, given that smaller organizations may be less capable of absorbing the financial ramifications of a cyber incident out of pocket. Without sufficient coverage, your small- or medium-sized company’s finances and future could be devastated by a single ill-advised click or misjudgment.

We’re Here to Help

At the ML Ruberton Agency, our history of service dates back to 1910. We will draw on this collective knowledge and experience to assess your cyber liability insurance needs and assemble comprehensive coverage. Contact us today to get started.

This blog is intended for informational and educational use only. It is not exhaustive and should not be construed as legal advice. Please contact your insurance professional for further information.