Cyber Liability…A Growing Concern for Businesses

May 10, 2010||inBusiness Insurance|business insurance, cyber liability, cyber liability insurance

The Internet has changed the way most of us do business and has increased liability exposures. If any of the items listed below apply to your business, you most likely have Cyber Liability exposures.

  • you communicate by email
  • you have a website
  • you conduct e-commerce
  • you store information electronically
Typing on computer
Click here to submit an inquiry to Murphy Insurance or call us at 800 222 8711

why be concerned?

You may not realize that companies sharing information via websites face the same legal liabilities of a publisher…exposures, which are complex and evolving. Privacy and data security risks are constantly changing and increasingly regulated by laws such as the new Massachusetts Personal Information Privacy law, MA 201 CMR 17. In addition, given the number of people and businesses browsing the Internet, the possible pool of plaintiffs is immense. A single legal action could inflict significant financial damage, and traditional liability products do not address Internet exposures and the risks involved in Internet business activities.

what is Cyber Liability insurance?

Cyber Liability protection addresses the first- and third-party risks associated with e-business, the Internet, networks and informational assets. The category of Cyber Liability includes security breaches; data theft; virus transmission; privacy issues; copyright, trademark and intellectual property infringement; libel or any other issues that first parties can pass to third parties via the Internet. Some of the types of claims that may occur include:

  • Accidental release of confidential customer information
  • Spreading a virus into a customer’s computer system
  • Theft of customer’s credit card or banking account numbers
  • Derogatory comments made online about a competitor by an employee
  • Denial of service attack hacking
  • Electronic data extortion or destruction
  • Unapproved use of another site’s content in web development by a Webmaster

While the exposures outlined above are not all inclusive, and no policy covers every risk, Cyber Liability insurance is of growing importance if any of the above situations applies to your business. Contact us for more information.

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