Consider These Factors Before Investing in Cyber Insurance for Your Business

Cybersecurity isn’t just a big business problem. While huge corporations like T-Mobile and Microsoft have made headlines with recent data breaches, smaller companies have also found themselves increasingly at risk.

A recent report from the cybersecurity firm Sontiq found that in 2021, the data breaches posing the greatest risk to consumers were those launched against small businesses. Meanwhile, the breaches themselves are getting more costly. In fact, a 2020 analysis by Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that cybercrime will cost businesses $10.5 trillion globally by 2025—a huge increase from just $3 trillion in 2015.

With the threat growing, small businesses may be looking to further protect themselves. In many cases, cyber insurance is one of the best ways to do so.

Cyber insurance protects against liability in the event of a data breach, including those involving sensitive customer information. It can help cover the cost of data recovery and systems repair, as well as any legal fees or expenses involved in a breach.

So how do you know if cyber insurance is right for your business? To help you decide, we’ve broken down all the ins and outs.

Do you need to protect your business from cybercriminals?

The decision to purchase cyber insurance may ultimately depend on the field you’re in. In particular, companies that hold a large amount of customer data, such as financial institutions, manufacturing firms, and businesses involved in the health care or service industries, face a major risk.

This is mainly because companies that deal with a high volume of customer data—even smaller companies—have a great deal of value to hackers and scammers. And with the number of new business applications up, there’s simply more to steal. The average financial services firm, according to  software company Varonis, has more than 350,000 exposed, sensitive files; healthcare companies have more than 110,000.

Still, committing to another yearly insurance cost is a big decision. Here are three questions to consider when deciding if cyber insurance is a good investment.

Determining whether cyber insurance is a good investment for your business

1. How much does cyber insurance really cost?

Unfortunately, cyber insurance prices have been rising. In June 2021, insurance provider Howden Group reports that, globally, policy costs have increased by 32% year over year.

The cost can vary widely, though—the insurance company Progressive estimates that annual policies can range from $500 to more than $5,000. Every provider is different, but in a study of its own customers, insurance company Insureon found that the average is around $1,675 per year, or about $140 per month.

Of course, the cost of an actual breach can be much more severe. For example, the cybersecurity firm OSIbeyond reports that, as of last year, ransomware attacks cost small businesses an average of $84,000.

It all depends on how much liability you need. Businesses may pay more if they deal with a larger customer base, or if they handle sensitive information on a regular basis. Basically, if your business is considered high risk, then you’ll need a higher coverage limit. Additionally, companies that have made cyber liability claims in the past may face higher rates.

[“source=allbusiness”]