Why You Need Personal Cyber Protection
When you hear “cyber attack”, you most likely think of data breaches within a large company or retailer, but do you ever consider that you could be personally attacked?
With how quickly the current world has transitioned to working from home, relying on online shopping, and remote learning situations, it’s important for you and your family to know that a surprise virus is only a click away. From the increased rate of phishing schemes to cyber-bullying, it’s important to consider adding personal cyber protection to your homeowners policy.
At Doherty Insurance we are able to offer you some solutions to protect you from these significant exposures. We encourage you to explore how you can extend your homeowners insurance policy into the digital world — just in time for the online gift shopping season.
What is Personal Cyber Protection?
Personal Cyber Insurance can offer your family coverage in the following key areas:
1. Cyber Attack Coverage
Personal Cyber and Home Protection Coverage, also known as Cyber Attack Coverage, protects the policyholder against the financial consequences of personal online attacks. If a cyber attack results in people being unable to access their home, or replacing an electronic device, this coverage will ensure that the policyholders will be reimbursed when the cyber attack is resolved.
2. Cyber Extortion Coverage
Cyber Extortion can occur when an online criminal threatens the release of your personal data that they have acquired either through your system or other sources, or when an online criminal prevents you access to your phone or devices and is looking for you to pay a ransom. This type of cyber coverage will reimburse the policyholder for payments that they may have made under the extortion threat.
3. Online Fraud Coverage
Online Fraud Coverage is the protection of financial loss or fraud as a result of a cyber attack. This can include identity theft, stolen bank funds, or fraudulent use of credit cards. This type of protection is available as part of identity theft coverage policy, an identity theft endorsement for a homeowners policy, or identity-theft assistance through a credit card company.
4. Cyber Bullying
A parent's worst nightmare could be an accusation against you or your son or daughter for bullying someone else on social media. If you have a liability claim brought against you because of content posted in the cyber world, you will need coverage to protect you should you be sued.
How to Prevent Attacks
You should not depend solely on a cyber policy to protect you and your family from cyber attacks. Here are some precautions you can take:
- Regularly change your password and create a strong password. A strong password is usually twelve characters long.
- Never save credit card information online.
- Report spam emails to prevent similar emails from being delivered to your inbox.
- Update all your devices with the latest operating systems.
- Backup your digital information, such as photos and health records, by making copies of your data in a cloud platform and on a hard drive.
- Be aware of what your children are posting online and be mindful of any posts you might make in a moment of anger or frustration.
As technology has become increasingly more important in the day-to-day lives of people, the risk of sensitive data could be compromised. While homeowner insurance policies may cover losses in the physical world, the digital landscape is constantly growing and evolving.
That’s why at Doherty Insurance we are here to protect you from online theft of digital information. Contact Doherty Insurance today to learn more about adding cyber protection to your homeowners policy.