Business

Cyber insurance explained

General liability, property, workers' comp and the industry-specific coverages owners miss.

3 minute readBusiness

Quick answer

Cyber coverage pays for the costs of a data breach or attack: forensics, notification, credit monitoring, legal defense, regulatory response, business interruption, and in some forms ransomware and funds-transfer fraud. Any business handling payment or personal data has this exposure, regardless of size.

What you need to know

First-party vs. third-party

First-party covers your own response and lost income; third-party covers claims from affected customers or partners.

Social engineering is often separate

Wire-fraud and funds-transfer coverage is frequently a sub-limit or endorsement, not automatic.

Controls affect eligibility

Carriers increasingly require multi-factor authentication and backups to offer meaningful limits.

Common mistakes

  • Setting property and income limits from rounded-down guesses instead of real numbers.
  • Skipping hired and non-owned auto because the business owns no vehicles.
  • Signing contracts that require limits or wording the policy does not provide.
  • Letting subcontractor certificates lapse, which shows up at audit.
  • Treating insurance as a one-time purchase while the business keeps changing.

When to talk to an agent

Talk to an agent before signing a lease or a major contract, when you hire your first employee, when revenue or payroll changes materially, and any time you add a service, location or vehicle.

Frequently asked

This article is general information, not a policy or a promise of coverage. What your policy pays depends on its specific terms, limits and exclusions. Ask us to review your actual policy before making a decision.

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