Cyber insurance for personal care businesses

When your business stores customer credit card numbers, or even email addresses, it opens itself to risk. A hacker could illegally access the data and make purchases using someone else's credit card. They could also send phishing emails to your customers in an attempt to get them to reveal financial information.

Data breaches can happen by accident, too. For example, an employee could misplace a thumb drive, or rely on outdated software with known vulnerabilities.

In the event of a data breach, your business is responsible for notifying all affected customers and taking on other responsibilities, depending on the data breach laws in your state. The costs of responding to a data breach can add up quickly, which is why you need cyber insurance.

There are a couple kinds of cyber insurance, but most personal care businesses only need one. Data breach insurance, also called first-party cyber liability insurance, protects against the costs of data breaches and cyberattacks at your business.

This policy can help pay for:

• Notifying customers whose personal information was exposed
• Credit monitoring services for affected customers
• Cyber extortion demands
• Data breach investigations
• A public relations campaign to restore your company's image

Cyber liability insurance helps personal care businesses recover quickly when someone outside your company gains access to sensitive information, or might have gained access.

Here are a few examples of incidents where cyber insurance would cover costs:

• Accidental data breaches
• Ransomware attacks
• Phishing

Accidental data breaches are among the biggest cyber risks for small businesses. Misconfigured software settings can result in vulnerabilities that leave personal information unencrypted, or an employee could misplace a laptop with sensitive data on it.

When a data breach exposes personal information, cyber insurance will help pay for the cost of notifying affected customers and conducting an investigation to find out what caused the breach.

Ransomware is a type of malware that takes your files hostage in return for a ransom. It's a big problem for small businesses, since they typically have weaker cybersecurity.

If your personal care business is hit with a ransomware attack, your cyber liability policy can help pay the ransom so you can get your data back. It'll also cover the cost of figuring out how the attack happened, so you can prevent future cyberattacks.

Phishing emails sent to employees are a way of tricking people into revealing personal information, such as passwords to online accounts. They often mimic a trusted entity, such as your business, a manager, or a popular website.

If one of your employees clicks on a link in a phishing email, or downloads an attachment from an unknown source, the security of your system could be compromised. Cyber insurance will help your business pay any resulting costs, but the best method is to educate your employees to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place.

Cyber insurance provides crucial protection against cyber risks, but it's not the only policy you need. Personal care businesses should also consider:

General liability insurance: This policy covers legal costs from third-party accidents, such as a customer who slips in a puddle and suffers an injury. It also covers copyright infringement and other advertising injuries.

Business owner’s policy (BOP): A BOP bundles general liability coverage with commercial property insurance, usually at a lower rate than if the policies were purchased separately.

Professional liability insurance: This policy covers legal costs related to work performance, such as a complaint that a massage or skin treatment didn’t produce the promised results. It's also called errors and omissions insurance (E&O).

Workers’ compensation insurance: Workers' comp is required in most states for businesses that have employees. It covers medical costs and disability benefits for work-related injuries and illnesses.

Commercial auto insurance: This policy covers the cost of an accident involving a vehicle owned by your personal care business. Most states require this coverage for business-owned vehicles.

Are you ready to protect your personal care business with cyber insurance? Complete Insureon’s easy online application today to compare quotes from top U.S. carriers. Once you find the right policy, you can begin coverage in less than 24 hours.