Do You Need Internet Business Insurance for Your Online Company?
Internet has changed the way the business world operates. If you think about it, anyone under the age of about 23 will never know what it is like to live in a time where there is no internet. Yep – the Internet has become pretty important and taking your business online is something that should be worked into every business plan.
Not only does being online bring your business into the 21st century, but it makes it much easier for your customers and potential customers to research and learn about your services.
With the new world of online businesses comes a new world of online business risks. While an online business doesn’t need to worry about someone breaking into their store, they do need to worry about someone hacking into their website. It’s instances like this where Internet business insurance comes into play.
What insurance is available for online businesses?
As an owner of a online company your responsibilities include way more than just handling a website, your list includes handling social media, emails, digital assets, plus maintaining all your company’s and customer’s sensitive data.
All these different responsibilities and moving parts open up more room for error and there are plenty of things business owners can do to lessen that. For example business owners can hire a knowledgeable digital point-person (or an entire team) to manage the digital portion of the company and contract out or hire a great IT person.
To fill any potential holes that may still remain in between a great staff and IT personal there are information technology liability insurance policies that can provide protection.
Information technology liability insurance can provide protection against a number of threats:
- Computer viruses
- Hacking and cyber liability
- Industrial espionage
- DOS (denial of service) attacks
- Data breach and data loss
In addition to having the right insurance protection, here are a few strategies that can help keep your online business safe:
Conduct security audits: Find where the “holes” are in your system by hiring a security expert to examine your network and servers. This is also important because reducing your risk can result in potential discounts on your Internet business insurance.
Manage risk: Create internal procedures, such as updating passwords on a regular basis, that establish responsible practices within your company. Small changes can prevent cyber breaches caused by hackers and human error.
Use cloud and off-site backups: Implement extra data protection with remote backup storage that saves you from any major data loss after an unexpected event.
New technology means new insurance coverage
Every day, new technologies and developments are created to benefit web-based businesses, but with new technology also comes new risk. Most insurance companies often offer business insurance that includes IT liability insurance policies.
Be sure to check with you insurance agency to make sure your online business coverage includes everything that you think you need now and may need in the future.
