How much cyber liability insurance do you need?

Cyber liability insurance helps companies recover from cyberattacks and other data breaches either at your business or your client’s business. It covers the cost of responding to, investigating, and cleaning up damage caused by a data breach.

After a breach, first-party cyber liability coverage pays for:

• Hiring an expert to investigate the breach and assist with regulatory compliance
• Notifying customers about the breach
• Crisis management and public relations
• Business interruption expenses, including hiring additional staff, renting equipment, or purchasing third-party services

These are the costs you or your clients would pay for directly after a data breach without a cyber liability policy in place. And the expenses add up quickly.

The average cost of a data breach is about $3.86 million according to a study by IBM and and the Ponemon Institute. A business with a few thousand customers could face hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs.

If a client sues your tech company for failing to prevent a data breach at their business, third-party cyber liability insurance helps cover your legal costs, including:

• Attorney's fees and other legal defense costs
• Judgments if a court finds your business liable
• Out-of-court settlements

Learn more about cyber liability insurance coverage, including the difference between first-party and third-party coverage.

Most small tech companies purchase a cyber liability insurance policy with a $1 million per occurrence limit, a $1 million aggregate limit, and a $2,500 deductible. If a data breach costs a business about $250 per client or customer record, this coverage limit will be high enough to protect any business that handles a few thousand records.

For high-risk businesses like those specializing in data storage, purchasing a cyber liability policy with higher coverage limits may be a smart option. Many policies have a maximum coverage limit of $5 million, but you can discuss your need for more coverage with your insurance provider.

Instead of purchasing a standalone cyber liability insurance policy, most small tech companies purchase a technology errors and omissions policy (tech E&O) that includes cyber liability coverage. Because the risk of cyber liability is high for tech businesses, insurance providers often bundle these two policies.

Independent contractors often don’t need to carry first-party cyber liability insurance since the policy is limited to data breaches that occur on the policyholder’s network. But contractors may need third-party cyber liability insurance to protect themselves from lawsuits.

Some clients require independent contractors to carry third-party cyber liability insurance before they can begin work on a project. Cyber liability insurance gives clients financial peace of mind since it reassures them you can pay for a cyber liability lawsuit if your work results in a data breach. Client contracts most often require a $1 million per occurrence limit.

While your errors and omissions insurance covers data breach lawsuits, you'd rather avoid the lawsuit altogether. Ensure your clients have a risk management plan that takes into consideration the cost of a data breach.

If your clients have cyber liability insurance, they'll be less likely to sue your tech business as they attempt to recoup their losses after a data breach. To protect your business from client lawsuits, encourage your clients to purchase cyber liability insurance or require it before you take on a risky project.

If you require that a client purchase cyber liability insurance in a work contract, you can adjust the requested coverage limit. Cyber liability policies have limits that range from $1 million to $5 million or more.

The average cost of a cyber liability policy with a $1 million per occurrence limit and a $1 million aggregate limit is about $145 per month or $1,740 per year for TechInsurance customers. Many small businesses (38%) pay less than $100 per month for cyber liability insurance, and 33% pay between $100 and $200 per month.

The cost of this policy increases with the amount of sensitive data your company handles.

TechInsurance helps small business owners compare business insurance quotes with one easy online application. Start an application today to find the right policy at the most affordable price for your business.