A Designer’s Guide To Understanding Cyber Liability Insurance

Designing and working online go hand in hand, whether it’s drawing up a fancy new logo, sketching up plans for a fancy piece of furniture or managing your client requests through online systems. There’s no doubt that you rely on online programs and systems to assist you with getting through the day. 

So, if something was to jeopardise your systems like a cyber attack or data breach, how would you be able to continue to work and meet your client deadlines? This is where Cyber Liability insurance* can help provide a safeguard.  

What is Cyber Liability insurance? 

Cyber liability insurance is a type of business insurance product which protects your business 

against both the legal costs and expenses (including compensation payments) related to cybercrime 

incidents. Your coverage may generally include cover for expenses and legal costs relating to the 

following: 

• Data breaches 

• Theft or loss of client information 

• Business interruption costs 

• Forensic investigation 

• Data recovery 

• Extortion 

• Fines and penalties 

• Crisis management costs (to restore your businesses reputation after an attack or data breach) 

• Legal costs from any ensuing civil action taken against you or your company 

Why might designers require Cyber Liability insurance? 

You will already be aware of just how much you rely on technology and online systems when creating your design work. These are some of the examples of why you might consider Cyber Liability insurance as one of the ways to protect your design business. 

• Your design business may keep confidential information online about projects and client details. If a data breach was to occur think of the impact not only financially on your design business, but also the reputation.  

• The financial impact of a cyber-attack could mean your systems and equipment may be out of action. Think about how difficult it may be to perform your work without these, how would you be able to still manage to generate an income? 
• A cyber attack could delay the process of your projects, this could have a negative impact on your business 

Examples of potential claim scenarios 

These are some examples of when your designer business may be faced with a Cyber Liability claim: 

• Your designer website was hijacked and defaced 

• Your designer business’ computers were corrupted with viruses/malware 

• You have data held ransom 

• Your design business may have sent the wrong email attachments 

• Lost or stolen devices 

How can you be more cyber savvy and protect your design business? 

Preventing a potential cyber-attack from happening is something that small business owners can achieve through a few simple steps. 

• Education- be aware of some of the key risks which may cause a cyber-attack. If you have a team of staff, ensure that they are also educated on these risks 
• IT security- check that your business is implementing things like strong passwords and that all systems are updated with the right versions of virus protection software etc 

• Assets register- if you have multiple staff and business assets like laptops, mobile phones and other devices, ensure that they are all accounted for. Have a list of who has which devices, serial numbers etc.  
• Back up your data- the thought of loosing all your hard-work and invaluable business data is a stressful scenario to be faced with. Consider a plan to regularly update and back up all your data. 
• Install a HTTPS certificate into your website- this provides your business with an extra layer of security by encrypting traffic that passes through your site. It helps to protect your businesses information and data whilst also giving your clients peace of mind knowing they are dealing with a trusted and secure webpage. 
• Get your Cyber Liability insurance sorted- having your policy in place will help you sleep at night knowing that you have that extra bit of protection in place if an insured cyber-event were to cause disruption to your design business.  

Getting your design insurance policies in place doesn’t need to be dramatic. At BizCover, we do the shopping around for you, so you can focus on working through all those design briefs for clients! From Cyber Liability insurance to cover for Professional Indemnity*, Public Liability* and Portable Equipment insurance*, BizCover has a range of insurance options to protect your design business.  

Visit bizcover.co.nz and get your designer insurance sorted with no dramas. If you’d prefer to pick up the phone and chat, you can find us at 0800 249 268. 

*This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. © 2023 BizCover Limited.