Delaware Business Insurance Update from CNC Insurance, " Your Car Just Got Hacked, Now What? " 4-19-16

The FBI recently issued a warning to consumers about the increasing vulnerability of vehicles being hacked by cyber criminals. Modern technologies built into today's vehicles expose car owners to the same cyber risks that your business faces with your computer systems and point of sale credit card scanners. Let's break down just a couple of the risks this  may bring to your business.
Hackers could break into your WiFi connected vehicle and shut it down. What would be the cost to your business if your fleet of delivery vehicles is out of commission because of a cyber attack? Who is going to pay for the repair of the computer module and the re-programming in the trucks, your insurance company? I doubt it. How about if a hacker steals customer data or sensitive business data from a smart phone carried by your driver that has connected to the truck's WiFi? Is your cyber insurance protection going to cover the costs to notify the customers and recapture the lost data? What happens if the business data gets in the hands of a competitor and you lose accounts? How are you going to recover?
If you are saying to yourself this is far fetched , think again. This is happening now!  Recently Chrysler recalled vehicles to install software to block hacks on their modules. Yes , vehicle hacking is here to stay. So talk with a risk professional to implement a plan to avoid the costs of cyber threats on your vehicles. Here is a reminder, when you look to upgrade your computer protections do not forget your vehicles. Until next time be careful out there and know your risks.

G. Kevin Nemith President of CNC Insurance Assoc. Inc. & The Small Business Insurance Center
Serving DE, MD, NJ, VA, & PA
www.cncinsurance.com

Popular posts from this blog

Delaware Legislature Preparing To Revisit Dram Shop Liability

Here we go again. Representative Peterson is preparing to introduce limited dram shop liability for consideration. The legislation caps the liability at $250,000 but, as is usually the case, this creates a starting point where limits are eventually increased once it's decided by the powers that be that the current limit is too low. This also puts restaurants, bars, etc, at an increased risk due to the vague wording of the legislation, specifically "reckless" sale of alcohol by the business. Also, you can be sure that if this legislation is passed, that rates will go up commensurately for not only Liquor Liability coverage, but if actual damages begin to be paid out under this law, that insurance rates on the whole will see an increase.
Read more

Get employees back to work quickly to keep work comp costs down

Image
In the past I have spoken to clients regarding a particular workers compensation claim affecting them and have asked if they have brought the employee back to work yet. Too many times the answer is no, they have nothing for that employee to do since said employee is not 100% and unable to perform their specific job prior to their workers compensation injury/claim. The problem with this is that too often employers miss the point that even though an employee can't perform in the position they were in prior to their injury, it behooves the employer to create some type of alternative task/job the employee can do until such time they are able to resume their normal duties. Bringing that employee back to work means that work comp benefits /payments in that particular claim are being curtailed, thereby saving the employer potentially more being paid out, while adding to their experience mod and driving their overall work comp expenses up.
Read more

Important to notify insurance company of potential liability claims

Image
When trying to manage their insurance policies, many business owners make the decision not to turn in potential claims and decide to take care of them on their own. By paying for small claims, such as property damage, etc, they strive to keep claim frequency down and in turn keep renewal premiums down. One area of insurance they should not try to manage though is potential liability situations/claims. Most policy conditions require prompt notification of any potential liability claims to the insurance company and if a claim isn't turned in promptly, the policy language does note that the company can deny a claim due to late notification. It's important to do this early on since information/memories are still fresh and it gives the insurance company time to completely investigate the potential claim. The potential for a liability claim is most likely the small business owner's greatest area of risk, whether they operate a restaurant, cleaning service or any other busi
Read more