Cyber insurance could be the key to helping you stay safe online

Hands typing on a keyboard surrounded by security iconsIf adoption were more widespread, cyber insurance could mitigate the billions of dollars in cybercrime losses incurred each year, a new survey from security firm Avast suggests.

However, the poll of UK businesses and consumers also revealed that more than a third (37%) don’t know what cyber insurance is. Of the remaining 63%, almost half (46%) don’t know what it protects them from.

In reality, there’s plenty cyber security can defend an individual or business from, Avast says, including identity theft and ransomware. Besides these threats, UK consumers also face personal data theft and stalkerware attacks.

But companies that offer cyber insurance are not doing enough to promote their services, the report asserts. According to the survey, 58% of the respondents think none of their insurance providers offer cybersecurity-related plans.

Among respondents who do have cyber insurance policies in place (6%), roughly a third (37%) receive it from insurance companies. Banks, pension providers, device manufacturers and service providers all offer cyber insurance too, Avast claims.

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