Cyber insurance

Yes. To get our Cyber Risks cover you need to make sure your computer system is protected by anti-virus software with updates at least every 30 days.

If your business has an annual turnover of more than £250,000, you need to update your anti-virus software at least every 7 days.

You need to back-up your data at least every 30 days to get our Cyber Risks cover. But it's good practice to back up as often as possible. So that if it is needed, you've got the most up to date data to restore from.

If your business has an annual turnover of more than £250,000, you need to back-up at least every 7 days.

Yes. You need to have procedures in place to make sure that requests are checked before making payments online or transferring funds. For example:

• Making sure payments above a specific amount are authorised by more than one person
• Contacting a supplier to confirm that payment requests or bank account changes received from them are genuine.

Yes. As soon as a cybercrime has happened, you need to contact the police straight away about any loss or damage the cybercrime has caused and get a crime reference number.

The nature of cybercrime has changed in recent years, with the most common cyber attack on UK businesses being phishing.

But viruses, malware, hacking and ransomware cyber attacks are still a problem and businesses need to guard against them.

Phishing

Usually deceptive emails that involves tricking someone into opening an attachment or clicking on a link that downloads malicious software. Or, where the cybercriminal learns about the victim to impersonate someone they know and trust to get them to do something they shouldn't.

Malware

It's software that gets installed on to devices or a network that can take over the device or system and cause damage to data.

Hacking

This is where a highly skilled hacker deliberately finds a way in to a business's system. Once in, they can do things like steal and share data or hold a business to ransom.

Ransomware

Where people are tricked in to downloading malicious software that can paralyse a business's network. The cybercriminal can then demand a ransom to remove the software.

These aren't exhaustive, but you should be suspicious and investigate further. Or contact our Cyber Risk insurance experts to help you out.

Email

• Your password seems to have changed and you need to reset it
• Funny things are happening to your mail boxes that you don't recognise
• Your contacts have received peculiar emails from you

Being held to ransom

• Threats from someone saying they've got hold of your sensitive customer information and are prepared to make it public on the internet, which may or may not be true.

Banking

• Money that has left your account and you don't know why
• Someone you sent money to hasn't received it
• A payment to your business that hasn't been received

Network and data problems

• Files have been encrypted
• You're finding it difficult to access data stored in the cloud or data is missing
• Your website's not loading for your customers, even after many attempts.