Flor & Associates Insurance Agency

El Paso Texas Insurance Agent Flor & Associates Insurance

cyber crime

Cybersecurity and How It Affects Us All

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Think about how many computers you use and how many you see being used on a dailyinternet-3592056_960_720 basis (Smartphones count too!) and you will start to realize how embedded computers and the internet is in our lives! It’s incredible! With the amount of people and businesses using computers you start to see how if a cyberattack were to happen on any level, how badly it would affect our society as a whole!

Our world is so connected that if one part of that web starts to go down due to an attack that there’s a good chance that it can spread to other parts with ease! If you find that you are a victim of a cyberattack do your part and disconnect yourself and don’t expose your system to others in any way, such as connecting a USB stick from your infected system to a system that you use at work! Treat it like an illness, and know that it is contagious in computers just like the Flu would be to humans!

If you have a business that is affected, it is smart to let your customers know what is going on to safeguard themselves and to contain the cyberattack as best as you can! Do not keep it a secret as many other companies have done and failed in doing, it will hurt your business to the point of bankruptcy! cyber-security-1914950_960_720

But always remember that best defense is your first line of defense when it comes to cybersecurity—beef up on your network’s security and make sure you are always up-to-date with your firmware! You wouldn’t lock up a safe with an old lock, and you wouldn’t secure your network with out-of-date software!

How To Get Cybersecurity Insurance

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ransomware-2320793_960_720When I was opening up my newest business I knew that I was going to lean on a computer system at my shop to keep it running smoothly and at top output! Due to this, I also knew that I should invest in some sort of cybersecurity type insurance when insuring the rest of my business since it was just as important to have computer and internet access as it would be for me to have running water at my shop as well!

Cyber liability insurance covers the cost for a business to recover from a data breach, virus, or other cyberattack, it also covers legal claims resulting from the breach! Since I would have client information as well as a point-of-sale terminal connected to the internet it was a necessity rather than a luxury at this point! I asked my agent to add it to my coverage, I was asked a few questions about my business, and I was given a new quote to which I agreed to—very simple and easy!cyber-4508911_960_720

The costs cant vary, but in the long run it will be very useful since we are embarking into a new age of the internet! But always remember that a good defense starts with you— keep yourself safe through always practicing safe computer usage and make sure all systems are fully updated, no matter what!

The New Crime On The Block, Ransomware: Hostage Computer Networks

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ransomware-2320941_960_720One of the strangest things you will see on the news happening more and more will be businesses’ networks, and sometimes entire city’s networks being taken hostage by hackers from other countries in a Ransomware attack! The reason this is happening in greater numbers is people in other countries without internet laws are dong this to make money off of the ever-growing internet landscape and it’s turning into a hacker’s gold rush! Due to this it becomes an absolute must to protect yourself and your business!

One of the most recent examples occurred in Wilmer, Texas in where an entire city’s ransomware-3998798_960_720network was taken hostage by a group of hackers—so the city decided to switch back to paper so they can check out books at libraries, issue licenses, and allow police officers to write tickets as well! It must be a strange sight to see a police officer not use a computer at all when pulling over a person and writing a ticket!

Town after town, business after business are continually being hit by these attacks for millions of dollars—usually paid via Bitcoin, which is a challenge to obtain, let alone in large quantities! 22 towns in Texas and countless businesses being held hostage with Ransomware and the number only going to keep rising! With this growing threat it becomes smart to get cybersecurity insurance to keep your business and livelihood afloat!

Your Business and Cyber Security

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internet-1862312_960_720In 2019, Cybersecurity has become such a huge issue and will continue to do so as we become more and more reliant on computers in all aspects of our lives! It is forecasted that by 2022 there will be 29 billion devices connected to the internet and the means that there are 29 billion doors for a hacker to get through!

With this huge influx of devices on the internet it becomes extremely important to make sure that the ones that are connected to your business are secured, as well as you investing in good cybersecurity insurance to protect your business IF a hacker is able to get through your first line of defense—security on your own network!

Security on your own network usually comes in the way of encrypting all access points,internet-3563638_960_720 encrypting data, using antivirus software, and using common sense! Educate yourself and employees about using unauthorized or “found” hardware (USB Stick in the parking lot for instance), and let them know that they are not to use such things under any circumstances! Another point of security that you should go over with everyone in your business would be visiting unknown or non-work related websites, doing so may keep your business from running into a hacker!

When investing in cybersecurity insurance, be sure to let your agent know everything about your business so you know that you are properly covered—and many times you can add it as a rider to your General Liability coverage! Jut be sure to ask what your options are and do not wait, we are at the beginning of a new internet age!