Six cyber safety habits to practice at home and at work

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it a great time to remember that cyber threats can emerge in both professional and personal life. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, internet crime complaints surpassed 1 million in 2025, with total losses exceeding $20 billion. The average loss per incident was $20,699. Healthy internet habits can protect your family and your organization, and so can understanding what your insurance does and doesn’t cover.

Habits to stay safe no matter where you are

1. Use multifactor authentication. Adding a second step to sign-ins for email, banking and work systems can make it harder for a stolen password to cause damage.
2. Use a password manager. Unique passwords for each account help limit the fallout if one is breached.
3. Pause before you click or pay. Scammers often impersonate a bank, a vendor, a boss or a family member. Verify unexpected requests for money or information using a phone number you already know (not one in the message).
4. Keep devices and software updated. Updates often include fixes for known security weaknesses.
5. Back up important files. Keep copies offline or in a separate location so you have options if ransomware locks your files, or your system is otherwise unavailable.
6. Talk about it. Children, retirees, new hires and senior leaders can all be targeted. Short, regular conversations about what scams look like can help everyone spot them sooner.

What cyber coverage typically includes

Personal and business cyber coverage are separate products, but the core ideas often overlap. Depending on the carrier and policy, coverage may include:

• Cyber extorsion response: Help responding to ransomware demands and a locked device or system.
• Data recovery: Assistance restoring lost or corrupted files.
• Identity or breach response services: Individuals may receive identity restoration support, while businesses may receive help with investigation, notification and credit monitoring.
• Reimbursement for certain losses: This might include fraud-related losses for individuals or business interruption for organizations, often with limits.
• Liability protection: Personal policies may address online liability, such as a defamation claim because of a negative review or social media comment, while business policies may address privacy and network security liability.

Where the gaps tend to show

Some of the most common areas where coverage gaps may exist include:

• Standard policies weren’t built for cyber risks. Homeowners policies cover physical risks like fire and theft, but usually only offer limited or no cyber protection. Business owner and general liability policies may be similar.
• Voluntary transfers of funds. Personal policies often exclude money sent willingly, even when a scam was involved; whereas business coverage may depend on specific endorsements or sublimits.
• Limits and sublimits. Identity theft benefits and fraud coverage are often capped well below the potential loss for individuals.
• Personal and business don’t cross over. A personal policy generally isn’t designed to cover business losses, and a business policy generally isn’t designed to cover employees’ personal accounts.
• Conditions may apply. Some policies expect certain security practices, such as multifactor authentication, to be in place or ensuring that established business processes are properly followed.

Awareness begins with a conversation

Often one of the easiest ways to stop cyber crimes is open conversation and awareness. Take time to discuss with your family, friends and colleagues ways that criminals might try to commit fraud. While it may seem basic, here’s a few conversation starters:

• Ensure that children and teenagers understand exploitation and are comfortable sharing unusual requests.
• Develop strategies for verification. If someone reaches out claiming to need money for an emergency, how can you verify it’s truly them? An example might be a favorite shared family story or inside joke that wouldn’t be known by others.
• Make sure that computers and cell phones remain updated, verify application privacy settings and review what’s installed to confirm it’s a reputable piece of software.
• Discussing how and where your home will store important files, including family photos and videos.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than three-quarters of consumers have had personal information lost or stolen in some form of cybercrime, yet many remain uninsured for the resulting financial losses.

Understanding what your current policy does and doesn't cover is an important next step in protecting your household. A conversation with your insurance advisor can help identify potential coverage gaps and determine whether additional protection makes sense for your situation.