Does a cyberattack sound like something that only happens in movies to you? It is real, and more people are falling victims each day that goes by. According to the FBI, there are over 4000 daily ransomware attacks in the United States. Statistics also show that the rate of cybercrime has gone up by 400% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most victims don't understand the seriousness of a cyberattack until it happens to them. Aside from data breaches, fraud, and viruses, people also fall victim to identity theft, cyberbullying, and cyber extortion every day. The best way to protect yourself against such cyberattacks is by getting yourself covered with the right personal cyber insurance policy. Personal Cyber Insurance Policy - What's In It For You? Cyber insurance can cover a range of cybercrimes to help you:

• Pay for direct financial losses
• Pay for services for lost, stolen, or published data that was kept in your care.
• Access fraud specialists
• Deal better with internet harassment
• Get active cyber monitoring
• Get lawsuit protection against online slander or privacy invasion
• Repair or replace electronic data and retrieve or recreate important documents

Should You Get Personal Cyber Insurance? That depends on your answer to the following questions:

• Do you use technology to do business?
• Do you simply use computers to send, receive or store data?
• Do you have sensitive data that belong to third parties on your device?
• Have you ever thought of what happens if a hacker steals, damages or compromises those data?

Cybercriminals don't necessarily target a person based on their wealth. They scan the internet and search for any person or companies with security gaps to get data they can steal and sell on the black market. Small-sized companies are more vulnerable to cyberattack because, unlike big companies, they don't spend so much on cybersecurity. Even for big companies, cybersecurity isn't a substitute for a cyber liability policy. There are always new infiltrations and viruses to breach security solutions. If you want to mitigate your risk from all forms of cybersecurity threats, you need personal cyber insurance coverage. However, it's not a foolproof defense against every direct financial loss resulting from falling victim to a cyberattack. Preventing Cyber Security Threats To protect yourself and your family from falling victim to cyberattacks, it is necessary to take the following steps:

• Back up your digital information.
• Use your credit card instead of a debit card as it is safer.
• Use a two-step login authentication for your social media and email account. Change your passwords every three months.
• Update your devices with the latest OS.
• Use services that protect your identity from theft.

What Should You Do While Facing a personal cyber insurance According to the FBI, take the following steps if you find out that you are a victim of a cyber attack.

• Remove the device from your network and power off or isolate it and change all the passwords to your network and online accounts. Not isolating the devices can make it affect other devices.
• Immediately take your backup data offline to secure them.
• Delete files and registry values, so the program doesn't load anymore.
• Report the attack to the U.S. Secret Service or an FBI office.

After taking the steps above, you can then file a claim to your insurance company to help you pay for data/document recovery, legal fees, and financial losses that your policy covers. The policy normally comes with a deductible and a coverage limit. If you must pay for the ransom (though this is not approved by the FBI), make sure your insurance company approves it. In the current work-from-home scenario, having a cybersecurity defense is important. The experts at East End Insurance Agency can help you through the process of getting the right personal cyber insurance plan. Contact us today to get started!