Webber Insurance Services Webber Insurance Services
Talk to an insurance broker

1300 932 237

Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us

      Read more about our Business and Partners.

      Find out more about the team at Webber Insurance, what our clients say and who we partner with to enable us to provide you with superior insurance products.

      Contact Us
      • About Us
      • Webber Insurance Group
      • Steadfast Insurance
      • Testimonials
    • Close
  • Blog
    • Blog Posts & Ultimate Guides

      Read our latest blog posts plus get further information on key topics in our ultimate guide pages.

      At Webber Insurance, we work to expand our clients understanding of a wide range of business risk management topics

      Latest Blogs
      • Ultimate Guide – Data Breach Notification
      • The Ultimate Guide to Cyber Insurance
      • Data Breaches In Australia
    • Close
  • Products
    • Insurance Products

      We will find you the right insurance product for your business.

      Use a qualified Insurance Broker to ensure that you have an insurance program that is tailored to your specific needs.

      Quick Quote
      • Asbestos Liability
      • Building Indemnity Insurance
      • Business Insurance
      • Commercial Legal Protection Insurance
      • Contract Works Insurance
      • Contractors Insurance
      • Corporate Travel Insurance
      • Cyber Insurance
      • IT Liability Insurance
      • Management Liability Insurance
      • Medical Indemnity Insurance
      • Plant & Equipment Insurance
      • Professional Indemnity Insurance
      • Public & Products Liability
    • Close
  • Occupations
    • Occupations

      We can source insurance for all kinds of occupations.

      As a specialist insurance broker, we have access to a range of local and overseas insurers who are capable of assisting with risks; large or small for all occupations

      Quick Quote
        • Accounting Insurance
        • Architect Insurance
        • Building Designer Insurance
        • Building Inspector Insurance
        • Consultants Insurance
        • Energy Raters Insurance
        • Engineers Insurance
        • Labour Hire / Recruitment
        • Project Management Insurance
        • Real Estate Agents
        • Tradesman Insurance
    • Close
  • Schemes
    • Schemes

      Insurance schemes for various occupations and industries.

      Webber Insurance has a number of insurance schemes that we have developed for specific industries and occupations.

        • ABSA TPA Assessors
        • Building Designer Association Australia (BDAA)
        • Building Design Queensland (Formerly BDAQ)
        • Building Designers Association WA (BDAWA)
        • Building Designer Insurance
        • Design Matters National (Formerly BDAV)
        • Energy Raters Insurance
    • Close
  • FAQ’s
  • Get a Quote
    • Get A Quote

      We work to simplify the insurance process for our clients.

      Complete one of our online proposal forms today to receive a quote for your insurance requirements

      Get A Quote
      • Annual Contract Works
      • Asbestos Liability
      • Cyber Insurance
      • One Off Contract Works
      • Professional Indemnity
      • Public Liability
      • Architects
      • Building Designer
      • Consultants
      • Engineers
      • Plant & Equipment
      • Tradesman
      • Accountants
      • Commercial Legal Expenses
      • Corporate Travel
      • IT Liability
      • Management Liability
      • Project Manager
    • Close
  • Claims
  • Contact
Webber Insurance Services Webber Insurance Services
Call Menu
  • Get a Quote
  • Make a Claim
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance
  • Products
    • Asbestos Liability
    • Business Insurance
    • Cyber Insurance
    • IT Liability Insurance
    • Contractors Insurance
    • Management Liability Insurance
  • Occupations
    • Accounting Insurance
    • Architect Insurance
    • Building Designer Insurance
    • Building Inspector Insurance
    • Consultants Insurance
    • Engineers Insurance
    • Energy Raters Insurance
    • Labour Hire & Recruitment Insurance
    • Real Estate Agents
    • Tradesman Insurance
  • Schemes
    • ABSA TPA Assessors
    • BDAA
    • BDAWA
    • Building Design Queensland
    • Design Matters National
    • Energy Raters Insurance
  • Contact
  • FAQ’s
  • About
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
    • The Ultimate Guide to Cyber Insurance
Dec 02
Does Australia need an infosec wake-up call

Does Australia need an information security wake-up call?

  • December 2, 2015
  • Chris Webber
  • Insurance News

I read this blog post and thought it was something that was really relevant in the insurance space for people and businesses of all sizes regarding information security.

This article was originally published at iTnews. Click through to read the original article.

Yes, we are vulnerable.

Is Australia too complacent with regards to its information security? What kind of wake-up call will it take to shake us into action?

Earlier this month, two iconic Australian department stores were hacked and a large consignment of customer records were stolen.

However, before the Kmart and David Jones breach revelations hit the Australian media, there appeared to be a belief that we’re generally not the target of cybercrime.

Most medium to large business owners (unless they are in hi-tech) believe that the majority of cybercrime affects the US market because the breaches to hit the press have typically been US retailers, US health providers and US government agencies.

But now local home delivery business Aussie Farmers Direct has been hit within a few weeks of Kmart and David Jones, with the personal details of more than 5000 of its customers being posted online. Maybe this is the wake-up call Australian businesses need?

The truth is that we are not safe and never have been. Cybercrime is already a massive issue for Australia, with identity theft increasing to over $1bn last year (a conservative estimate since not all cases are reported).

We need to be ready to deal with attacks when they come and take proactive measures to prevent the attackers from getting into our systems in the first place.

You should start by comparing the defences in your business to the defences you use to protect your home. It’s possible to adopt security measures that don’t cost the earth but keep out opportunist attackers.

At home, you keep your jewellery in a separate locked safe along with your most important documents, such as passports and birth certificates.

Treat your most important business assets differently to the rest of your data: keep them on a separate system or network and make sure they are encrypted and only accessible to those that need access.

If you have expensive equipment in your home, you protect it with reasonable locks on your external doors. However, we don’t trust our external doors are good enough to keep out determined thieves, so we have home insurance just in case.

Consider taking out cyber insurance for your business, but just like your home insurance, make sure you meet the obligations of the policy, otherwise the insurer might not pay out.

If you don’t keep your systems up-to-date with the latest security patches, you might be breaching the terms of your policy, so beware of such clauses.

Also, consider installing an alarm. In the same way a burglar alarm acts as a detective and deterrent measure in your home, you can use intrusion detection and prevention systems in your business to shore up your network.

Consider outsourcing some aspects of your security to an expert. In the same way you might employ a private security company to patrol your property and react to your alarm systems, you can outsource the monitoring of your information systems to a managed security services provider, achieving a guaranteed level of service and risk reduction that you might not have the experience or resources to achieve internally.

What if the worst happens and you get burgled? You won’t hide the fact from your neighbours, as that knowledge might help them prepare themselves and step up their own security measures in case the criminals come back.

You’ll make as many people aware of what was stolen as you can, just in case they see it for sale on Gumtree or eBay (even if it’s just a remote chance).

From a business perspective, be prepared to call in the cavalry, so make sure you have an incident response plan that you thoroughly test prior to any major incident occurring. Your contact list includes calling the police and warning customers, suppliers and subcontracts that they may be at risk.

You also need to be ready to talk to the press. If you are breached and it’s a big deal, make sure you know how to explain the problem to the media and be transparent with about what was taken and what you are doing to fix the problem.

Part of successful incident management is not only communicating to the right people what they need to know, but it’s also about managing the rumour mill.

With just a little planning and some common sense security measures, you can make your business considerably more secure than it is today.

You just need to take that first step, audit your current situation and make plans for dealing with the worst case, should it happen.

Because, if recent history is anything to go by, it will happen before you think.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-Mail
blank

About The Author

Chris Webber is the Director of Webber Insurance Services. Chris has been in the insurance industry for almost 15 years and is an SME business insurance specialist. The information on this blog and website is of a general nature only. It does not take into account your individual financial situation, objectives or needs. You should consider your own financial position and requirements before making a decision. We recommend you consult a licensed insurance broker in order to assist you.

Comments are closed.

[google-reviews-pro place_name=’Webber Insurance Services’ place_id=ChIJCdEpL7_OsGoRZ1anX5zt5sw rating_snippet=true view_mode=badge_inner lazy_load_img=true]

Recent Posts

  • Daniel Webber Named Winner of 2022 Elite Broker Award
  • Advisr Insurance Broker Awards 2021 – Daniel Webber Named Finalist
  • Nikia Goers Announced as Young Professional Broker of the Year Finalist
  • Daniel Webber Named Elite Broker for 2021
  • Daniel Webber Named Advisr’s Top South Australian Insurance Broker of 2020
  • Changes To Registration Requirements For Business Use Drones
  • We’ve Moved! Webber Insurance Services Office Relocation
  • NSW Building Designer Registration – An Update From Webber Insurance
  • Wimbledon To Receive $141 Million Insurance Payout Due To Cancellation
  • BDAA Hole In One Challenge

Contact us

  • Make an enquiry
  • Get a Quote
  • 1300 932 237
Webber Insurance Services
blankblankblank
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Financial Services Guide
  • Complaints & Disputes Handling
  • Code of Practice
© Copyright 2021 Webber Insurance Services

328A Magill Road, Kensington Park SA 5068

Webber Insurance Services Pty Ltd | ABN: 88 648 036 929 | CAR No: 413233

Authorised Representative of Webber Insurance Group Pty Ltd | AFSL: 488465 | ABN: 70 612 339 894 All rights reserved

Request Insurance Advice

Have a question or need advice from a qualified insurance broker?