Cyber Liability
Design firms hold what attackers want: client files, drawings, employee data and the ability to send large payments. Cyber coverage pays for the response when something goes wrong.
Most professional liability policies exclude cyber events, so the two policies should be read together.
What Cyber Coverage Is Built For
Ransomware
Locked files and a ransom demand. Coverage can include forensic experts, negotiation, recovery and lost income while you are down.
Payment fraud
A fake email changes where a fee or subconsultant payment goes. Often a separate part of the policy with its own limit.
Data breach
Notifying clients and employees, credit monitoring, and claims from people whose data was exposed.
Client claims
A client alleges your breach exposed their files or delayed their project.
The Invoice that Never Arrived.
A 20-person architecture firm’s project manager receives an email that looks like it came from a client, asking for updated wire instructions. The next $64,000 fee payment goes to a fraudster.
Whether that loss is covered depends on the policy’s social engineering section and its sublimit. Many firms find out the limit is $25,000 or less only after it happens.
Hypothetical example for illustration. Coverage for any claim depends on the policy terms and the facts.
Cyber Liability: Common Questions
Are small firms really a target?
Yes. Attacks are automated and look for weak email and backups, not firm size.
Does professional liability cover a cyber incident?
Usually only in narrow ways, if at all. Most cyber events need a cyber policy.
What do carriers look for when quoting?
Multi-factor authentication on email and remote access, tested backups, and staff training. Having these in place makes coverage easier to get and less expensive.
Is wire fraud covered?
Often through a social engineering or funds transfer section with its own sublimit. We check that number specifically.
Tell Us About Your Firm. We’ll Tell You What We See.
Starting out or renewing, with a policy in hand or not. If something is worth discussing, we’ll call. If not, we’ll say so.