The Hartford Enhances Cyber Liability Policy To Address Emerging Online Reputation And Privacy Exposures

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--User-generated content is taking many forms on today’s Internet. Whether consumers are posting product reviews to a company’s Web site, providing personally identifiable information to receive a special offer, or uploading photos to a social networking site, they’re sharing more information about themselves online, which creates both opportunities and liabilities for companies with access to this content. To help midsize and larger businesses address these emerging areas of risk, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has enhanced its flagship cyber liability policy.

“Whether an employee’s act is intentional or negligent, the viral nature of the Internet means that errors leading to data breaches, defamation of a competitor or the improper use of intellectual property can quickly become very costly to repair”

“We’re seeing widespread adoption of social media technologies among businesses in virtually every industry. At the same time, data is becoming increasingly regulated, which is creating new exposures, particularly in the areas of data privacy and reputational risk,” said Drew Bartkiewicz, vice president of cyber and new media risk at The Hartford.

With CyberChoice 2.09, The Hartford now offers broader coverage for data privacy breaches and social media liability exposures, such as online defamation, advertising, libel and slander, by employees or casual users of a company’s Web site. CyberChoice 2.09 also defines the term “rogue employee” and provides coverage for such employee’s misuse of technology.

“Whether an employee’s act is intentional or negligent, the viral nature of the Internet means that errors leading to data breaches, defamation of a competitor or the improper use of intellectual property can quickly become very costly to repair,” said Bartkiewicz.

CyberChoice 2.09 offers businesses the ability to choose coverage based on their needs. Coverage options include:

Data Privacy – with a broader definition that offers protection for data breaches by the company or third parties – such as vendors doing work on behalf of the company – involving the loss of personally identifiable information (PPI) or company confidential information. Coverage is also available for breach of data privacy laws involving citizens of European Union countries. Both notification and credit monitoring expenses are available in a single insuring agreement to give businesses greater flexibility in how they respond to data breaches.
E-media and Internet Liability – which addresses online defamation, advertising, libel and slander-related exposures as well as emerging Web 2.0 liabilities created by casual users of a company’s Web site.
Network Security – for failure of security measures to prevent a denial of service, unauthorized access, theft of electronic data, inadvertent transmission of a virus or other malicious code.
Infringement of Intellectual Property (IP) Rights – for copyright or trademark liability as it relates to online text, videos, images, blogs and advertising.
Professional Services – for ancillary errors and omissions, negligent acts performed for others for a fee.
Network Business Interruption – which replaces loss of income due to a covered network outage or loss.
Cyber Investigation Expense – for unbudgeted extra expense incurred to investigate a data privacy or network security wrongful act.
Cyber Extortion – for expenses incurred in the event of an extortion threat to cause a data privacy or network security wrongful act.

“The rapid pace of technological advancement and regulatory uncertainty requires specialization, research and the agility to anticipate trends,” said Bartkiewicz. “We are pleased to offer these latest enhancements to address the evolving needs of businesses in this dynamic environment of cyber risks and liabilities.”

Bartkiewicz will be speaking about trends in cyber liability and new media risk at three upcoming technology conferences: the Enterprise Cloud Summit, Interop New York 2009 and the Web 2.0 Expo at the Javits Center in New York, November 17-18, 2009.

For more information about The Harford’s cyber liability coverage for businesses, visit www.hfpinsurance.com. Brokers and agents should contact their local Hartford representative.

About The Hartford

Celebrating nearly 200 years, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is an insurance-based financial services company that serves households, businesses and employees by helping to protect their assets and income from risks, and by managing wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 500 company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one of the world’s most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.

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Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

Coverage is underwritten through the property and casualty insurance companies of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Please refer to the policy to determine all terms, conditions, exclusions, and limitations of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all states.