[ISN] A Cracker-Proofing Guarantee (hacker insurance)

From: mea culpa <jericho_at_dimensional.com>
Date: Tue 06 Oct 1998 - 15:20:50 CDT
Forwarded From: phreak moi <hackerelite@deathsdoor.com>

http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/15414.html
A Cracker-Proofing Guarantee
Wired News Report
9:05 a.m.  5.Oct.98.PDT

CIGNA Secure Systems Insurance is offering a US$25 million liability
policy designed to cover losses resulting from attacks by computer
crackers, the company said Monday. 

To qualify for coverage, a client must secure its systems or pass
inspection from a CIGNA-approved security-management company. Otherwise,
potential clients are encouraged to contract with security-management
company NetSolve, in conjunction with Cisco's NetRanger
intrusion-detection software, which is pre-approved by CIGNA. 

CIGNA Secure Systems Insurance provides coverage for theft of money,
securities, and property; for damage done by crackers to a firm's data or
software; and for business losses caused by attacks on a company's
computer systems. 

A recent survey by the Computer Security Institute and the FBI found a 36
percent increase from the previous year in losses stemming from
computer-security breaches. However, traditional property and liability
insurance policies do not address these risks, according to CIGNA. 

"It's a nice marketing ploy," said computer security consultant Pete
Shiply. "But if someone is concentrating on breaking into a site,
eventually they will get in. There is no such thing as a secure site;
security is economics, it's a question of money and how much you want to
invest." 

Asked what kind of intrusion might lead to a $25 million claim, Shiply was
skeptical. 

"While I haven't read the agreements, I am pretty sure you would not get
that much,"  he said. "You would have to prove losses approaching that
figure, and that will likely be a difficult thing to do." 

-o-
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Received on Tue Oct 6 17:13:56 1998
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