West Craven

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Welcome to our June Newsletter from West Craven Insurance. This month we provide some helpful advice as we enter the next stages of easing lockdown restrictions.

First up we share our advice for insuring your bicycle. Many have taken up cycling as a new hobby to get some fresh air and exercise, so we've put together some helpful information so that you are protected for all eventualities. Next we look to travel insurance and consider if there are any changes to purchasing this for the future. Elsewhere we share cyber security news with the Easyjet data breach and some advice for how to spot a phishing email.

We hope you enjoy this months edition!

How To Insure Your Bicycle

Cycling has been voted as one of the most popular

activities during lockdown. It’s a great way to have

fun with the family, get some fresh air, and improve

exercise levels. The Prime Minister has also

recommended people to walk

and cycle where possible if they need to commute to

reduce the use of public transport. Halfords has reported that their bicycle sales have risen by a whopping 500%, and cycle to work schemes have also become more popular. However, unfortunately bicycle theft has also risen during this time. The Office for National Statistics report that 2 in 100 bikes are stolen over the course of a year, but that figure seems to be rising. There is still the risk of having an accident on a bicycle too, with collisions sometimes resulting in fees. This makes having insurance to cover you whilst cycling ever more important, as well as leaving you with peace of mind that you and your bicycle are protected.

Will my home insurance cover my bicycle?
Some home insurance policies may include cover for your bicycle. On average 4 in 10 policies do so; but it is important to check your individual policy wording. Some home insurance policies may only cover your bicycle when cycling for leisure purposes, and not for commuting. Other specifications may also affect the cover too, such as where you keep your bicycle, or the value of your bicycle.

You can add on additional specified items to many home insurance policies, so if your policy does not currently extent cover to your bike, it is quick and easy to add this on. It is usually the easiest way to insure your bike if you are a weekend enthusiast and ride to keep fit or travel to work. To find out if your bike is insured on your home insurance, or to add this on, please contact us.

Are there specific bicycle policies?
There are bicycle membership schemes and specialist insurers that can provide you with a higher level of cover for your bicycle. These policies are targeted for those whose bikes are more expensive and take cycling more seriously for races. These policies include the standard theft, damage, and accessories cover, as well as lost race fees, race damage, personal accident, roadside assistance, and bike clothing.

How to step up your bike security?
When leaving your bike unattended whilst cycling during the day or evening, ensure that you have a strong lock and chain your bike up to a sturdy object. It is also best to leave your bike in a busy place that is well lit. Checking that there is CCTV in the area is best.

When you are not using your bike, you should keep it locked away securely at home. Never leave your bike unsecured, even just outside your house. It is also good practice to have images of your bike should be worst happen and it get stolen. Your policy might not pay out if you have not taken reasonable steps to keep your bike safe.

Purchasing Travel Insurance

As restrictions across the United Kingdom, Europe and the rest of the world are loosened,

many of us will inevitably be thinking of taking a holiday in order to take some respite from

being cooped up at home for the past weeks and months. However, with the threat of coronavirus still present, will you be able to purchase travel insurance that will keep you covered?

Travel insurance should be seen as a holiday necessity as comprehensive cover will keep you covered before, during and after your trip. At the moment, however, it may be difficult to find travel cover if you are travelling to any of the most severely affected countries according to the World Health Organisation – as a broker, this is where we can help you to retrieve the right insurance.

Should you wish to purchase travel insurance that covers yourself and your holiday should it be affected by coronavirus, then this will be a struggle – a spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers cautioned:

“Many insurers have changed their wording in light of the virus being a pandemic, this is because it is now a “known” entity and travel insurance is designed to cover for the unexpected.

"This will only cover new policies taken out and is a temporary position that insurers will continue to review. The Covid-19 exclusions in place will vary from insurer to insurer but you will still be covered for other medical emergencies.”

Easyjet Data Breach

Yet another huge firm has been hit by a sophisticated

cyber-attack this year – this time the victim being

easyJet. With the attack affecting more than

9 million customers, serious questions will be posed

around the safety of easyJet’s online services and it

once again shines a spotlight on the importance of cyber security and being properly insured in case of a breach.

Personal information of 9 million customers was accessed in the attack, with over 2,000 customers’ credit card details being stolen – those individuals have been contacted as a matter of urgency. As such, this amounts to one of the largest breaches to hit any company in the UK and could result in a large fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the data regulator.

Other firms in recent history to be seriously fined by the regulator include another fellow aviation firm British Airways who were find £183m in 2019 due to over 500,000 customer records being stolen online in another cyber attack and the Marriott hotels group. Marriott was fined £99.2m for an even larger data breach than easyJet – affecting 339 million customers worldwide.

Commenting on the easyJet data breach, Alastair Douglas, CEO of finance experts TotallyMoney, said: “This data breach could be a serious problem for the 9 million easyJet customers concerned — especially since the credit card details of 2,208 customers have been stolen.

“The first point of action for anyone concerned about fraud is to check your recent transactions. It doesn’t take long for these to appear on your statement or online accounts, and it could help you spot anything fishy sooner rather than later.

“For extra peace of mind, get into the habit of checking your credit report regularly. If there’s anything you don’t recognise or anything that seems suspicious, you’ll be in a much better position to act before it becomes a real issue.

“In light on the easyJet data breach, customers should be looking specifically at hard searches and newly opened accounts that they don’t recognise on their credit report. If you find anything, get in touch with the lender straightaway.

“When it comes to protecting your personal information and finances, it’s best to err on the side of caution.”

easyJet released a statement in response to the attack saying:

“There is no evidence that any personal information of any nature has been misused, however, on the recommendation of the ICO, we are communicating with the approximately 9 million customers whose travel details were accessed to advise them of protective steps to minimise any risk of potential phishing. We are advising customers to continue to be alert as they would normally be, especially should they receive any unsolicited communications. We also advise customers to be cautious of any communications purporting to come from easyJet or easyJet Holidays.

“We’re sorry that this has happened, and we would like to reassure customers that we take the safety and security of their information very seriously. easyJet is in the process of contacting the relevant customers directly and affected customers will be notified no later than 26th of May. Customers can also find further advice at www.actionfraud.police.co.uk”

How To Spot A Phishing Email

Phishing emails are the most common way that

hackers can compromise your computer systems.

Hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated

in their traps to hack businesses including increasingly

realistic phishing emails. A study by Capeterra found

that during lockdown almost a third of UK workers at SMEs

have been victim to phishing emails. Hackers have been able to steal passwords, unlocking valuable data.

Employees are often the last line of defence for hackers, so we have shared how to spot a phishing email to protect your business.

Email Domain
One quick way to spot a phishing email is by checking the email address domain that the email was sent from. This is the part of the email address after the @ symbol. Some hackers are able to appear as a sender that you may have already had contact with in the past, causing only the sender display name to show (such as IT Department). Always check the full email address that is claiming to be “IT Department”, as this will show you if it is real or not. The fake email address may often contain a random series of letters and numbers indicating it is false.

Formatting
The email may look visibly different if it is a scam. Logo’s may appear blurred, or the wrong size. Text may not appear in line with margins, and the email could be poorly spelt. As well as spelling, phishing emails often contain poor grammar. If you are unsure whether the email if real or fake, contact the sender directly via telephone or a separate email chain and do not click on anything in the email.

Attachments and hyperlinks
Phishing emails contain attachments or hyperlinks most of the time. The attachment will be infected and contain malware that installs itself onto your computer system without you knowing it. If a fake attachment is opened, it may not be clear that it contains anything suspicious at all, as the malware is invisible. Never open an attachment unless you are sure that the email is legitimate. If you are unsure, you could start a separate email chain to check with the sender that they sent the email.

Hyperlinks contained in phishing emails are often easier to spot as the hyperlink URL will be addressed to a completely different website than suggested. Ensure to check where the link goes before clicking on it – you can do this by simply hovering your mouse over the link.

Urgent language
Using language that creates a sense of urgency and panic makes it more likely for people to click on links and attachments without taking the time to check the email properly. A common example is an email suggesting under payment, over payment, or late payment. If you receive an unusual message claiming an urgent response, it is best to ask a manager to confirm the email and do not click on anything in the email.

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