If most of your employees have worked from home since the start of the pandemic or are only gradually transitioning back to onsite work, your office may be emptier than in pre-COVID days. This can make theft easier. “Creepers” can gain access to offices or other physical facilities via unlocked doors and social engineering techniques and steal whatever they can get their hands on. They may even engage in corporate espionage and network hacking. Common schemes In a common creeper scheme, individuals pose as employees. They might enter a normally locked office by chatting with employees outside the building, then follow them through the door. If questioned, they could claim they left their badges at home. When the coast is clear, they steal purses, mobile devices and...

These days, it’s common for businesses to purchase cyber insurance to help mitigate financial losses from network breaches. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the proportion of businesses adding cyber coverage increased from 26% in 2016 to 47% in 2020. But in the event of a loss, processing such claims can be expensive, and insurers are becoming more selective about the companies they agree to insure and for how much. In response to mounting losses from cybercrime, insurers are also raising premiums. If your company wants to qualify for cyber insurance at an affordable price, we recommend the following five steps: 1. Spend time with the application.  Insurers ask applicants to complete a security questionnaire to help them understand the risks facing the companies. Answering the...