By Grant Patten, Front Row Insurance
Sponsored Article
Don’t think a cyber hack could happen to your fitness club or personal training business? Think again! Here are a few real-world examples of hacks that have occurred within the fitness industry that demonstrate just how much of a threat it is:
Fitness Franchise Ransomware Breach
One fitness franchise experienced a serious ransomware breach in 2018. Ransomware is a type of malware (malicious software) that uses sophisticated encryption to block access to a computer, network and/or data until a sum of money is paid. Ransoms typically range from $800 to $5,000, but they are sometimes much more.
Its franchisees lost all their data and the ability to operate their clubs for 13 days, causing significant losses of revenues, profits, and club members.
These franchisees then launched a lawsuit against the franchiser, claiming that they had wrongfully forced them to purchase and use a proprietary club management software system. The software had been developed by an affiliate that failed to meet industry security standards.
A good cyber insurance policy provides ransomware coverage for payments to those who threaten to disclose sensitive information.
Fitness Mobile App Hack
Fitness clubs and personal trainers often recommend certain health and wellness mobile apps to their customers. Some clubs and personal trainers have even built their own apps for customers to use.
Also in 2018, a popular fitness mobile app suffered a major data breach. The app allowed users to monitor their calorie intake and measure it against exercise. Personal details of about 150 million users of the app were compromised in one of the biggest hacks in history! About a year later, some of the stolen credentials appeared for sale on the dark web.
The company that built the app launched its own investigation into the hack, which is still ongoing, but with cyber insurance, a forensic investigation would be included.
Fitness Pass Website Hack
In 2016, a fitness website company selling passes for gyms, suffered a significant cyber hack. Hackers breached one of the company’s servers, gaining access to 300,000 email addresses, passwords and even some credit card details belonging to their members.
The hackers then published several customers’ credit card details online – including 10 digits of their card number, the expiry date and their home address. Situations like this often lead to lawsuits, and this is where having third-party liability coverage in a cyber insurance policy would be handy.
Personal Trainers Are Also at Risk
Interested in cyber coverage for your business? For free cyber insurance quote 24/7 and to purchase online visit https://hackinsure.frontrowinsurance.com/
Grant Patten is VP, Marketing at Front Row Insurance. Grant has an insurance marketing background with ~6 years of experience at CSIO, where he did much marketing communications work for that organization. He has been with Front Row since 2019. Grant holds a bachelor’s degree from Ryerson University and a master’s degree from the University of Toronto. He is also a Project Management Professional (PMP)®.
About: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that provides cyber insurance for a very low cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite payment of claims. Front Row has offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.
DISCLAIMER: Informational statements regarding insurance coverage are for general description purposes only. These statements do not amend, modify or supplement any insurance policy. Consult the actual policy or your broker for details regarding terms, conditions, coverage, exclusions, products, services and programs which may be available to you. Your eligibility for particular products and services is subject to the final determination of underwriting qualifications and acceptance by the insurance underwriting company providing such products or services. This guest blog post does not make any representations that coverage does or does not exist for any particular claim or loss, or type of claim or loss, under any policy. Whether coverage exists or does not exist for any particular claim or loss under any policy depends on the facts and circumstances involved in the claim or loss and all applicable policy wording.
