Cyber Insurance
Cyber Insurance for GPs, Dentists & Vets
Your practice runs on data - patient records, appointment systems, payment details, prescriptions. Cyber insurance is designed to protect that, and to protect your income, if a cyber criminal ever gets in.
What Is Cyber Insurance?
Cyber insurance, sometimes called cyber liability insurance, is cover designed to respond when things go wrong online - ransomware attacks, data breaches, social engineering fraud, business email compromise and theft of funds are all common examples.
A good cyber policy is more than a payout after the event. The best cyber insurers combine insurance protection with incident response services and proactive risk management tools - so the goal isn't just to help you recover from an attack, it's to help stop one happening in the first place.
Why Are GP Practices, Dental Surgeries & Vet Clinics Targeted?
It's a common myth that cyber criminals only go after large organisations. In reality, healthcare practices are some of the most targeted businesses in the UK, because they combine three things criminals want: valuable patient data, payment processing, and often smaller IT teams than a hospital or large corporate.
- Patient records contain far more valuable data than a typical retail transaction - medical history, NHS numbers, banking details
- Practices rely on suppliers, labs and referral networks, creating multiple entry points for fraud
- Daily invoice and payment processing makes practices a target for social engineering and payment fraud
- A successful ransomware attack can shut down appointment systems and patient records overnight
Top Three Cyber Threats Facing Practices Today
Ransomware
A criminal gains access to your systems and encrypts your data, demanding payment before you can access patient records, appointment diaries or financial systems again.
Data Breach
Sensitive patient, employee or business information is accessed, lost, stolen or disclosed without authorisation, triggering ICO reporting obligations and potential regulatory action.
Theft of Funds
Phishing emails, invoice manipulation or social engineering are used to trick practice staff into transferring money to a fraudulent account, often disguised as a legitimate supplier.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
A cyber incident can mean lost revenue, business interruption, recovery costs, regulatory investigation, legal expenses, reputational damage and the cost of notifying every patient affected. For a small practice, managing that without specialist support can be overwhelming, both financially and in the time it takes away from patient care.
What We Look For In A Cyber Insurance Provider
Not all cyber policies are equal, which is why we place cover with CFC and Coalition, two of the most established specialist cyber insurers in the UK market. Here's what that gets you:
- 24/7 proactive threat monitoring - alerts you to vulnerabilities before they're exploited, not just after
- Award-winning incident response - specialist teams to contain and manage an attack from the moment it's reported
- Ransomware response - investigation, negotiation support and system recovery
- Data breach assistance - forensic investigation, ICO/regulatory support and patient notification
- Theft of funds & social engineering cover - for phishing scams and business email compromise
- Business interruption cover - protection against lost income following an incident
- UK-based claims and incident teams - when time is critical, you're not waiting on an overseas call centre
“We're too small to be targeted.”
Smaller practices are frequently targeted precisely because criminals view them as easier to compromise than a large hospital trust.
“Our IT provider will deal with everything.”
IT providers can help with technical recovery, but rarely cover the legal, regulatory, forensic and financial support a serious incident requires.
“Cyber insurance only covers data breaches.”
Modern cyber policies cover a much wider range of threats - ransomware, theft of funds, business interruption and cyber extortion among them.
“Cyber insurance is too expensive.”
The cost of a policy is typically far lower than the cost of responding to a serious incident without professional support and cover can often be arranged alongside your existing Practice Cover policy.
A Real-World Risk: Invoice Fraud
Illustrative scenario - for use on the page as a hypothetical example unless/until we substitute a verified, attributable case study. FCA financial promotion rules require real case studies to be sourced and consented, or clearly marked as illustrative.
Consider a dental practice that receives what looks like a legitimate supplier invoice by email. The practice pays it, only to later discover the supplier's email account had been compromised, and the bank details changed by criminals before the invoice was sent. In a case like this, cyber insurance can provide immediate access to specialists to investigate the fraud, support fund recovery efforts, and provide financial support in line with the policy terms.
How Practice Cover Can Help
We work with CFC and Coalition, two specialist cyber insurers, to help GPs, dental practices, veterinary clinics and allied healthcare providers secure comprehensive cyber protection. Our aim is straightforward: clear advice, competitive quotations, and access to cover that combines financial protection with proactive cyber security support - so you can focus on your patients, not your inbox.
Get in touch for a confidential, no-obligation discussion about your practice's cyber risk.
Insuring Your Practice
GP
Insurance
Running a GP practice comes with challenges unlike any other. Rising patient demand and limited resources can leave little time to think about insurance, that’s where we step in.
Dentist
Insurance
We understand that every dental practice is unique. Whether you’re running a private practice or working within the NHS with a UDA commitment, your insurance requirements will differ.
Vet
Insurance
Running a veterinary practice brings unique challenges, with the responsibility of caring for animals and their owners. We know insurance isn’t always top of your to-do list, that’s where we step in.
Private Practices & Allied Healthcare
With evolving demands on social healthcare, many practices diversify by offering private healthcare. At the same time, more individuals set up their own practices or specialist businesses.
Talk to us about offering Practice Cover financial protection packages to your healthcare clients. For more information, please call 020 3982 0420 or email enquiries@practicecover.co.uk