IT Problems with Digital Mail Delivery
The starting point for this damage event was a company that processes its correspondence via Digital Mail Delivery. The company sends its letters electronically from its internal customer database to the post office, which takes care of the further processing from printing to delivery.
However, due to a processing error in the software, around 50 documents could not be processed by Digital Mail Delivery from a certain date, which means they could not be sent. The company hired an IT service provider to fix the problem. He was supposed to ensure that the documents were generated again and sent properly.
Mixed-Up Numbers: 17.000 Instead of 50 Letters Sent
To create the files again, the IT service provider had to write a script, i.e. a short sequence of commands, for the database query on the test environment.
A database query is a targeted search for data in stored, structured or unstructured sources. A test environment is a technical and organisational infrastructure that is used to test software.
Among other things, the IT service provider had to enter the date on which the error first occurred and on which the letters were to be regenerated and sent. It was actually a short period of time and around 50 documents.
But in the process the expert made a serious mix-up with the numbers: He mistyped the date and thus included a much larger period of time from which the letters were to be sent. To make matters worse, he didn’t notice that the interface was connected to the live server when the documents were created. So the documents created in the supposedly secure test environment were processed directly as an email order.
So the order went straight to Digital Mail Delivery, which sent over 17.000 documents instead of the 50 letters – the costs for postage, shipping and the necessary legal advice for the management amounted to around 14.000 euros!
Mixed-Up Numbers Damage a Company’s Image
But that’s not all. Since there were also a lot of bills amongst the letters that were sent twice, the company soon received calls from unsettled and angry recipients. The company had its hands full trying to appease its customers and limit the damage to its image.
Well-Insured Thanks to the Professional Indemnity for Digital Professions
And the IT service provider? Fortunately, he had taken out a Professional Indemnity Insurance through exali, so he was off the hook. The insurer took over payment of damages amounting to around 14.000 euros to the company concerned, because the Professional Indemnity for Digital Professions through exali insures financial damage to third parties (e.g. principals) if it was caused by a mistake in your freelance work .
This case shows that it doesn’t always have to be a major programming error or a huge data leak that leads to major damage in the IT area. A few mixed-up numbers are enough. With the Professional Indemnity Insurance through exali, you’re fully covered in your work in the IT industry – for errors both large and small.
Calculate your premium now:
<span class='visible--desktop'>First-Party Cyber and Data Risks Insurance (FPC)</span>
<span class='visible--tablet'>First-Party Cyber and Data Risks Insurance (FPC)</span>
<span class='visible--mobile'>FIrst-Party Cyber and Data Risks Insurance (FPC)</span>
<span class='visible--desktop'><p><strong>This add-on protects your business from the risk of hacking, DDoS attacks or other internet crime.</strong></p>
<p>Reimbursed/covered:<strong> </strong>for example costs for the <strong>restoration of your IT systems</strong>, the commissioning of professional <strong>computer forensics analysts</strong> or specialised <strong>lawyers</strong> (including criminal defence) as well as for <strong>crisis management & PR</strong>. Additional costs for the quick elimination or avoidance of an interruption to your business are also insured.</p>
<h5>Further Examples of Damages We Insure</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li>Damage to your own IT systems (from hacking)</li>
<li>First-party data rights claim (in particular spying on personal data)</li>
<li>Expenses for an (imminent) interruption of business (additional cost coverage)</li>
<li>Breach of trust damage (intentional damage to own IT by employees)</li>
<li>Costs for criminal defence (internet criminal legal protection)</li>
</ul>
<h5>Insurer Services</h5>
<p>The special benefit about this add-on is the assumption of your own <strong>costs</strong>, e.g. for the commissioning of:</p>
<ul class="liste">
<li>Computer forensics specialists</li>
<li>Specialised lawyers</li>
<li>Consultants to provide information to data owners</li>
<li>Professionals for PR & crisis management</li>
<li>Credit protection and monitoring services</li>
</ul>
<p>as well as the assumption of <strong>additional costs, e.g. for the use of third-party IT and computer systems.</strong></p>
</span>
<span class='visible--tablet'><p><strong>This add-on protects your business from the risk of hacking, DDoS attacks or other internet crime.</strong></p>
<p>Reimbursed/covered:<strong> </strong>for example costs for the <strong>restoration of your IT systems</strong>, the commissioning of professional <strong>computer forensics analysts</strong> or specialised <strong>lawyers</strong> (including criminal defence) as well as for <strong>crisis management & PR</strong>. Additional costs for the quick elimination or avoidance of an interruption to your business are also insured.</p>
<h5>Further Examples of Damages We Insure</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li>Damage to your own IT systems (from hacking)</li>
<li>First-party data rights claim (in particular spying on personal data)</li>
<li>Expenses for an (imminent) interruption of business (additional cost coverage)</li>
<li>Breach of trust damage (intentional damage to own IT by employees)</li>
<li>Costs for criminal defence (internet criminal legal protection)</li>
</ul>
<h5>Insurer Services</h5>
<p>The special benefit about this add-on is the assumption of your own <strong>costs</strong>, e.g. for the commissioning of:</p>
<ul class="liste">
<li>Computer forensics specialists</li>
<li>Specialised lawyers</li>
<li>Consultants to provide information to data owners</li>
<li>Professionals for PR & crisis management</li>
<li>Credit protection and monitoring services</li>
</ul>
<p>as well as the assumption of <strong>additional costs, e.g. for the use of third-party IT and computer systems.</strong></p>
</span>
<span class='visible--mobile'><p>Protection against hacking damage to your own IT systems, DDoS attacks, computer misuse, theft of data carriers and other data rights violations and the majority of the resulting expenses and costs.</p>
</span>
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