Zurich to offer cyber-attack cover in motor insurance

Zurich, is offering its customers a cyber-attack coverage. According to the Swiss insurer, new vehicles equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and on-board electronics are at real risk of hacking with possibly theft and ransom demand.

Even if we are far from a "Fast and Furious 8" scenario where hackers massively pirate connected cars, the vehicle's key signal can be copied thanks to a hardware that costs 200 USD. Experienced hackers can even remotely shut down a vehicle's engine.

To-date, no electronic vehicle systems have been hacked in Switzerland. The situation is different in Asia where there are a number of cyberattacks. For the insurer, the occurrence of this risk in Europe is only a matter of time.