A Study on the Market Status and Issues of e-Commerce Insurance

전자상거래 보험의 시장현황 및 쟁점에 관한 고찰

Todays, computers in business world are potent facilitators that most companies could not without them, while they are only tools. They offer extremely efficient means of communication, particularly when connected to Internet. What I stress in this article is the risks accompanied by e-commerce rather than the advantages of Internet or e-commerce. The management of e-commerce companies, therefore, should keep in mind that the benefit of e-commerce through the Internet are accompanied by enhanced and new risks, cyber risks or e-commerce risks. For example, companies are exposed to computer system breakdown and business interruption risks owing to traditional and physical risks such as theft and fire etc, computer programming errors and defect softwares and outsider's attack such as hacking and virus. E-commerce companies are also exposed to tort liabilities owing to defamation, the infringement of intellectual property such as copyright, trademark and patent right, negligent misrepresent and breach of confidential information or privacy infringement. In this article, I would like to suggest e-commerce insurance or cyber liability insurance as a means of risk management rather than some technical devices, because there is not technically perfect defence against cyber risks. But e-commerce insurance has some gaps between risks confronted by companies and coverage needed by them, because it is at most 6 or 7 years since it has been introduced to market. Nevertheless, in my opinion, e-commerce insurance has offered the most perfect defence against cyber risks to e-commerce companies up to now.