The Hartford has introduced "cybercoverage" into its small-business insurance coverage, designed to address Internet-related risks that are not covered by ordinary commercial insurance policies.

The new policy enhancements, called CyberFlex, are tailored to small businesses for which the Internet is not the main source of revenue. The Hartford found that 80 percent of small- to mid-sized business owners it surveyed did not know whether their policies covered Internet risks.

Hartford Insurance touts CyberFlex as a must for any business with a Web site. Coverage includes personal and advertising liability protection for the business entire Web site, including claims that may arise because of content, chat rooms, bulletin boards, advertisements or links. CyberFlex liability coverage is not available, however, to law firms, ad agencies, broadcasters, media services, publishers, or telecommunications companies.

In addition, CyberFlex coverage for small businesses includes web site vandalism and virus damage coverage, lost income coverage, denial of service attack coverage, and advertising expense coverage to regain customers' good faith after an Internet-related, covered loss. Advertising injury insurance covers liabilities stemming from Web site content. Web site vandalism and virus damage coverage protects data and computer equipment damaged in a hacker attack, and provides lost business income if a Web site crashes due to the attack. Denial of service attack coverage pays lost income if a site is flooded with malicious traffic designed to prevent customers from gaining access.

CyberFlex for small businesses has been available nationwide since the end of 2001.