Cipher Insurance

Insights

Insurance guides for clearer decisions.

Written by the brokers who place the cover. Every guide answers a question clients actually ask us.

Latest guide · Running a business

Does Professional Indemnity Cover a System Outage Caused by an IT Consultant's Own Error?

Generally yes. Just not because it's a cyber claim. If the consultant's own build or configuration caused the outage, that's professional indemnity, not cyber liability.

Jack O'Hagan · 2 September 2026 · 4 min read

Running a business

Related: Business Insurance →

Does Professional Indemnity Cover a System Outage Caused by an IT Consultant's Own Error?

Generally yes. Just not because it's a cyber claim. If the consultant's own build or configuration caused the outage, that's professional indemnity, not cyber liability.

4 min read

Most Public Liability Policies Have a Depth Limit for Excavation Work

Standard public liability cover for excavation and earthmoving often stops at a set depth. Specialist underwriters can extend cover further for businesses that regularly work beyond it.

4 min read

How Long Does Business Interruption Cover Pay a Cafe After a Kitchen Fire?

Business interruption pays for the indemnity period set on the policy, not simply however long repairs take. Why that gap matters most for a commercial kitchen.

5 min read

Does an Aggregator's Professional Indemnity Cover an Individual Mortgage Broker?

Generally not. Most individual brokers need their own cover. Assuming the aggregator's policy extends without written confirmation is a common, costly mistake.

4 min read

Does Public Liability Cover a Steel Fixer's Sign-Off on Structural Work?

A steel fixer's physical work and a steel fixer's certification are two different exposures. Only one of them is a public liability question.

4 min read

How Much Does Convenience Store Insurance Cost in Australia?

Stock value that swings through the year is the biggest factor in convenience store insurance cost. Selling tobacco is another. It has changed fast.

5 min read

Builder or Building Practitioner? Why Professional Indemnity Doesn't Apply the Same Way to Every Builder

NSW's mandatory professional indemnity requirement is aimed at registered building practitioners, not every builder. Here's who that actually includes and who else may still need cover.

5 min read

Demolition and Asbestos Removal: Why Part of Your Liability Cover May Be Claims-Made

Demolition and asbestos removal often go hand in hand. The liability behind each can be structured differently. What that means at renewal.

4 min read

Unregistered Plant and Machinery Isn't Covered by a Commercial Motor Policy

An excavator or bobcat that never touches a public road needs its own plant and machinery cover, not a commercial motor policy. Why the two don't overlap.

4 min read

When a Bad Hire Becomes a Professional Indemnity Claim

Not every bad hire is a claim. What actually turns a placement gone wrong into a professional indemnity claim for a recruitment or HR consultancy.

4 min read

Why Scaffolding Needs Its Own Public Liability Cover, Not a Standard Policy

A scaffolding business can get a quote and still not be covered. Why height exclusions and disclosure gaps are the two things that actually decide a claim.

5 min read

Importing Products Into Australia? You May Already Be the Manufacturer

If the actual manufacturer has no Australian base, an importer can end up carrying much the same liability. What that means for product liability cover.

4 min read

What Does Cyber Liability Insurance Not Cover?

Cyber liability cover has real limits. Ransomware is usually covered, but social engineering fraud and physical hardware damage often aren't, unless you've specifically added them.

4 min read

How Much Does Cyber Liability Insurance Cost for a Small Business in Australia?

Cyber liability cover starts from around $600 a year for well-secured small businesses. What actually drives the price, and why data and industry lead.

6 min read

Insurance Broker vs Buying Direct: Why Some Cover Only a Broker Can Get

Buying insurance direct works for everyday cover. For high risk trades and non-strata blocks, a broker often reaches markets you can't buy from directly.

5 min read

Building Insurance on a Commercial Lease: Who Pays?

Taking on a commercial lease? Building insurance belongs to the property owner. Here's what a tenant actually needs to arrange.

5 min read

Public Liability Insurance: What It Covers, What It Doesn't and How Much You Need

Not sure if your public liability cover is right? Find out what it covers, what it doesn't and how much Australian businesses actually need.

6 min read

Owning an investment property

Related: Investment Property →

Does Commercial Strata Insurance Cover a Tenant's Machinery in a Warehouse Unit?

Commercial strata covers the building and common property of an industrial scheme. It doesn't cover what a tenant owns inside their own unit. Here's the line.

4 min read

Non-Strata vs Strata: How Insurance Actually Differs for a Block of Units

Strata insurance is arranged collectively by the owners corporation, non-strata by one owner alone. Two examples: a fully residential block and a mixed-use block with tenants.

7 min read

How Much Does Block of Units Insurance Cost in Australia?

A duplex or triplex generally costs $1,500 to $4,000 a year to insure. Here's what actually drives the premium on a non-strata block of units, and why.

5 min read

Non-Strata Unit Block Insurance: What Owners Need to Know

Own a block of units that isn't strata titled? Here's what building and landlord insurance actually needs to cover, and why some insurers say no.

8 min read

Landlord Insurance vs Building Insurance: What Australian Property Investors Need to Know

Confused about landlord vs building insurance? Here's what each covers, where they overlap and what investment property owners actually need.

7 min read

What Insurance Does a Private Lender Need in Australia?

A lending decision carries its own liability, separate from the loan itself. What a private or non-bank lender's own business needs to insure, starting with professional indemnity.

4 min read

How Insurance Referral Arrangements Work in Australia

Finance and mortgage brokers can earn from insurance referrals. Here's how referral arrangements work, who they suit and what referral partners need to know.

5 min read

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