Moses Afonso Ryan, based in Providence, Rhode Island for 10 years, is suing it's insurance provider, Sentinel Insurance Company. The law firm has filed a lawsuit against its insurer over coverage for a ransomware attack that locked down the firm’s computer files for three months.
Moses Afonso Ryan’s computers were locked because of ransomware. A lawyer opened an email attachment by clicking on the attachment, which launched the virus and consequently disabled the network and all data available via the network, including all documents. As a result, employees at the firm, such as lawyers and staffers, were unable to work and bill clients.
According to the suit, the same time frame in the previous year netted Moses Afonso Ryan $700,000 in billing. The firm also paid $25,000 in ransom. Moses Afonso Ryan claims that Sentinel Insurance Co. is responsible for the loss under policy coverage for lost income. Sentinel says it has paid the law firm the policy maximum of $20,000. This payment was for losses caused by computer viruses, under the computers and media endorsement portion of their policy.
The insurer, Sentinel, says it has no legal requirement to pay other ransomware losses. The policy coverage for loss of income applies during physical loss or damage to property at the business premises, according to Sentinel. The law firm, Moses Afonso Ryan, is one of many victims, as police have had many complaints about similar cyber crimes across Rhode Island.
Providence, Rhode Island, is located about 50 miles southwest of Boston, Massachusetts.