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Last month's New Year celebrations had good cause; we have a chance to be grateful for the years behind us as we look forward to the years ahead. Chances are, as we clinked champagne glasses with friends and family, the idea of not being around to celebrate with them next year never crossed our minds.

But...what if?

In the event that something should happen to you, will your loved ones be protected? Now that we've embarked on another year of life, it's a good time to think about life insurance.

An Unselfish Investment

Life insurance is truly about ensuring your family has peace of mind if your life should end. Its potential benefits to your loved ones are many, including:

Times have changed, and Pennsylvania insurance options have followed suit. Today, most of us rely heavily on technology to keep both our businesses and our personal lives running smoothly. We store enormous amounts of valuable information on computers - everything from that data required to keep a business in operation to scans of precious family photographs. But technology is never flawless. Though it usually makes life easier, it's also subject to glitches and breakage, as well as vulnerable to viruses, hackers, and theft. Here are just a few examples of stressful situations that illustrate the importance - and the vulnerability - of the technology on which we so heavily rely:

• A doctor's smart phone is stolen from his vehicle; the phone contains numerous patient records.
• A laptop belonging to a small business owner is lost; it contains the names, social security numbers, and credit card numbers of various clients.
• A virus shuts down a company's order processing system, which causes damage to the company and its customers.
• An unencrypted flash drive containing private information about a company's employees is lost in the mail.
• A business loses valuable data, and cannot afford the cost to replace it.
• Hackers begin targeting small to midsize companies with increased frequency, finding it easy to obtain the personal information of countless individuals and perpetuate instances of identity theft.

All of these are real life instances that might affect any of us, whether we are the ones from whom the technology is stolen or the ones whose private information is stored on it. Fortunately, Technology insurance provides some protection against these and other misfortunes.
Technology insurance is often regarded as one of the four segments of professional liability insurance, along with malpractice insurance, directors and officers insurance, and employment practices liability. Technology insurance can be very comprehensive, covering not only the first party (the one whose technology is lost, stolen, hacked, etc.) but also the third party or parties (those whose information was stored on the technology). Technology coverage may be termed in a variety of ways, including:

• Data breach - This coverage is ideal for retail stores, medical offices, financial institutions, and auto dealers. It protects the insured in the event that confidential information is accidentally exposed, whether electronically or in paper form.
• Privacy - This type of coverage protects businesses in the event that they are sued by a client whose private information, such as medical records, is improperly released.
• Technology E&O - This type of coverage is ideal for the professionals who bring technology to others, such as software designers and developers, website creators, and IT consultants. As they develop technology for individuals and businesses, they need protection from technology exposures.

Other types of technology insurance include hacker coverage and network liability.

Think about the role technology plays in your life. Are you at risk for losing or unwittingly exposing valuable or private information? If so, Call or contact Knies Insurance Group, Inc. about technology insurance, because the future is now.

Is there anything quite so pleasant as coming home to a warm and cozy house on a cold winter's day? Home isn't just where the heart is; in the winter, it's also where the hearth is.

Heat comes to us in many forms: electric, gas, portable space heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces. All of these can pose a threat to a Pennsylvania home's safetynot to mention that of its residentsif they are not properly maintained and managed. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, heating fires are the second leading cause of all residential building fires. About 50 percent of all fires that result from home heating equipment are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Fortunately, it is possible to stay warm safely this winter by following a few simple suggestions.

• Have your chimney professionally cleaned before lighting the first fire of the year. Removing all debris from the chimney and opening the flue will ensure that your home remains free of dangerous smoke.
• Use only seasoned hardwood such as ash, oak, or maple in your fireplace. Do not burn trash or cardboard boxes.
• Employ fireplace screens or glass fireplace doors to keep embers off of rugs and carpets.
• If you have a gas heating system, place carbon monoxide detectors in your home. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, carbon monoxidealso known as the "silent killer"kills about 300 people in their homes annually. There are small, convenient detectors that plug into electrical outlets and sound an alarm if carbon monoxide is in the air. Keep at least one near every sleeping area.
• Never leave electric space heaters on if they are unattended, and always position them away from flammable objects, as well as from people, pets, furniture, and curtains. Unplug them when they are not in use.
• Maintain a three-foot kid-free zone around all heating sources.
• Pay a professional to examine and clean your home's heating unit annually. He or she can repair potentially deadly leaks.
• Clean your home's air vents by removing their covers and vacuuming out any dust or debris that may have accumulated in them during warmer weather.
• Never use an oven or stovetop to heat your home, and always use gas or charcoal grills outdoors.
• If you ever smell gas, immediately extinguish all flames in your home, put out cigarettes, and do not operate electrical appliances because they may create sparks. Turn off all gas appliances and make sure pilot lights are out. If you still smell gas after opening windows and doors, turn off your home's main gas tap. Call the gas company immediately and evacuate.
• If a pilot light goes out, turn off the gas at that heat source and wait several minutes before re-lighting it.
• If your pilot light produces a red or yellow flame, call for service; the flame should be blue.
• Finally, make sure your smoke alarms are all functioning properly.

Call or contact Knies Insurance Group, Inc. today to make sure your home insurance policy is up to date.