Why 2025 Is a Critical Year for Tech E&O Insurance: Trends Florida Businesses Need to Watch

Why 2025 Is a Critical Year for Tech E&O Insurance: Trends Florida Businesses Need to Watch

As we head deeper into 2025, technology errors and omissions insurance (Tech E&O) is quickly becoming a must-have for Florida-based technology providers, SaaS companies, MSPs, and even digital marketing firms. This surge is being driven by increasing contractual requirements, heightened cyber threats, and evolving privacy laws.

At Barefoot Insurance Brokers, we help business owners not only secure affordable Tech E&O coverage, but understand the why behind it.

So—what’s driving the demand? Our underwriting partners and carriers like Corvus have flagged three major trends that every business owner should know:


🔐 1. Credential-Based Attacks Are Surging

Ransomware is evolving—and attackers are getting smarter. One of the biggest threats in 2025 is credential-based attacks targeting:

  • Weak or reused passwords
  • VPNs without multifactor authentication (MFA)
  • Remote access tools with poor security

According to industry data, nearly 30% of ransomware incidents in late 2024 stemmed from compromised credentials. The MOVEit breach is a perfect example: over 2,700 organizations—including universities and hospitals—were affected, even if they never used the software directly.

Tech E&O policies with strong cyber endorsements can help cover these types of vulnerabilities and protect businesses from third-party liability.


⚖️ 2. Privacy Lawsuits Are Heating Up

In 2024, lawsuits under BIPA, CCPA, CIPA, and similar data privacy regulations increased dramatically—and that trend is continuing into 2025. Even without a data breach, companies are facing legal action due to:

  • Improper cookie use
  • Ad tracking without consent
  • Sharing video or behavioral data

What does this mean for your Florida-based business? You need:

  • Clear privacy policies
  • Consent management tools
  • Cyber insurance that covers regulatory defense and fines

Our team at Barefoot Insurance Brokers will work with underwriters who understand these exposures and can tailor coverage to your business’s actual risk.


👩‍💻 3. Specialized Underwriters Make a Big Difference

Tech E&O applications can be complex. Underwriters are now asking detailed questions about:

  • Data collection and retention practices
  • Whether users can opt out of tracking or sharing
  • Security protocols like MFA and endpoint protection

That’s why it’s crucial to work with specialized Tech E&O and Cyber underwriters—not generalists. At Barefoot Insurance Brokers, we partner with carriers who combine underwriting with cyber risk advisory and claims expertise to deliver smarter policies and faster responses when it counts.


🛡️ Secure Your Tech E&O Insurance with Confidence

Whether your business is in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, or anywhere across Florida, our team at Barefoot Insurance Brokers is here to help you navigate this rapidly changing market.

We offer custom Tech E&O and cyber liability insurance solutions that meet contract demands and protect your business from real-world risk—at competitive rates.

📞 Call Allie Horblitt today at 786-440-8242
📧 Email: allie@barefootins.com


2025 is no time to leave your business exposed. Let us help you stay protected and compliant—before a cyber incident or privacy complaint becomes a costly problem.

Do I Need Boat Insurance in Florida? What Florida Keys Boaters Should Know

Do I Need Boat Insurance in Florida? What Florida Keys Boaters Should Know

If you’re lucky enough to boat in the Florida Keys, you already know the joy of island hopping, reef fishing, and sunset cruising. But there’s one question we hear often from Keys residents and visitors alike:

“Do I need boat insurance in Florida?”

The short answer: Boat insurance is not legally required by the state of Florida for recreational vessels. But just because it’s not mandatory doesn’t mean you should go without it — especially in a place as unique (and storm-prone) as the Florida Keys.


Why Boat Insurance Is Highly Recommended in the Florida Keys

While Florida law doesn’t require boat insurance, there are situations where it is required:

  • If you finance your boat — lenders usually require full coverage.
  • If you dock at a marina — many marinas require proof of liability insurance.
  • If you’re involved in an accident — you’ll want coverage for damage, injuries, or lawsuits.

And let’s not forget: hurricane exposure in the Keys is one of the highest in the country. A single storm can result in significant vessel damage or total loss. Without insurance, you could be on the hook for thousands out of pocket.


Boat Insurance Starts at Just $75/Year

At Barefoot Insurance Brokers, we work with top carriers including Progressive, Ahoy!, GEICO, and American Integrity, and can find policies starting at just $75/year for basic coverage. Whether you need liability-only protection or full hull and motor coverage, we’ll help you navigate your options.


The 5 Most Populated Coastal Areas in the Florida Keys (With Zip Codes)

We help boaters from Key Largo to Key West get covered quickly and affordably. If you live in or dock your boat near any of the following areas, we’ve got you covered:

1. Key West

  • Zip Codes: 33040, 33041
  • Known for sailboats, fishing charters, and day cruisers.

2. Key Largo

  • Zip Codes: 33037
  • Popular for center consoles and dive boats in Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

3. Marathon

  • Zip Codes: 33050
  • A boating hub with lots of marina traffic and offshore fishing vessels.

4. Islamorada

  • Zip Codes: 33036
  • The “Sportfishing Capital of the World,” where insurance is essential for high-value gear and vessels.

5. Big Pine Key

  • Zip Codes: 33043
  • Home to quiet backwaters, flats boats, and paddle craft—still worth insuring against theft or storm loss.

Protect Your Peace of Mind — Let Us Shop for You

Every vessel, every boater, and every budget is different. That’s why we shop across multiple marine insurance carriers to find you the best combination of price, coverage, and service. Whether you’re a weekend cruiser or a full-time liveaboard, we’ll get you the protection you need at a price you can afford.


📞 Call or Email Zack Epstein Today

Zack Epstein specializes in Florida boat insurance and knows the Florida Keys like the back of his hand.

📱 Call: 786-440-8242
📧 Email: zack@barefootins.com

Boat smarter — not riskier. Reach out today for your custom quote and get peace of mind on (and off) the water.

Why Your Home Insurance Premium in Vero Beach, FL Probably Won’t Drop—Even If Your Property Value Does

Why Your Home Insurance Premium in Vero Beach, FL Probably Won’t Drop—Even If Your Property Value Does

Recent reports from Zillow show a decline in property values in Vero Beach, Florida for Q3 2025, which has many homeowners wondering: “Will my insurance premium go down too?”

Unfortunately, the answer is probably not—and here’s why.

Market Value vs. Replacement Cost: What Florida Homeowners Need to Know

When it comes to home insurance, what really matters isn’t your home’s market value (what you could sell it for), but rather its replacement cost value—what it would cost to rebuild your home from the ground up in today’s labor and materials market.

Even if Vero Beach home prices are softening, construction costs remain high, driven by inflation, supply chain issues, and a shortage of skilled labor. Insurance carriers use these costs to determine how much coverage your home requires—not what Zillow or the real estate market says your house is worth.

So even if your Zillow estimate is dropping, your insurance premium is based on the cost to rebuild, which could stay the same or even increase.

Why Insurance Premiums Often Stay the Same or Increase

  • Rising construction costs: Lumber, roofing, and skilled labor remain expensive across Florida.
  • Storm risk: Vero Beach is a coastal community vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding. These risks are priced into your premium.
  • Inflation Guard Endorsements: Many home insurance policies include clauses that automatically adjust your dwelling coverage upward each year to account for inflation.

What You Can Do to Take Control

While market values are out of your hands, your insurance policy isn’t. Now is a great time to review your coverage with a trusted local expert.

💬 Are you overinsured, underinsured, or just not sure?

👉 Contact Craig Appleman, an Independent Insurance Broker servicing Vero Beach, who specializes in:

  • Homeowner’s Insurance
  • Flood Insurance
  • Personal Lines (Auto, Boat, Motorcycle, Umbrella, and more)

Craig works with dozens of top-rated carriers to help local residents get the right coverage at the best price—even in a changing market.

📞 Call Craig today at (772)276-7200, x 4
📧 Or email craig@barefootins.com for a free policy review and quote.


Don’t let headlines or home estimates mislead you—get real answers from a real expert.

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