Digital crimes are on the rise partly because “humans are easier to hack” than computers, cyber insurer Emergence told about 1200 participants in a webinar.

Online criminals use technology to exploit human vulnerabilities, driving “the cyber crime of social engineering”.

The insurer describes social engineering as “human hacking”, in which people are duped into paying fake invoices or handing over confidential information.

For businesses, the risk can be mitigated through employee education and stepping up IT security procedures.

“Hunan error is within our control,” National Head of Sales Gerry Power said. “Employees are the last line of defence against phishing emails or suspicious calls.

“Improving security posture can reduce your cyber insurance premiums.”

Emergence previously announced its coverage has been extended to include social engineering.