  Heterogeneous wireless networks (HWNs) composed of densely deployed base
stations of different types with various radio access technologies have become
a prevailing trend to accommodate ever-increasing traffic demand in enormous
volume. Nowadays, users rely heavily on HWNs for ubiquitous network access that
contains valuable and critical information such as financial transactions,
e-health, and public safety. Cyber risks, representing one of the most
significant threats to network security and reliability, are increasing in
severity. To address this problem, this article introduces the concept of cyber
insurance to transfer the cyber risk (i.e., service outage, as a consequence of
cyber risks in HWNs) to a third party insurer. Firstly, a review of the
enabling technologies for HWNs and their vulnerabilities to cyber risks is
presented. Then, the fundamentals of cyber insurance are introduced, and
subsequently, a cyber insurance framework for HWNs is presented. Finally, open
issues are discussed and the challenges are highlighted for integrating cyber
insurance as a service of next generation HWNs.
