Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Cyber Risk Trends: 2016 Year in Review

January 24, 2017 (Tuesday) at 11am EST

What was trending in cyber risk this past year? On Tuesday, January 24th, Advisen will host a free, one-hour webinar that examines a litany  of cyber risk trends derived from our proprietary database of more than 30,000 cyber events.

Adam Cottini, Arthur J. Gallagher; David Lewison, AmWINS; and Erin Ayers and Aloysius Tan, Advisen, will examine cyber risk trends that emerged in 2016, paying special attention to categories that have seen steady growth, including Network/Website Disruptions and Privacy – Unauthorized Contact and Disclosure.

For more info and registration about this upcoming event, visit the link below:

Friday, December 23, 2016

What’s Trending in Public D&O Liability Claims?

December 2016

Directors and officers liability insurance gained attention in the past decade after a spate of investigations and lawsuits involving corporate directors and officers.

According to Advisen and Nationwide, while the number of D&O losses has been declining, the severity of these losses has been increasing over the last few years.

In an infographic, they look at the latest trends in directors & officers liability insurance including merger objection, securities class action, and derivative shareholder action. They also examine the general composition of cases from 2011 to 2016.

Download a copy of the infographic and know the top types of D&O cases and the industries with the most number of D&O claims.

Nationwide. Advisen Ltd. December 2016. What’s Trending in Public D&O Liability Claims? [Infographic].

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Cyber Market Could Offer Policy Limits Up to $1B in Five Years, Say Top Execs

NEW YORK — The cyber insurance industry has a long way to go toward offering the capacity and coverage the market needs, but the journey has begun, according to experts speaking during Advisen’s Cyber Risk Insights Conference in October.

Dominic Casserley, current president and deputy CEO of Willis Towers Watson, told a packed room that he expects the industry to find its way on cyber, including building the capacity for a $1 billion policy within five years. This would double reportedly-available per-policy limits.

“The top of the mountain is still shrouded in clouds,” said Casserley, who said he doesn’t expect the major players in the market to change. “We’re in the foothills, there’s a lot of work to do, but we know the path we’re going to go down.”


Erin Ayers, Cyber market could offer policy limits up to $1B in five years, say top execs (December 1, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Information ‘Asymmetry’ in Cyber Underwriting

NEW YORK—Cyber underwriting has come a long way from the early years.

“Back in 1999 and 2000 an account came in and you sent it off to a service provider, they did a report and you went to your X, Y grid of retentions and limits and came up with a price per million; that’s how you would underwrite,” said Bob Parisi, managing director at Marsh.

Parisi, the moderator of the Underwriting Process Laid Bare panel at Advisen’s Cyber Risk Insights Conference in New York, continued, “Since then the process has matured and become more detailed.”


Josh Bradford, Information ‘asymmetry’ in cyber underwriting (December 1, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Feds Learn a Lesson on the Increasingly Intricate World of Cybersecurity

Federal cybersecurity may seem like a costly endeavor, but a new report suggests that government agencies could save up to $5 billion annually if they focused on monitoring threats more effectively and automating responses to those threats.

A new report from MeriTalk indicates that federal agencies can’t protect themselves quickly enough against attacks, nor can they guard against intrusions against all possible entry points that might be used by hackers. While federal agencies might be able to detect a threat to traditional targets such as email servers or Internet gateways, they are less able to deal with similar attacks on mobile devices or cloud computing.


Erin Ayers, Feds learn a lesson on the increasingly intricate world of cybersecurity (December 1, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Up to $3.5 Billion in Insured Losses from New Zealand Quake: AIR

Catastrophe modeler AIR Worldwide said insured losses will be between $762 million and $3.5 billion from the powerful South Island, New Zealand earthquake on November 14.

The estimated cost translates locally to between NZD 1.15 billion and 5.3 billion.

“More than 80,000 landslides and 2,600 aftershocks have been recorded following the massive earthquake that struck New Zealand’s South Island,” said Bingming Shen-tu, assistant vice president at AIR Worldwide, in a statement. He said recovery efforts in the region were troubled by gale-force winds, heavy rainfall, and flooded roads.


Chad Hemenway, Up to $3.5 billion in insured losses from New Zealand quake: AIR (December 1, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Think Tank Advises Next President to Take a Stand on Cyber

Acknowledging the leadership role that should be played by the federal government in cybersecurity, the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at University of California at Berkeley recently outlined a few recommendations for the administration taking office in January.

“In two months, a new President will take office. That President will face the most expansive cybersecurity agenda in our nation’s history,” commented the authors of the report. “Attacks on well-known companies, political organizations, and government agencies over the last year pose a fundamental question: can anyone really be confident in online security? If the answer is no, foundational elements of our economy and our society are at real risk. Because a loss of confidence could be nearly as damaging, the new administration cannot afford to wait. It will need to act quickly and decisively on cybersecurity as a major executive priority. And that administration needs new ideas to inspire new successes.”


Erin Ayers, Think tank advises next president to take a stand on cyber (December 1, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Holiday Shopping has Commenced, but Cybersecurity is Year-Round for Retailers

The holiday shopping season may place additional stress on retailers but, after several years of high-profile retail data breaches, cybersecurity has become a year-round pursuit for them, according to a new report from Bay Dynamics.

“IT and security professionals say they feel pressure year-round to secure their organizations, not just during the holidays, versus in 2015 when a majority said they felt more pressure during the holidays to secure their organizations. IT and security professionals are seeing a persistent cyber threat,” commented the authors of the report. “They understand they can get hacked or suffer a breach any day of the year. Therefore, they are under pressure all the time, not just during the holidays.”


Erin Ayers, Holiday shopping has commenced, but cybersecurity is year-round for retailers (December 1, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Smaller Businesses More Aware and Afraid of Cybercrime: Zurich Survey

Small to mid-sized businesses in the United States show more concern about cyber crime, including losing customer data, than similarly-sized businesses elsewhere in the world, according to a new survey from Zurich Insurance Group.

The survey also revealed that only three percent of those businesses feel they have the security measures in place to combat cyber crime.


Erin Ayers, Smaller businesses more aware and afraid of cybercrime: Zurich survey (December 1, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, December 5, 2016

2017 Data Breach Industry Forecast

November 2016

Advisen and Experian released an annual white paper that outlines five predictions for the data breach industry in the coming year. The 2017 Data Breach Industry Forecast is intended to shed light on emerging trends that companies should know about and prepare for. The free, 10-page report offers industry predictions that are rooted in Experian’s history of helping companies navigate more than 17,000 breaches over the last decade.

Cyber Threats and Trends to Look Out For

Aftershock password breaches will expedite the death of the password. This is one of the data breach trends outlined by Experian in the 2017 Fourth Annual Data Breach Industry Forecast.

Read and download the paper @ http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/11/16/2017-data-breach-industry-forecast/

Advisen Ltd. (November 2016). 2017 Data Breach Industry Forecast [White Paper]. Retrieved from www.AdvisenLtd.com

Monday, November 28, 2016

2017 Predictive Modeling Insights Conference – New York

January 19, 2017
8:00 am - 6:00 pm ET 

New York Law School
185 West Broadway
New York, NY, 10013
USA
212.431.2100

Predictive Analytics, in conjunction with Big Data, is transforming insurance marketing, product development, underwriting, pricing and claims management. This full-day conference will highlight significant trends in the use of predictive models and Big Data within the insurance industry, and will provide decision-makers with a framework for evaluating potential applications within their companies.

For more info and registration about this upcoming event, visit the link below:

Friday, November 25, 2016

Renewals Made Easy with Client-Ready Benchmark Reports on Demand

January 18, 2017 (Wednesday) at 11am EST

When it comes to preparing for renewals or client meetings, Advisen’s automated on-demand reports make benchmarking as easy as 1-2-3. Why do-it-yourself on our website or rely on colleagues to assist when a summary report illustrating premiums, limits, retentions, and indicative losses is just a few clicks away? Advisen’s enhanced Client Insight tools – including Limit Adequacy, Loss Benchmarking, Placement Analytics, and indicative loss event data – export easily to Word docs which then get delivered straight to your inbox.

On Wednesday, January 18th at 11am EST, Advisen’s Zach Boggs and Jeff Cohen will demonstrate how busy producers can use Advisen’s Reports on Demand portal to maximize their time and client satisfaction efforts. This free, 30-minute webinar will showcase examples of report capabilities and success anecdotes for brokers who need fast and easy access to an independent, third-party set of policy transactions and loss data in order to review market trends and client-specific results


Advisen Ltd. January 2017. Renewals Made Easy with Client-Ready Benchmark Reports on Demand [Webinar].

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Understanding the Impact of GDPR on Customers and the Insurance Market

December 7, 2016 (Wednesday) at 11am EST

A regulatory sea-change is occurring in the European Union, which will have deep impact on the perception and treatment of cyber risk in the region – and will shape the insurance market for cyber coverage outside of the US.

On December 7, 2016, Advisen will host a webinar that will address the likely impact of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on the risk management environment in the EU. It will also delve into some best practices companies need to adopt to comply.

GDPR creates new risks for EU companies, some of which are insurable, others not. This session will explore how increased transparency on cyber security standards may affect risk management standards, and consequently lead to more insurance purchase.

This free, one-hour webinar is sponsored by Symantec.


Advisen Ltd. December 2016. Understanding the Impact of GDPR on Customers and the Insurance Market [Webinar].

Monday, November 21, 2016

Bridging the Gap: How Cyber Practices & Data Breaches are Connected

November 2016

Advisen and BitSight released a report that presents how organizations reduce their cyber risk by embracing responsible cybersecurity practices throughout their networks. It features an analysis of the cybersecurity posture of organizations of all sizes and in all industries and looks at how cybersecurity practices can offer insight into whether a breach may occur. 

These details and more are featured in the free, 6-page paper Bridging the Gap: How Cyber Practices & Data Breaches are Connected.


Advisen Ltd. (November 2016). Bridging the Gap: How Cyber Practices & Data Breaches are Connected [White Paper]. Retrieved from www.AdvisenLtd.com

Friday, November 18, 2016

From Silos to Synergy: Achieving Efficiency Through Collaborative Risk Management Technology

December 1, 2016 (Thursday) at 11am EST

The risk management ecosystem of insured, broker, TPA and carrier is undergoing a technology revolution which could greatly reduce lags, duplications, and inefficiencies in risk information transfer.

On December 1, Advisen will host a webinar to discuss how data-sharing platforms can create effective and seamless collaboration – leading to better data quality and risk analysis, as well as improved processes and cost reductions.

Panelists will use case studies to highlight how uniform data entry and multi-party collaboration across a shared system can break down silos and create synergy.

This session will also discuss the shift towards improving the client experience through the use of risk management technology.

This free, one-hour webinar is sponsored by Origami Risk.


Advisen Ltd. (2016). From Silos to Synergy: Achieving efficiency through collaborative risk management technology [Webinar].

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Bundling Cybersecurity Protection and Risk Transfer Together: What are the Benefits?

November 17, 2016
11:00 am - 12:00 pm ET

Cyber crime costs organizations an estimated $400 billion every year, and this number is growing fast.

With an ever-increasing need for cybersecurity, insurers and cybersecurity vendors are exploring new ways to create innovative product offerings. Bundling a cybersecurity solution with an insurance offering for an organization to gain protection against cyber threats and also transfer cyber risk is one such novel approach. The joint solution offers tremendous benefits to customers and vendors.

Earlier this year, Symantec Cyber Insurance partnered with Chubb and CoverHound to offer a consolidated cyber insurance product tailored for SMBs.

On Thursday, November 17, join Symantec’s Dave Gillmore, Coverhound’s Anita Sathe, Aite Group’s Jay Sarzen, and Advisen’s Chad Hemenway as they provide a closer outlook of these emerging relationships. They will discuss the benefits of this new holistic approach to address cybersecurity challenges. They will also analyze its ability to mitigate insurance claims, enable customers with a strong security posture, access qualified prospects and differentiate insurance products.

This free, one-hour webinar is sponsored by Symantec.

For more info and registration for this webinar, visit http://www.advisenltd.com/events/webinars/2016/11/17/bundling-cybersecurity-protection-and-risk-transfer-together-what-are-the-benefits/

Advisen Ltd. (2016). Bundling Cybersecurity Protection and Risk Transfer Together: What are the Benefits? [Webinar].

Monday, November 14, 2016

2016 Survey of Cyber Insurance Market Trends

October 2016

Advisen and PartnerRe released a white paper featuring the results of a comprehensive survey of the evolution of the cyber insurance marketplace. The 2016 Survey of Cyber Insurance Market Trends is intended to give insurance providers and brokers additional insight into the factors and trends impacting that evolution, as well as the demand and growth potential for cyber insurance products in the US.

The free, 11-page paper is sponsored by PartnerRe.


Advisen Ltd. (October 2016). 2016 Survey of Cyber Insurance Market Trends [White Paper]. Retrieved from www.AdvisenLtd.com

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

2016 Information Security and Cyber Risk Management Survey

Advisen wrote a white paper that presents the results of “The Sixth Annual Survey on the Current State of and Trends in Information Security and Cyber Risk Management”. The survey conducted by Advisen and Zurich North America focuses on the current push by businesses to become resilient against information security threats and how the insurance industry plays a vital role.

The free, 13-page paper is sponsored by Zurich.


Advisen Ltd. (October 2016). 2016 Information Security and Cyber Risk Management Survey [White Paper]. Retrieved from www.AdvisenLtd.com

Monday, November 7, 2016

Aon Unveils Broad Cyber Policy in Response to Client Demand

Aon Risk Solutions this week launched one of the broadest cyber insurance offerings in the market in response to client demand for a single policy to address cyber-related property damage, bodily injury, product liability, vendor and supply chain risk, as well as privacy liability.

According to Stephanie Snyder, cyber practice sales leader for Aon Risk Solutions, the product, called Aon Cyber Enterprise Solution, goes further than existing policies in the market to include not only liability coverage for data breaches, but also risks related to the Internet of Things, system failure, and fines and penalties where allowed by law.


Erin Ayers, Aon unveils broad cyber policy in response to client demand (October 17, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, November 4, 2016

New Firm Mullen Coughlin Dedicated Entirely to Data Privacy

After nearly three years as chair of Lewis Brisbois’ data privacy and network security practice, John Mullen—and his entire team of attorneys—are leaving to start a new law firm dedicated to data privacy as addressed by the insurance industry.

“We believe we are the first law firm ever with our breath of experience totally dedicated to the cyber insurance space,” Mullen told Advisen. “Cyber insurance is critical for virtually all entities. Our lawyers possess scores of years of experience within this very focused niche. They have handled thousands of breaches.”


Chad Hemenway, New firm Mullen Coughlin dedicated entirely to data privacy (October 17, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, October 28, 2016

P&C Insurers Log First Half Underwriting Loss But Maintain Strong Position to Pay Claims

The US P&C insurance industry saw a streak of net underwriting profitability come to an end when it recorded a loss of $1.5 billion in the first half of 2016, compared with a $3.5 billion underwriting profit in the first half 2015.

The loss marked the industry’s first year-to-date net underwriting loss in more than three years, according to a report from Verisk’s ISO, the Insurance Information Institute and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.

First-half net income fell to $21.7 billion from $31 billion during the same time a year ago.


Chad Hemenway, P&C insurers log first half underwriting loss but maintain strong position to pay claims (October 17, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Engineers Call for Greater Recognition of ‘Silent’ Cyber Risks

Engineers across the globe came together to sound the alarm on the risks related to the Internet of Things and cloud computing – and their fears that the insurance industry doesn’t fully grasp the “silent threat.”

A new report from the International Association of Engineering Insurers (IMIA) calls for underwriters, brokers, and risk managers to work together more diligently to improve understanding of cyber risks for engineers.


Erin Ayers, Engineers call for greater recognition of ‘silent’ cyber risks (October 17, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Economic Cyber Risk Modeler Cyence Names Advisory Board

Out from operating under the radar earlier this month, Cyence has now announced its advisory board of cybersecurity and insurance professionals.

The board is comprised of Richard Booth, Vincent “VJ” Dowling, Marc Goodman, Tom Hutton, Sean Kanuck and Barney Schauble.

Cyence said it has developed the industry’s first economic cyber risk modeling platform, quantifying cyber risk in probabilities and dollars. The company, based in San Francisco, launched from stealth on September 8.


Chad Hemenway, Economic cyber risk modeler Cyence names advisory board (October 17, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Hurricane Matthew Losses Unlikely to Turn the Commercial Property Market

The commercial insurance industry may be looking to buck a trend of falling rates, but losses from Hurricane Matthew seem less likely to be the kind of catastrophic event to turn the market.

As Hurricane Matthew approached Florida late last week, some catastrophe modelers estimated losses of $30 billion from what was a raging Category 4 storm.


Erin Ayers, Hurricane Matthew losses unlikely to turn the commercial property market (October 17, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Cyber Attacks on Banks Prompt Guidelines From G7 Regulators

In response to costly and frequent cyber attacks on banks, global financial regulators this week released recommended cybersecurity practices for public and private financial organizations to follow.

The Group of Seven (G7), consisting of financial supervisors from the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK, indicated its hope that the guidelines will help combat the global nature of cybercrime and promote resiliency of banks.


Erin Ayers, Cyber attacks on banks prompt guidelines from G7 regulators (October 17, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, October 17, 2016

D&O Claims Trends: Q3 2016

October 2016

Advisen wrote a report that examines all sources of securities-related suits that impact thq3-do-paper-2016-250x324e underwriting and placement of management liability insurance other than ERISA liability suits. In addition to securities class action suits, the report encompasses a much broader set of suits, including securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, derivative actions, collective actions, and Ponzi scheme cases.

The free, 8-page paper is sponsored by Allianz.

Read and download the free, 8-page paper @ http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/10/12/do-claims-trends-q3-2016/

Advisen Ltd. (October 2016). D&O Claims Trends: Q3 2016 [White Paper]. Retrieved from www.AdvisenLtd.com

Friday, October 14, 2016

Healthcare: A Growing Cyber Sickness

October 2016

A number of reports have shown that cyber attacks are costing the healthcare industry billions of dollars annually. Criminals are increasingly going after medical records and healthcare databases owing to their value. Cyber security risks in healthcare have drawn attention to the vulnerability of hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers.

What was the frequency of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act violations over the past five years? How much was the median loss in healthcare cyber attacks? What was the percentage increase of Protected Health Information (PHI) losses between 2006 and 2011 for printed records, servers, laptops, desktop, website, portable data storage device, and other sources?

This infographic, which forms part of a series of infographics released by Advisen and Hiscox, responds to these questions. It also looks into which revenue groups suffered more PHI losses, as well as the size of breaches that occurred more frequently.


Hiscox Ltd. Advisen Ltd. October 2016. Healthcare: A Growing Cyber Sickness. [Infographic].

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

2016 Cyber Risk Insights Conference – New York

The WORLD’S LARGEST Cyber Risk event for P&C Professionals is a one-day program that has become a crucial feature of the cyber calendar. We expect more than 1,000 people to register to hear from over 75 speakers who are top experts in the cyber insurance space.

This flagship Advisen event not only offers a full day of learning, networking and business at the conference, but a range of dinners, workshops and social gatherings in the surrounding days as the cream of the global cyber market descend on New York.

Our multi-track conference will feature the hottest topics including cyber extortion and how to handle it, cyber modelling and insight into policy developments and the market response. Our day begins with a View from the Top session featuring two insurance company CEOs and will conclude with a Keynote Address from Robert Greifeld, CEO of Nasdaq.

For more info and registration about this upcoming event, visit the link below:

Monday, October 10, 2016

Cybersecurity Preparedness and Response: A Middle Market Risk Management Perspective

September 2016

Advisen and The Hartford released a white paper which presents the results of a comprehensive survey of middle market professionals on their views about cyber preparedness. The study was conducted to gain insight into the cybersecurity preparedness and response strategies of businesses with revenues/ budgets between $15 million to under $1 billion. It revealed interesting views on cyber risk, cyber risk insurance management, cyber incident response plan, and cyber liability coverage. It also offers practical steps on how middle market businesses can mitigate privacy and security risks. The free, 17-page paper is sponsored by The Hartford.


Advisen Ltd. (2016). Cybersecurity Preparedness and Response: A Middle Market Risk Management Perspective [White Paper]. Retrieved from www.AdvisenLtd.com

Friday, October 7, 2016

Allied World’s Glasgow Advises Close Eye on Cyber Regulatory Environment

Advisen executive interview: Jason Glasgow, Allied World

September 2016

Advisen Editor Erin Ayers interviewed Jason Glasgow, head of Allied World’s privacy and network security group, about the rapidly evolving cyber insurance market and what the insurance industry is doing to meet the challenges of ever-changing cyber risks and cybersecurity regulatory developments.

Their Q&A is featured in the free, 2-page interview written by Advisen.

Read and download the full interview with Allied World’s Jason Glasgow at http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/09/30/allied-worlds-glasgow-advises-close-eye-on-cyber-regulatory-environment/

Jason Glasgow, Allied World. (2016, September). Advisen Executive Interview.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Spotlight on Innovation in the Transaction Insurance Market

September 2016

Advisen executive interview: Dennis Kearns, QBE

What are the drivers of growth in the Transaction Insurance market? How big can the Transaction Insurance market get? How is the market responding to new risks? Where is the innovation coming from? How do you account for cyber exposure? How can the market make the representations and warranties (R&W) product more relevant?

Advisen EVP and Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Bole interviewed Dennis Kearns, leader of QBE North America’s Transactional Liability and Financial Institutions practices, about the factors driving the market to grow at a fast pace.

Read more and download the full Executive Interview with Dennis Kearns at http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/09/15/spotlight-on-innovation-in-the-transaction-insurance-market/

Dennis Kearns, QBE. (2016, September). Advisen Executive Interview.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Russia Suspected in Reported NY Times Hack; Attacks on Journalists Ramped Up

News broke this week that FBI officials are investigating a cyber attack on the New York Times, allegedly by Russian hackers.

First reported by CNN, the hack is thought to be connected to other high-profile cyber events, such as the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and release of sensitive emails during the Democratic National Convention.

The FBI did not comment further on the case, nor did the unnamed officials cited by CNN add any details. The Times denied that the hackers were able to infiltrate the paper’s system in any meaningful way.


Erin Ayers, Russia suspected in reported NY Times hack; attacks on journalists ramped up (September 14, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Cyber Insurance Community Mourns, Celebrates ‘Cyber Jedi’ Toby Merrill

In June 2015 Toby Merrill walked up to the podium to receive the Advisen Cyber Risk Award for Cyber Risk Industry Person of the Year in the US. As soon as his name was called, Toby’s peers honored him with a standing ovation.

“I love it,” Toby said of the cyber-risk insurance community as he accepted the award. “I love what we do. I love this group. I think we’re all blessed to be a part of this part of the industry.”

The moment was not one the industry will soon forget. We knew Toby had cancer. But we also knew, more importantly, that the award was well-deserved. Toby more than earned it.


Chad Hemenway, Cyber insurance community mourns, celebrates ‘Cyber Jedi’ Toby Merrill (September 14, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, September 26, 2016

Report Predicts Costs up to $6 Trillion Due to Cybercrime by 2021

Dark and costly days lie ahead for the connected world, according to a recent report that estimated potential future costs of cybercrime at up to $6 trillion by 2021.

“Cyberwarfare has crossed from the digital world into our physical realm, and there is a very real potential cybercrime will lead to the loss of human life” said Robert Herjavec, founder and CEO of Herjavec Group, an information security advisory firm that sponsored “Hackerpocalypse: A Cybercrime Revelation” along with the firm Cybersecurity Ventures.


Erin Ayers, Report predicts costs up to $6 trillion due to cybercrime by 2021 (September 14, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Big Data Aids in Federal Fight Against Cyber Attacks: Report

Federal government agencies plagued by security breaches say they now look to big data analytics for insight into how better to protect themselves and the information they must safeguard, according to a new survey and report from MeriTalk.

“Agencies face a perfect storm of cybersecurity threats,” said Steve O’Keeffe, founder of MeriTalk, a public-private partnership focused on governmental cybersecurity. “When you’re headed into troubled waters, you need a weather forecast. Big data provides agencies with the visibility to ensure they don’t end up the river without a paddle.”


Erin Ayers, Big data aids in federal fight against cyber attacks: report (September 14, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

US Government Names First Federal CISO

The United States government took another step in improving its cybersecurity posture by appointing the nation’s first federal chief information security officer — Gregory J. Touhill, a retired brigadier general.

Touhill has been serving as the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) deputy assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications developed programs to protect government systems and critical infrastructure. In his new role, he will manage the implementation of cyber policies and practices across government agencies. The White House also named Grant Schneider, formerly director for cybersecurity policy on the National Security Council, as acting deputy CISO.


Erin Ayers, US government names first federal CISO (September 14, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Economic Losses from Louisiana Floods Over $10B; Insured Losses Much Lower

Catastrophes in the month of August took a serious economic toll, with total damages from the “historic” Louisiana floods expected to top $10 billion and an earthquake in Italy leaving 266 people dead, according to Aon Benfield’s latest global catastrophe report.

“A slow-moving area of low pressure brought multiple days of extreme rainfall across parts of the Gulf Coast and Midwest in the United States, causing catastrophic flood damage in several communities,” stated Aon Benfield in its report.


Erin Ayers, Economic losses from Louisiana floods over $10B; insured losses much lower (September 14, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Friday, September 16, 2016

FTC Chair Suggests Nature of “Personally Identifiable” Info is Changing

A recent speech by Federal Trade Commission chairwoman Edith Ramirez offers clues to how the active regulatory agency will view the use of data analytics by businesses and what the future of “privacy” will entail.

“As new technologies and business models continue to emerge, however, we hear with increasing frequency the claim that technological innovation and big data have rendered certain fundamental tenets of privacy, particularly the idea of consumer consent, outdated and ill-suited for today’s digital world.


Erin Ayers, FTC chair suggests nature of “personally identifiable” info is changing (September 14, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Ransomware: A Nightmare for Businesses

Ransomware is one of the biggest cyber threats faced by businesses of all sizes. After witnessing serious attacks in 2015, experts expect the number, intensity, and financial impact of ransomware attacks to increase significantly in 2016.

What is ransomware? What damage can it cause businesses? What is the average payment demanded by cyber criminals?


Hiscox Ltd."Ransomware: A Nightmare for Businesses [Infographic]". Advisen Ltd. | Hiscox Ltd. September 2016. Web. 14 September 2016.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Evolving Cyber Risks for Small Businesses

September 14, 2016
11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT 

Every organization faces cyber risks, from the largest Fortune 100 companies down to the smallest mom-and-pop shops. But small businesses are particularly vulnerable, especially when it comes to collecting customer data and performing online transactions. For a smaller business, the task of preventing, detecting, and remediating system intrusions can seem overwhelming, but there are several relatively easy and affordable best practices that all organizations can and should implement to improve their cyber security posture.

On Wednesday, September 14, join IDT911’s Eduard Goodman, Advisen’s Erin Ayers and a panel of experts as they discuss the steps any small business can take to address their cyber risk effectively.

This free, one-hour webinar is sponsored by IDT911.


Advisen Ltd. (2016). Evolving Cyber Risks for Small Businesses [Webinar].

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Regulatory Investigations – Reduce the Costs, Minimize the Risks

September 13, 2016
11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT 

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Enforcement Division is placing a greater focus on investigations and is growing its resources to reinforce its investigative functions. As a result, companies are increasingly confronted with the risk of prolonged regulatory scrutiny and the costs associated with responding to a formal or informal investigation.

On September 13, Advisen will host a webinar on the current regulatory environment.


Advisen Ltd. (2016). Regulatory Investigations – Reduce the Costs, Minimize the Risks [Webinar].

Friday, September 2, 2016

Cyber in Property Policies, Drones, and Labor Laws Areas to Watch for Insurance Buyers

Insurance coverage for cyber-related property damage, new regulations for drones, and upcoming changes to federal labor laws topped the list of concerns for insurance buyers as experts from Marsh discussed the broker’s recent midyear report.

The potential for property damage to occur as a result of a cyber attack has been at the forefront of insurance discussions and Marsh’s property practice leader Duncan Ellis reported during a webinar this week that a few insurers now provide some element of coverage. He cited FM Global and Zurich incorporating cyber as a peril in their property policies, and noted that AIG recently released a broader cyber policy to address property damage, bodily injury, and business interruption. Marsh clients have shown increased interest in cyber coverage as part of their property program, according to Ellis.


Erin Ayers, Cyber in property policies, drones, and labor laws areas to watch for insurance buyers (August 16, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Billions in Potential Marine Insurance Losses as RMS Ranks the Top 10 Riskiest Ports

On the one-year anniversary of the Tianjin Port explosion, ranked as one the highest insured losses in history, catastrophe modeling firm RMS evaluated potential losses at other world ports to aid insurers in their “guessing game” of where disaster could next strike and to what degree.

RMS’ marine risk experts calculated the 1 in 500 year loss probability for ports in nearly 80 countries, looking at cargo type, storage location (near the water or further inland), type of storage (warehouses, containers, etc.), and how long cargo remains in port (which can vary based on automation, labor, and whether goods are imported or exported). RMS noted, for example, that although container shipping has improved the global economy, it increases catastrophic risk exposure due to larger ships.


Erin Ayers, Billions in potential marine insurance losses as RMS ranks the top 10 riskiest ports (August 16, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Global Spending on Information Security Set to Rise to $81.6B

Researchers at Gartner expect worldwide spending on information security products and services to grow another 7.9 percent to $81.6 billion this year, with organizations looking not only to prevent cyber intrusions but also find ways to prevent data loss and recover quickly.

“Organizations are increasingly focusing on detection and response, because taking a preventive approach has not been successful in blocking malicious attacks,” said Elizabeth Kim, senior research analyst at Gartner. “We strongly advise businesses to balance their spending to include both.”


Erin Ayers, “Global spending on information security set to rise to $81.6B (August 16, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, August 22, 2016

“Tenuous” Geopolitical Landscape Bears Watching by Risk Managers: RIMS Report

The current global geopolitical landscape has become one of the most unstable in recent memory according to experts, a fact that has serious economic and organizational implications for risk managers and their firms.

“From the violence that continues to be inflicted by ISIS, to the political turmoil in Argentina and Brazil, to the Brexit earthquake that is shaking the European Union, these pessimistic predictions about global stability seem to be accurate. What is a risk manager to do? While many of the crises besetting the globe are con­cerning at an existential level, risk profession­als still must confront the pitfalls facing their organizations,” stated Brandon Righi, author of the RIMS report entitled, “Decoding Political Risk Management.”


Erin Ayers, “Tenuous” geopolitical landscape bears watching by risk managers: RIMS report (August 16, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Friday, August 19, 2016

It’s a Small World When it Comes to the Cybersecurity Talent Gap

Cybersecurity staffing shortages are a global problem, according to a new report from Intel Security that examined the particular challenges eight countries face in meeting hiring needs to fight data breaches and other cyber events at organizations.

A vast majority of respondents – 82 percent – reported a shortage of talent when seeking cybersecurity hires, with an estimated one to two million positions unfilled. Critical shortages exist in the most valued skills – intrusion detection, secure software development, and attack mitigation.


Erin Ayers, It’s a small world when it comes to the cybersecurity talent gap (August 16, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Willis Report Sees Added Complexity for Cyber Claims with Government Involvement

The “dynamic” landscape of cyber liability continues to expand and change, as battles between tech companies and law enforcement raised questions about how government authority affects privacy and security earlier this year, according to a new report from Willis Towers Watson.

The firm’s most recent briefing on cyber claims found that the process could become increasingly complicated by the interplay between organizations holding consumer data and investigators seeking that data. The briefing also discussed the rise in cyber extortion, the need to train employees better to avoid breaches, and the implications of the European Union’s data privacy directive.


Erin Ayers, Willis report sees added complexity for cyber claims with government involvement (August 2, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Public-Private Partnership is Key to Combating Cybercrime, Says UK Report

A joint assessment by the United Kingdom’s (UK) National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Strategic Cyber Industry Group (SCIG) calls for a stronger partnership between business and law enforcement to combat cybercrime.

According to the report cybercrime now exceeds all other crime combined in the UK. It is a growing problem costing the UK economy billions per year.

“In any calculation we must consider that there are millions of individual victims, many thousands of corporate victims and correspondingly substantial losses,” said the report.


Josh Bradford, Public-private partnership is key to combating cybercrime, says UK report (August 2, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, August 12, 2016

‘Extreme Space Weather’ Carries Trillion-Dollar Risk for US Power Grid: Report

Forget hackers, researchers say that a severe solar storm could shut down the US power grid for months and cause up to $2.7 trillion in damage in a new report from the Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies and American International Group (AIG).

Uncertainty swirls about the potential impact of “extreme space weather” such as coronal mass ejections (CME), or solar storms, on modern technology, according to the new report, called the Helios Storm Scenario. Researchers emphasize their studies should be considered a stress test, not a prediction, but examined three potential scenarios ranging in severity. The $2.7 trillion estimate reflects the most severe event, with all economic impacts included. Insured losses were found to be more in the range of $55 billion to $333.7 billion.


Erin Ayers, ‘Extreme space weather’ carries trillion-dollar risk for US power grid: report (August 2, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Infosec Professionals Not Concerned About US Election’s Effect on Cybersecurity

A recent survey of information security professionals showed a relative lack of concern over the current US presidential election’s effect on global cybersecurity. Of respondents to a Tripwire survey, almost half felt that the campaigning would have no “lasting impact.” More than half (54 percent) said they weren’t concerned that the election would have a negative impact.

“There is a big difference between having candidates who have a cyber security policy and candidates who have an understanding of cyber security,” said Dwayne Melancon, chief technology officer for Tripwire.


Erin Ayers, Infosec professionals not concerned about US election’s effect on cybersecurity (August 2, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Employee Theft Shatters Trust When Good Workers Go Bad: Hiscox

Employee theft can send an organization into turmoil, both financially and in terms of the trust businesses place in their workers, according to the 2016 Hiscox Embezzlement Study, which analyzed some of the reasons employees go bad and how companies can respond.

“Why do people steal from the hand that feeds them? The motivations of embezzlers are often different from those of other criminals. Perpetrators are often regular people who are smart, well-liked, and those you’d least expect to steal. How does a trusted employee turn into a criminal?” stated Hiscox in its report.


Erin Ayers, Employee theft shatters trust when good workers go bad: Hiscox (August 2, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Hackers Have All the Time in the World to Strike – But Organizations Can Defend Themselves

Cyber criminals continue to disrupt their targets’ operations and a new report from Cisco recommends reducing their “time to operate” by shifting defense strategies from fighting intrusions “here and there” to a holistic approach to security.

“Defenders are not protecting systems in a way that matches how attackers do their work. Although defenders have evolved their strategies and tools for fighting online criminals, attackers are still permitted far too much unconstrained time to operate,” commented Cisco in its midyear report on cybersecurity. “If defenders improve the tools at their disposal, by reducing the time needed to patch vulnerabilities and upgrade their infrastructure, attackers become known—and therefore, defenders can constrain and even close adversaries’ operational spaces.”


Erin Ayers, Hackers have all the time in the world to strike – but organizations can defend themselves (August 2, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Cyber Vulnerability: Where Do You Stand?

July 2016

Advisen released a white paper featuring the results of a comprehensive cyber study between Advisen and BitSight Technologies focusing on the analysis of the cyber security posture of three industries: Finance and Insurance, Healthcare and Social Assistance, and Public Administration. The study looks into the number of event types by year from 2012 to 2016, the security ratings for cyber insurance by industry, and many other key data.

The free, 17-page paper is sponsored by BitSight Technologies.

A Closer Look at Cyber Events

Numerous reports show that the number of cyber attacks is rapidly growing. According to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report, the number of zero-day vulnerabilities discovered more than doubled in 2015, and this year there have been an average of over 4,000 ransomware attacks per day.

Read more and download the white paper here: http://bit.ly/2aBFpOE

Advisen Ltd. (2016). Cyber Vulnerability: Where Do You Stand? [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/07/27/cyber-vulnerability-where-do-you-stand/

Friday, July 29, 2016

Ransomware Cases Projected to Double in 2016, Reaching An All-Time High

Advisen, the leading provider of data, media, and technology solutions for the commercial property and casualty insurance market, today published an infographic illustrating a number of cyber risk trends derived from the company’s proprietary cyber database of more than 26,000 cases.

Ransomware incidents, in which a type of malicious code encrypts data and demands payment for its recovery, are one of today’s fastest growing cyber threats. As of mid-year, the number of cases is projected to double from 2015 to 2016, reaching an all-time high. Cyber cases exposing more than one million records peaked in 2013, but the number of cases in 2015 remains 70% higher than those in 2010.

In addition, the number of suits filed alleging a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) reached an all-time high in 2015 and is expected to grow even higher in 2016. Similarly, TCPA violations have increased by 40% from 2014 to 2015, resulting in a 140% increase in settlements within the same time period.

“Other cyber risk categories that have seen steady growth are System/Network Security Disruptions and Privacy Violations, both of which more than tripled in size from 2010 to 2015,” commented Aloysius Tan, Advisen’s Cyber Expert and Product Manager. “Privacy violations grew 13% from 2014 to 2015—a trend we expect to continue.”

Advisen’s cyber database includes more than 26,000 cases involving billions of unauthorized disclosures, thefts, or serious disruptions of customer & employee identities, corporate assets, and systems capabilities. Growing at a rate of 200 new cases with 1000 updates per week, this loss data is housed in a structured, relational database, and is mapped to the appropriate company from our database of over 20 million insureds. Learn more by requesting a cyber demo.


Advisen Limited. (2016). Ransomware cases projected to double in 2016, reaching an all-time high [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.advisenltd.com/ransomware-cases-projected-to-double-in-2016-all-time-high/

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Creating Resilience in the Digital Frontier

For most organizations, every aspect of their business relies on computer systems and the Internet. This leaves them vulnerable to cyber crime, but it is impossible to fully defend against every potential threat.

Dynetics’ Robert Dowling, Tim Layton & Associates’ Tim Layton, and Advisen’s David Bradford will discuss a process to identify, quantify and prioritize cyber risks according to an organization’s specific risk profile, risk tolerance levels, and business objectives. They will also talk about a sensible security program that prioritizes cybersecurity investments to ensure the resilience of the most valuable business assets, and identifies where residual risk can be addressed through insurance.

This free, one-hour webinar is sponsored by Dynetics.


Advisen Ltd. (2016). Creating Resilience in the Digital Frontier [Webinar].

Friday, July 22, 2016

Number of Product Recalls Has More Than Doubled Over 10-Year Period

Advisen, the leading provider of data, media, and technology solutions for the commercial property and casualty insurance market, today announced the release of a paper that discusses the economic impacts of product recalls and the importance of having recall insurance.

The paper highlights:

• the increasing trend of product recalls from 2005 – 2014

• probability of experiencing a recall of a certain size

• industry composition by type of recall for consumer products, foods/beverages/drugs, and agricultural/environmental

• actual case studies of product recalls

The number of product recalls among food and non-food manufacturers has increased significantly.

Read more at http://bit.ly/2agSb4K

Advisen Ltd. (2016). Number of product recalls has more than doubled over 10-year period [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/07/20/product-recalls-doubled-in-10-years/

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

A CFO’s Guide to the Strategic Applications of Accounts Receivable Insurance

Advisen released a white paper that highlights the importance of accounts receivable insurance, also known as trade credit insurance. It also looks into how CFOs and senior financial executives can use this type of insurance as a strategic tool. The free, 5-page paper is sponsored by Allied World.

Understanding Accounts Receivable Insurance

What is accounts receivable insurance? How are CFOs using accounts receivable insurance? How different is the use of trade credit insurance in the U.S. and in Europe? ...

Read more at http://bit.ly/29N8V0X

Advisen | Allied World. (2016). A CFO’s Guide to the Strategic Applications of Accounts Receivable Insurance [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/07/19/CFOs-guide-to-strategic-applications-of-accounts-receivable-insurance/

Monday, July 18, 2016

Uncertainty Reigns for Insurers and UK Heads for the Brexit

The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union last week surprised the world, and now has the international insurance community assessing the potential effects – and the key word is uncertainty.

The Brexit campaign succeeded on a 52 percent to 48 percent vote, and UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who had advised against leaving the EU, quickly announced he would step down. While a key motivation of the “Leave” campaigners had been the opportunity to set UK-specific regulations and policies, UK insurers and European insurers with headquarters in the UK currently benefit from the European Single Market and the “passporting” regulatory structure that allows UK insurers to operate in any other EU state without additional authorization. Insurance leaders in Europe have followed Brexit closely, keeping an eye on investments and planning for the two possible outcomes.


Erin Ayers, Uncertainty reigns for insurers and UK heads for the Brexit (June 28, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Ransomware Rises to ‘Epidemic’ Levels: Kaspersky Report

The number of computer users affected by all types of ransomware in the past year grew 17.7 percent over the previous year, up to 2,315,931 users, according to a recent report from Kaspersky Labs, which stated that ransomware has now reached “epidemic” proportions.

“The biggest problem with crypto-ransomware today is that sometimes the only way to get the encrypted data back is to pay the criminals, and victims tend to pay. That brings a lot of money into the underground ecosystem that has grown up around this malware, and as a result we are seeing new cryptors appear almost daily,” said Fedor Sinitsyn, senior malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab.


Erin Ayers, Ransomware rises to ‘epidemic’ levels: Kaspersky report (June 28, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, July 11, 2016

TigerRisk’s Rod Fox: Benign Catastrophe Losses Won’t Last Forever

NEW YORK—Something, according to Rod Fox, “is going on here.”

Wildfires in unusual locations; the hottest months on record in more than a century; early storms in the Atlantic Ocean; flooding in areas without a history of flooding; and earthquake faults overdue for a temblor point to a troubling realization: “We won’t have benign [catastrophe] activity forever,” said Fox, managing partner and CEO of TigerRisk Partners.

“There’s a fire in the hole,” he said during his keynote address at Advisen’s Property Insights Conference.


Chad Hemenway, TigerRisk’s Rod Fox: Benign catastrophe losses won’t last forever (June 28, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Directors Face Expanded Risks, Willis Survey Shows

The risks for which corporate directors can be held liable for has increased dramatically over the last five years, particularly in the United Kingdom, according to a recent Willis Towers Watson survey of directors around the world.

Globally, the top five risks faced by directors included regulatory investigations, cyber attacks, risk of data loss, criminal and regulatory fines and penalties, and anti-corruption laws.


Erin Ayers, Directors face expanded risks, Willis survey shows (June 28, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Professional Front Page News.

Friday, July 1, 2016

You’re fired!': Boards channel their inner Trump with poor reporting IT execs

Boards are putting IT and security executives on notice that cybersecurity is an issue they take very seriously. A new report from cyber risk analytics firm Bay Dynamics reveals that nearly 60 percent of board members say an IT security executive will lose their job if they fail to provide useful, actionable information.

According to the study, titled “How Boards of Directors Really Feel About Cybersecurity Reports,” nearly 90 percent of board members say they are very involved in making cyber risk decisions.  In fact, 26 percent said cyber risks are their highest priority.


Josh Bradford, ‘You’re fired!': Boards channel their inner Trump with poor reporting IT execs (June 28, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Hacking Mostly a Matter of ‘Jiggling Door Handles’

Like many criminals, most hackers commit opportunistic attacks.

Chris Novak, co-founder and director of the Verizon Investigative Response Unit, said most hackers are like a home burglar “jiggling door handles” as he walks through a neighborhood.

“They go after whatever they can get into,” said Novak on a cyber claims and loss panel from the NetDiligence Cyber Risk & Privacy Liability Forum. Oftentimes, he added, hackers “don’t know who they hacked in to.”


Chad Hemenway, Hacking mostly a matter of ‘jiggling door handles’ (June 28, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Quarterly D&O Claims Trends: Q2 2016

July 28, 2016
11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT 

Advisen will host a webinar that examines the D&O claims trends for the second quarter of 2016. On July 28, Advisen’s Jim Blinn and a panel of experts will discuss the frequency and severity of securities suits in Q2 2016 and share their insights on emerging trends on securities litigation.


Advisen Ltd. (2016). Quarterly D&O Claims Trends: Q2 2016 [Webinar].

Friday, June 24, 2016

OnDemand Benchmarking Reports Make Brokers’ Lives Easier

July 14, 2016
11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT 

When it comes to automating the Benchmarking process ahead of renewals or client meetings, Advisen’s on-demand offline report-generating facility makes your prep work a cinch. Why spend hours navigating the DIY way on our website or prodding colleagues to assist when, in just a few simple clicks, you can request a summary e-report sent to your inbox to illustrate premiums, limits, retentions, and indicative losses?

Advisen’s new Client Insight tools – including Limit Adequacy, Loss Benchmarking, Placement Analytics, and Indicative Loss Event data – export easily to Word docs which then get pushed to your inbox via email.


Advisen Ltd. (2016). OnDemand Benchmarking Reports Make Brokers’ Lives Easier [Webinar].

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Bridging the Insurance/InfoSec Gap: The SANS 2016 Cyber Insurance Survey

Cyber security insurance has become increasingly popular as significant data breaches have become more common. Unlike other information security (InfoSec) preparations, however, the purpose of cyber insurance is not defense; rather, it is the transfer of financial risk to a third party. The field is young, dynamic and multifaceted. InfoSec professionals, underwriters and brokers each have different roles in negotiating or implementing policies, as well as different metrics with which to gauge the value of a cyber insurance contract.

In a recent report published by SANS, it was highlighted that conceptual gaps often make it difficult for members of the cyber security and cyber insurance communities to find a common basis on which to develop reasonable standards of security and insurability.


"Bridging the Insurance/InfoSec Gap: The SANS 2016 Cyber Insurance Survey" Advisen Ltd. 2016 21 Jun. SANS | PivotPoint Analytics. 2016.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

D&O Insurance Needs are Growing for Small & Medium Enterprises

June 2016

While companies of all sizes have faced increasing exposure to Directors and Officers (D&O) losses in the past decade, research shows that small Private and Non-profit businesses have had the largest share of D&O losses and loss increase in terms of company size.

Are small and mediums enterprises (SMEs) ready to face this increasing exposure?

This infographic, which forms part of a series of infographics released by Advisen and Hiscox, shows the different claims types for private and not-for-profit SMEs. It also highlights the importance of D&O insurance in protecting an organization.


"D&O Insurance Needs are Growing for Small & Medium Enterprises [Infographic]". Hiscox | Advisen. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Jun. 2016.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Giving Numbers a Voice: Making Use of Cyber Data in Insurance

July 06, 2016
11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT 

On Thursday, July 6 at 11am ET, Advisen will host a webinar that will look into cyber data trends and the role data plays in developing products used by insurers.


Advisen Ltd. (2016, July 6). Giving Numbers a Voice: Making Use of Cyber Data in Insurance [Webinar]. In Advisen Events Webinar. Retrieved from http://www.advisenltd.com/

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Product Recalls Impact on Business Financial Health


June 2016

In the past decade, the number of product recalls among food and non-food manufacturers has increased significantly. Advisen wrote a white paper that discusses the economic impacts of product recalls and the importance of having recall insurance. Sponsored by Allied World, the free, 5-page paper presents a number of case studies illustrating how product recalls can affect the financial health of businesses.

Minimizing the Impact of a Product Recall

Between 2010 and 2011, an applesauce manufacturer lost $21 million in direct costs associated with a product recall and the subsequent interruption of its business.