Sep 08, 2017 | By Joshua Lorenz, Michael Monyok

​Cybersecurity has taken center stage in the news recently, following several devastating attacks on local and foreign entities.However, while the risks may seem to be at an all-time high for companies looking to protect critical data, some industries are reluctant to adapt, rendering them vulnerable for future breaches.

Over the past decade, increased adoption of IT systems within the construction industry coupled with insufficient security protocols have created a perfect storm for cybercriminals looking for their next target. In fact, a recent Forrester survey revealed that more than 75% of respondents in the construction, engineering and infrastructure industries had experienced a cyberincident within the last 12 months.

Why the Number of Coastal Homeowners with Flood Insurance Has Been Shrinking.
By Terry Spencer, Michael Kunzelman and Meghan Hoyer | September 7, 2017

Amanda Spartz nearly did not renew her home’s flood insurance policy after her first year in Florida. Two hurricanes came close to the Fort Lauderdale suburbs last year, but they didn’t hit and her home isn’t in a high-risk flood zone. She figured she could put the $450 annual premium, due next week, to another use.
​Then Harvey hit Houston, its historic rains causing massive floods even in low-risk neighborhoods. Spartz, a business analyst, paid the bill this week.

​One of the great challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey will be the number of uninsured victims. According to an Associated Press report, Houston’s Harris County actually had 25,000 fewer active flood insurance policies when Harvey slammed into the city than it did five years before.

So why, in a flood plain, were there so many uninsured homeowners?

Ford Motor Co. is considering deploying self-driving vehicle technology in larger commercial vehicles and is working with multiple partners to put its autonomous vehicles on the road, a senior Ford executive told Reuters on Tuesday.
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“We’ve been talking with different partners in different industries” about potential applications for Ford’s first self-driving vehicle in 2021, including ride-sharing and delivery services,” Sherif Marakby, vice president of autonomous vehicles and electrification at Ford, said in an interview.

​A Holland man who claimed an eye injury had kept him from working — or driving — has been ordered to pay back nearly $15,000 in benefits he collected from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation after he was caught on video parking cars and directing traffic at the downtown Toledo parking lot he owns.

There’s a lot that goes into organizing a successful festival – and, equally, a lot that can go wrong. From event cancellation, to terrorism, to property or bodily damage, to contractor negligence, the list of risks that need insurance is a long one.

Leigh Ann Rossi, COO of BWD Sports and Entertainment, a subsidiary of NFP, breaks down the risks a festival can face – and the coverages a broker should offer.

What are all the policies required for hosts of major festivals?

“Festivals should purchase event cancellation to protect their irrecoverable expenses and lost revenue in the event their festival is delayed, cancelled or interrupted.

​New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is thinking about securing an insurance policy for over $100 million in injury protection, sources say.

The NFL player will reportedly acquire insurance if he does not reach a contract extension with the team before the regular season begins.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order revoking the establishment of a federal flood risk management standard.
The order, signed on Tuesday, revokes an executive order signed by President Barack Obama on Jan. 30, 2015, to establish the standard and a stakeholder input process.

Many startups have attempted to help consumers cut cost and bring insurance purchasing directly to the buyer. For the most part, this has not been successful after many attempts to bring their new platforms and methods to the internet. Attempts include:

• ECoverage which is probably the earliest online insurance startup to offer insurance. This platform went out of business several years after it was luanched in 1999. 
• Esurance also started in 1999 and was acquired by Allstate Insurance in 2011. As of early 2017, they have yet to turn a profit.
• Google started an online insurance shopping platform some years ago. They officially shut it down in early 2017.

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