Category:

Risk Management

A massive ransomware attack has hit more than 1,000 companies

The impact of the attack is only beginning to come to light. In Sweden, a majority of grocery chain Coop’s more than 800 stores couldn’t open on Saturday after the attack led to a malfunction of their cash registers, spokesperson Therese Knapp told Bloomberg News.

There are victims in 11 countries so far, according to research published by cybersecurity firm ESET.

The hackers were identified as the Russia-linked ransomware group REvil, which was accused last month of hacking giant meatpacker JBS SA.

read more

Didi shares dive as China unveils new cyber probe after mega IPO

The move is to prevent data security risks, safeguard national security and protect public interest, according to a statement from the Cyberspace Administration of China. Didi has halted new user registrations during the probe. The company, which only started trading on Wednesday in New York after an initial public offering, fell 7% to $15.26.

read more

Cyber laws, rules, and guidance must be workable, risk-based, clear, transparent, and consistently applied across companies and jurisdictions:US Insurers

Insurance is an important economic recovery resource for victims of ransomware attacks.  Prohibitions on the reimbursement of legal ransom payments presents potential unintended consequence such as eliminating a meaningful risk management resource.
Insurance policy and underwriting activities should not be misconstrued as cybersecurity risk assessments, which provide the insured with confidence that their security measures are sufficient to avoid or eliminate ransomware attacks. 

Insurance is an important economic recovery resource for victims of ransomware attacks.  Prohibitions on the reimbursement of legal ransom payments presents potential unintended consequence such as eliminating a meaningful risk management resource. 
Like a customer’s decision on how to manage cyber risk, insurers must also be able to determine their risk appetite through careful underwriting and appropriate coverage offerings.  

read more

Big Tech’s push into India’s financial sector raises concerns, says central bank

The RBI said concerns included operational risks, too-big-to fail issues, challenges for antitrust rules, cybersecurity and data privacy. But it added that positive outcomes could include efficiency gains and more access to financial services.
The central bank’s warnings come at a time of much tension between the Indian government and U.S. tech giants over issues that range from e-commerce rules to data privacy and content posted on their platforms. Amazon, Facebook, Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Twitter have all been caught up in disputes with New Delhi.

read more

Study links Black Carbon with premature deaths, may help better estimate pollution mortality burden

Most pollution-based epidemiological studies essentially relate exposure to the concentration of particulate matters (PM-10 and/or PM -2.5) that invariably generalise all particulates with equal toxicity without distinguishing among them by source and composition, which genuinely have different health consequences.

Scientist R K Mall led the team of other scientists including Nidhi Singh, Alaa Mhawish, Tirthankar Banerjee, Santu Ghosh, R S Singh from the Department of Science & Technology-Mahamana Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research (MCECCR) at Banaras Hindu University which conducted the story.

read more

Swiss Re’s iptiQ and ImmoScout24 launch digital loss of rent insurance

Andreas Schertzinger, CEO of iptiQ EMEA P&C, says: “With ImmoScout24, we have found the ideal partner in Germany to offer customers tailor-made household insurance products online precisely when it matters. Thanks to the seamless integration of our product into ImmoScout24’s digital ecosystem, customers can insure themselves against the risk of rent-related losses directly online and throughout the rental process.”

read more

“Overall, the insurance capacity in Asia is shrinking in the Power sector”

“Overall, the insurance capacity in Asia is shrinking in the Power sector. While the rate of hardening has now decreased for most lines of business from last year’s percentage rises, the pressure to keep pushing for year-on-year increases shows little sign of abating. It is important for Power companies to work closely with their risk advisors, using risk and analytics tools to help them manage their cost of risk through purchasing the right limits and retention levels for their insurance programmes.

read more