Companies face several threats to their business and supply chains on a regular basis, but one that has emerged as a primary threat is cyber. With news around Chinese hackers launching attacks, the U.S. government as well as companies are being more vigilant than ever before in protecting their data and information. But what are businesses doing about their supply chains?
Risk & Reward: Mobile Banking in the BYOD Era
The numbers really tell the story when it comes to mobile banking and it’s upward trend over the last year.
- 82% of banks offer mobile banking technology through apps
- In 2012, 1 in 5 people use a mobile device for banking transactions
- In 2013, 1 in 3 people use a mobile device for banking transactions
- Remote deposit capture doubled to 21% from 2012 to 2013
With mobile banking on the rise in addition to companies switching to a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture – it creates a perfect storm of opportunities and risks for both banks and employers – so how do they manage that risk?
Webinar
Hospital Property Risk Management and Insurance in a Changing World
Join our webinar and examine the issues facing hospital risk managers and loss control specialists in a challenging and rapidly changing environment. A panel of experts also will share their insights and offer innovative ideas for addressing the most pressing concerns.
Real Estate White Papers
Contract litigation insurance: A weapon that can help prepare your company for battle
Today’s real estate industry is under siege. Multiple issues threaten to reduce profitability. Sometime owners fail to pay as agreed, leaving real estate companies few options other than contract litigation.
Expect the Unexpected in a more Interconnected World
Cyber risks, security and threats have been on the forefront of the news lately, particularly with the latest reports about the U.S. accusing China of cyber warfare. Some would say that the topic of cyber risk never ceases to attract attention, but it’s for good reason. The threats and risks that insurers and customers face are very real and the wide reaching impacts can cause global disruption. So in an interconnected world – how do you keep your business safe?
Navigating industries and risks of the future
This year we did a study on what the hottest growth industries of the future would be. What we found is that while we’ll move forward in the area of healthcare – with care being more mobile and technologically advanced than ever – we’re also going “back to the future” in the manufacturing industry. Read More…
Big Data: What’s the impact on healthcare?
There’s been a lot of talk about Big Data in the news lately and how it will impact the way businesses do business, how people are marketed to and more importantly, how it will change the way people live. But how will Big Data change healthcare and the way it’s delivered?
To help answer that question and provide some perspective around Big Data, we caught up with Larry Collins, vice president of our E-Solutions unit within Zurich Services Corp.’s Risk Engineering Services.
Data and Information – How to manage a business’s greatest asset
Business is more interconnected than ever through the use of mobile applications to help better serve customers and maintain contact with business partners. Naturally, the more interconnected we are the more risk that arises when it comes to security and privacy of information.
The single greatest asset a business possess in this digital age is information. Data and intellectual property can lead to a businesses success, but if not protected properly, can lead to its downfall. A “self-check” of the types of information a company has can help them better understand what is out there and how it should be managed.
Zurich recently put together a guide to assist a business in going through this process. The word cloud below puts emphasis on perhaps the most important pieces of this puzzle – “data” and “information.”
Click to enlarge word cloud
Access the Zurich General Information Privacy Self-Check Program
Greenwashing or Green Fraud?
I knew something was wrong the moment I walked in the door.
I had just stopped in to check on a job recently for a new client, when a burning chemical smell assaulted my senses. After checking on our technicians to make sure they were OK, it didn’t take me long to trace the source of the harsh fumes. Not far from our team, a worker from another company was stripping and waxing our client’s floor.
My first thought was there must be a mistake. Our client prioritized using environmentally friendly alternatives at their facility and the service truck in the parking lot was from an “Eco” branded company. So I checked out the chemicals this “green” company was using and I quickly found the answer: greenwashing. Read More…
Why Going Green Can Enhance Real Estate’s ‘Sex Appeal’
Human beings have an innate attraction to nature.
It’s a biological bond where exposure to nature can affect your blood pressure, heart rate, hormones and other vital functions – think the first time you met your spouse or significant other for a sense of how powerful this attraction can be. This deep connection is central to the concept of Biophilia, which was popularized by biologist Edward O. Wilson.
“Biophilia is the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms,” Wilson said “Life around us exceeds in complexity and beauty anything else humanity is ever likely to encounter.”
Five MUSTs to consider before Hurricane Sandy hits
Zurich risk management specialists have put together five things you must consider before the storm hits.
- Personnel safety is priority #1. Protect employees while they work at heights, enforce lock out/tag out procedures and electrical safety, use good material handling practices while moving equipment or making preparations and monitor work surfaces to help prevent slip, trips and falls among workers, customers and emergency service personnel.
- Business continuity begins with your people. Consider activating work-from-home procedures and limiting non-essential travel. Be conscious that some employees may be scrambling to find childcare if schools in your area are closed.
- A clogged roof drain can actually collapse your roof. It’s fall, and leaves clogging gutters on roofs and sewer systems on the ground have the potential to collapse your roof or back water up into your basement and ground floors. Have your roof professionals clear gutters and contact local authorities to clear sewer systems before the storm. Make any necessary roof repairs now to help prevent more damage later.
- Be supply chain savvy. Numerous major American retailers, manufacturers and distributors rely on goods received along the Eastern seaboard. The American Association of Port Authorities ranked the New York/New Jersey area as the third largest container traffic port in 2011 (Savannah, GA was fourth). Have your suppliers’ (and, if applicable, their suppliers’) information handy, and review your backup plans in event of a supplier disruption. A supply chain healthcheck may help identify potential kinks in your chain.
- Collect and protect critical information. Take your policy documentation and other important documents with you in the event of an evacuation. Make certain your servers are in a secure area and move to a higher elevation if possible.
For more information about windstorms, visit www.zurichna.com/windstorm
Recovery after Isaac could be tricky with flooding
Isaac is still wreaking havoc along the Gulf Coast with heavy rains pounding Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and souther Arkansas as it slowly makes its way inland.
According to Accuweather reports, Isaac has dumped nearly 2 feet of rain, with 23.31 inches reported in Gretna, La. As the storm system spins north, it’s expected it will continue to produce saturating rains, heightening the risk of inland flooding in low-lying areas and watersheds.
Meanwhile, as storms begin to clear people will begin assessing damage to homes and businesses, which can prove to be dangerous, particularly in flooded areas.