Industry News

​The Rise of C​​​yber C​artelsGangs of cyber criminals are organizing themselves along the lines of drug cartels and changing their strategy of attack in order to keep ahead of authorities' efforts to stamp them out. These cartels are formed to execute ransomware campaigns collaboratively, expanding hackers' playbooks to include so-called “double extortion," data exfiltration and data modification.​Lawmakers Criticize Colonial ​​Pipeline for Cyber WeaknessUS lawmakers criticized Colonial Pipeline Co.'s cybersecurity practices as the company's chief executive officer faced his second day of questioning on Capitol Hill. “If your pipeline provides fuel to 45% of the East Coast, why are you only hardening systems after an attack?…

BI Insurance Cases He​​lped Bu​​ild Record Wave of Class Action SuitsClass action lawsuits reached a fever pitch during the past year, with insurance coverage cases involving business interruption (BI) accounting for 21% of COVID-19-related litigation. During 2020, spending on class action litigation grew at a rate more than double that of other litigation spending, reaching a record $2.9 billion.Forgotten Your Passwords? T​​​hey Soon May Be Lost Altogether – wit​h Insurers' HelpThe most popular password in 2020 was exposed almost 24 million times and took less than a second to crack. The rise in phishing has been accompanied by significant innovations in technology and security, with…

​​New Yorkers who are without health insurance can take advantage of a new enrollment period and expanded financial assistance, according to New York State of Health (NYSOH). NYSOH is the state's health insurance marketplace established under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). This may enable you to assist people who contact you for individual health insurance.The expanded financial assistance is a feature of the American Rescue Plan, which the president signed into law on March 11. The  ACA has always provided for premium tax credits for individuals and households with incomes below 400% of the federal poverty line. The new law increased the size of the tax credits…