The ALS Group Risk Management Articles

We manage more than a quarter billion dollars of premiums for a diverse range of clients around the globe. 

A screenshot of the Pokémon GO game showing a Charmander on a sidewalk.

“Gotta Catch em All” – Pokemon Go’s Huge Cyber Vulnerability

The Pokemon Go phenomena is real. Players of the mobile device augmented reality “scavenger hunt” app are out on the streets in droves hunting down Pikachu, Psyduck, Bulbasaur, Charmander and other elusive Nintendo based cartoon characters. Chances are you or someone you know is playing the game…don’t lie, you’re playing it aren’t you? The mobile game developed by Nintendo partner Niantic has caused Nintendo’s stock to jump 36% adding $7 billion to its market cap.

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A smartphone illustration with a red bug icon displayed on the screen, indicating a software or security issue.

Is Your Mobile Device Putting Your Company at Risk?

Are you addicted to your mobile device? Most of us are. Everything is a tap or swipe away. You can check account balances, pay bills, order from online stores, deal with business email and documents, etc… Essentially, mobile devices allow you to manage your life untethered. Hackers realize that too and are targeting mobile devices more than ever.

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A magnifying glass highlights the words "NOT COVERED" on a document, emphasizing the exclusions listed in your cyber insurance policy.

Cyber Coverage – What’s Missing in Your Policy?

In several of my most recent “Cyber Tuesday” posts, I’ve discussed the importance of developing a comprehensive cyber risk mitigation strategy which includes IT security measures, well thought out incident response, business continuity documentation and cyber insurance. A recent ransomware event at the University of Calgary shifted the focus to the cyber insurance.

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A yellow folder labeled "Cyber Incident Response Plan" lies on a desk near a computer keyboard.

Cyber Breach! – Now what?

When addressing cyber risk and the threat of ransomware most of the time we focus on prevention and mitigation strategies. However, being prepared to respond quickly and efficiently when an event does occur is just as important to operations recovery, cyber event cost reduction, and brand/reputation protection. Having a well-defined, documented, and regularly tested Incident Response Plan (“IRP”) that aligns with your Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plan (“BCP”) can help your organization to recover from and remain operational during a cyber breach event.

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3rd Party Cyber Risk – Are You Covered?

When considering cyber related risk, many would often think, “How could my organization’s system be breached?” Hopefully, they plan some defense for their server being hacked and purchase Cyber Liability Insurance that covers first party loss. This is all well and good, but it is important to consider the exposure when storing data with an off-site storage provider or granting system access to a vendor/provider of any kind. What if they are hacked?

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OSHA Recordkeeping – Nowhere to Hide

The recent changes to the OSHA record keeping rules that were issued a couple of weeks ago  have been drawing quite a few negative comments from business and industry. The new rule has a component requiring employers with more than 20 employees to electronically submit information about work-related injuries and illnesses.

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Cyber Liability – Traditional Insurance Policies May Offer Coverage

As it stands today securing a cyber liability policy is almost mandatory for organizations who store any client/customer related data or connect to the internet… which is almost everyone at this point. However, when a cyber breach or related claim occurs, looking to your traditional policies to provide coverage may be worthwhile.

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The Internet of Everything – Managing Cyber Risk in 2016

The recently released study by PWC has identified Cybercrime as 2016’s second most reported economic crime. Organizations believing they may have minimal exposure or immunity to cyber risk is unfortunately wishful thinking thanks to the “Internet of Things” (“IoT”). Firewalls, security rules, and best practices may protect you against conventional security vulnerabilities, but the periphery devices that make up the internet of things open up a new set of cyber risks.

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Be Prepared – Data Breach Notification Laws Are Changing

You thought everything was in its right place. Firewalls are properly configured, systems are patched on a scheduled basis, anti-virus is up-to-date… but something has gone wrong and your network has been breached. Your employee or customer’s Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) has been taken, or worse, been made public…but what happens next?

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Our areas of expertise include:

  • Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
  • Cyber Security & Cyber Liability Insurance
  • Construction Management
  • Customized Risk Management Assessments (RMAs)

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