Monthly Archives: <span>May 2021</span>

Tennessee Dept. of Insurance Enables Remote Testing for Insurance Producers

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) has announced that Tennesseans seeking certification as insurance producers can now take their insurance exams remotely. Starting May 21, 2021, exams for prospective insurance producers can be taken at home, at the …

CNA Paid $40 Million in Ransom After March Cyber Attack

CNA Financial Corp., among the largest insurance companies in the U.S., paid $40 million in late March to regain control of its network after a ransomware attack, according to people with knowledge of the attack. The Chicago-based company paid the …

Black Media Mogul Allen Alleges Advertising Bias in Suing McDonald’s for $10 Billion

McDonald’s Corp. was sued on Thursday for at least $10 billion by two companies owned by media entrepreneur Byron Allen, who accused the fast-food chain of racial discrimination for not advertising enough with Black-owned media outlets. The complaint filed in …

Hawaii Can Expect 2 to 5 Storms During Hurricane Season

The central Pacific basin including Hawaii can expect between two and five tropical depressions, tropical storms or hurricanes this year, federal forecasters said Wednesday. The annual National Weather Service prediction said there is about an 80% chance of a near …

Alaska Health Website Targeted in Malware Attack

The Alaska health department website was the target of a malware attack, officials said. A similar attack previously targeted the state’s court system. The health department in a statement late Tuesday said its website was taken offline Monday while an …

Washington Creates New Farmworker Safety Team

The Washington state Department of Labor and Industries is creating a new team aimed at improving farmworker safety. When fully staffed, the agriculture compliance unit will create 16 new positions, the Yakima Herald reported. Thirteen of those posts will focus …

AM Best Revises Outlook to Stable for Topa in California

AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” (Excellent) of Topa Insurance Co. in Calabasas, Calif. and its subsidiary, Dorchester Insurance …

People Moves: Lockton Transactional Team; Marsh Counsel; Kemper Chairman; BMS Re CFO; AgriSompo North America

Lockton is bolstering its transaction liability team with key hires across the three transaction liability insurance product lines: Representations and Warranties Insurance, Tax Liability Insurance and Contingent Liability and Litigation Insurance. These hires come on the heels of Lockton’s addition …

Canada Faces Mega-Hurricanes if Climate Change Pushes Storms North: Swiss Re Warns

Climate change is making hurricanes bigger and stronger, and it may soon push them farther north. Yet Canada’s homeowners, businesses and insurers underestimate that escalating risk, according to one of the world’s leading reinsurance firms. Overall, the northern nation has …

Irish Health Service Hackers Offer Decryption Key – but $20M Ransom Demand Remains

A day after threatening to publicly release patient data, the hackers who targeted Ireland’s health service offered a decryption key that they said could be used to unlock computers infected with ransomware. While seeming to offer an olive branch — …