As the Covid related restrictions are being lifted and we are slowly returning to our pre-pandemic routines, we are all looking forward to celebrating Independence Day.

Fireworks are a staple of Fourth of July celebrations in the United States, and while some small towns are still scaling back their professional fireworks displays, Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks on the East River are back in full force.  People are gathering again for cookouts in their backyards, parks and beaches to barbecue and put on their own firework displays. 

The ALS team is celebrating our first Independence Day in our new home and, as always, our mindset is that of mitigating risks.  To that end, we wanted to share some important points on the fireworks safety. 

Halloween is just around the corner, but thanks to COVID, the traditions of everyone’s favorite spooky holiday are off limits this year.

O.K., so, we aren’t able to host crowded costume parties or have crowds attend the haunted houses people have traditionally set up in their backyards, but can we do anything fun on Halloween this year? What about trick-or-treating, kids’ and, let’s be honest, most of adults’ favorite part of Halloween?

Unfortunately, with the ongoing pandemic, it is a bit more risky than ever before. Each state has put COVID related safety guidelines in place and it is important we stay vigilant especially with all of the Halloween related activities that traditionally occur in the month of October.

As companies had to quickly pivot and implement a remote work plan (a lot of them did not have such a plan in place) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they became more at risk for a cyber attack and/or breach due to the vulnerabilities they did not even know they had. As a result of this there has been an uptick in the success rate of cyber attacks in the United States.

Coalition Inc., a cyber insurance provider, recently released their H1 2020 Cyber Insurance Claims report that noted a decrease in the frequency of ransomware claims however, its policyholders have experienced a 100% increase in average demands from 2019 to the first quarter of 2020, then an increase of 47% from the first quarter to the second.¹

As restrictions due to COVID-19 are slowly lifted, many businesses that have been, either, shut down or had their employees work remotely, are thinking of when and how to re-open and bring their workforce back safely. One of the biggest challenges facing business owners making this type of decision, is how does one manage this new, challenging and invisible risk (risk of COVID transmission), while ensuring your team’s productivity remains high.  

Fireworks are a staple of Fourth of July celebrations in the United States, and many towns put on their own professional fireworks displays which are monitored for safety by local fire departments.  This year, many of these have been cancelled due to the pandemic, but people still want to celebrate, and many take it upon themselves to set off the fireworks at home. 

As we are “flattening the curve” and the economy is slowly opening, employees will start to transition back to the office after nearly four (4) months of working from home. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many organizations to close and, those that did not have a disaster recovery/business continuity plan in place had to scramble to come up with a “work from home” solution in order to keep their business running while keeping their employees safe and healthy. Such “on the fly” solutions can cause serious complications as employees return to the office, and company leadership realizes that they must adjust their risk strategies to suit the “new normal”.

COVID-19 forced many companies to close their operations, which caused a great deal of disruption for numerous businesses on both direct losses and their revenue stream.

With America trying to “re-open” there is a host of issues that need to be wrestled with. One of the areas that, we think, might be low on the list for many companies is how their supply chain has been affected and will continue to be impacted by COVID related issues. Having latent supply chain disruption can wreak havoc on a business already challenged by the shutdown. This type of risk needs to be understood, so the company can plan for alternatives.

As the effects of COVID-19 continue to impact businesses, it will, surely be an uphill battle to have insurers confirm coverage under most standard insurance policies. Ultimately, a flurry of litigation and government intervention will determine how insurers deal with the losses that their insureds are suffering and will continue to experience stemming from this disaster.

Over the next few weeks and months (maybe years), as these claims unfold, insurers will be faced with the task of interpreting policies and informing their insureds how coverage will or won’t respond. In the meantime, there are some things a business can do to preserve their position with potential COVID-19 claims.

As a follow up to our previous article on the subject of Cyber Security During a Pandemic, we thought we’d share with you some of the topics used in phishing scams, so that you are better prepared, should you become the target of one.

Most businesses in the United States have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the illness spreads far and wide, many businesses have had to comply with local and federal "stay at home" orders, as well as orders to cease all non-essential construction work, causing delays, and disruption across the construction industry.