Some 30 million small businesses drive the U.S. economy. And, back in 2014, Insureon was one of the original insurtechs launched to serve small businessowners who wanted to … Read More » The post Minding the Gap in Small Commercial appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Podcasts – Insurance Journal TV

Minding the Gap in Small Commercial

When you see the term à la carte on a menu, at, say a steakhouse, you know you’ll be dropping a few C-notes for your meal, which now … Read More » The post EP. 21: Menu for Cannabis Insurance Buyers is an A la carte Affair appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

EP. 21: Menu for Cannabis Insurance Buyers is an A la carte Affair

More than a year has passed since pandemic-related government restrictions began, causing many businesses around the world to shift their workforce to remote. With increased reliance on technology, … Read More » The post EP. 11: What the ‘New Normal’ Means for Cyber Insurers, Coverage appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

EP. 11: What the ‘New Normal’ Means for Cyber Insurers, Coverage

If you haven’t listened to Dustyne Bryant, you’re about to get an earful. Talk about passion. When the personal lines academic director for the National Alliance gets on … Read More » The post Agents: You Gotta Ask Clients About Their Gigs appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Agents: You Gotta Ask Clients About Their Gigs

Cyber attacks can strike any individual or business at any time, but on this episode of the Insuring Cyber Podcast, Insurance Journal’s Elizabeth Blosfield spoke with two guests … Read More » The post EP. 10: Insurance Industry Stepping Up as Cyber Risks Mount for High-Net-Worth appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

EP. 10: Insurance Industry Stepping Up as Cyber Risks Mount for High-Net-Worth

Investor Caribou Honig is looking at opportunities in the “1099 economy” – legions of freelancers who are reshaping the traditional employment model. He co-founded the InsureTech Connect conference – so far a “go” again for an in-person show in Vegas this year – and has turned attention to supporting entrepreneurs who are “creating the future of work.” His boutique VC fund is focused on startups whose products are sold to or through the employer, including workplace tech, HealthTech, FinTech and InsureTech – anything related to how people work and live better lives. Caribou also reflects on insuretech trends and how some entrepreneurs have evolved their approaches for the insurance value chain. The post InsureTech Connect Leader Targets Future of Work appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

InsureTech Connect Leader Targets Future of Work

As we wrap up Insurance Careers Month, we check in with Emily Hathcoat, who’s navigated a career leading marketing teams for CNA and Risk Placement Services (RPS). How it all ramped up for her is a story in curiosity, political skill and perseverance. Emily shares lots of practical advice for learning and advancing careers – plus what marketers and brand strategists might be learning during the pandemic. We also take the time to discuss “working mom guilt,” although clearly from different perspectives. Emily is a rock star, too – she recently received the Icon Award from the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association (IMCA). The post Lessons for Marketers… And Moms appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Lessons for Marketers… And Moms

Anyone who uses social media has probably come across deepfakes, which refer to media such as videos, photos or audio that have been modified using artificial intelligence. Deepfakes have become increasingly common in entertainment, internet memes and social media over the past few years. However, as the technology becomes more advanced, it’s raising questions over the impact to insurers as they attempt to fight fraud or prepare for cyber attacks. “Deepfakes are a moving target, and I mean, if we want to talk about the insurance industry, it’s probably something that was viewed as sort of this novelty out on social media for a while,” says Nicos Vekiarides, CEO and co-founder of software company Attestiv, in this episode of the Insuring Cyber Podcast. However, Nicos explains that the COVID-19 pandemic in particular has led a lot of insurers to move to self-service, in which photos to accompany claims are taken and provided by insureds rather than adjusters. “It creates this level of trust,” he says. “And that means that there’s a lot more exposure for insurance companies to this new form of media fraud. Are the photos or videos that I’m getting from my insured – are they real or not?” Attestiv works to verify the authenticity of digital media and data to prevent fraud and risk, and Nicos says whether it comes to reputational damage or cyber threats, deepfakes have escalated the risks for insurers. “I think insurance companies might be well-positioned to help drive a solution by encouraging their customers and maybe even rewarding businesses for taking steps to mitigate their exposure to fake media and deepfakes,” he says. “Think of it as sort of the equivalent of the safe driver credit for running a business. If you’ve put in place a solution that can help prevent or detect or mitigate the effect of deepfakes, you’re really reducing your risk. So I think that’s very important going forward.” In its recent report titled Social Engineering: Blurring reality and fake, CyberCube says the ability to create realistic fake audio and video using artificial intelligence and machine learning has grown steadily and could become a major cyber threat to businesses and cyber insurers within the next two years. “What we say in the report is not necessarily that deepfakes, along with other socially engineered attack technologies, will open up brand new attack categories,” says Darren Thomson, author of the report and CyberCube’s head of cybersecurity strategy, later in this episode. “But what we are saying is that they’re very likely to supercharge existing attack strategies…so that’s definitely a dynamic that we think the insurance industry needs to keep an eye on.” He adds that for insurers already worried about ransomware, emerging technologies powered by AI could likely supercharge ransomware and other attack types. “This is always a cat and mouse game between the side of defenders and the cyber attackers,” he says. “Technologies are emerging now to detect deepfakes, for example, and to apply clever algorithms to try to detect when a video is not real. So it’s important that the insurance industry keep track of not just what the adversary’s doing, but also what the defenders are doing and to be constantly in touch with their clients around what defenses are being stood up in response to these emerging attacks.” To find out what else Nicos and Darren have to say, check out the most recent episode of The Insuring Cyber Podcast and be sure to tune in for new episodes every other Wednesday. The post EP. 8: How a Social Media Fad Is Turning into a Cyber, Fraud Risk for Insurers appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

EP. 8: How a Social Media Fad Is Turning into a Cyber, Fraud Risk for Insurers

Shares in cannabis companies soared during the trading week ending Feb. 12, spurred in part by interest similar to the recent Reddit-GameStop trading frenzy. But it’s not just Redditors behind rising cannabis stocks. The ETFMG cannabis stocks exchange-traded fund has more than doubled in value since the presidential elections. By all accounts, there may be many more good weeks to come in the publicly traded cannabis sector, and therein lies opportunity for insurance professionals. The post EP.18: Insuring Public Cannabis Companies is the Business to be in appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

EP.18: Insuring Public Cannabis Companies is the Business to be in

Continuing our February Insurance Careers Month series, we catch up with a bright young marketing star in Jennifer Edwards with Argo Group US. She recently received the Rising Star award from the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association. How did Jen first get into this fine business a few years back? How did she progress? What advice for others who are just getting started out? “Be eager to take on new projects. Look for opportunities to challenge yourself outside of what you normally do. Be enthusiastic. Build relationships. Connect with people at different levels at the company. Be proactive, but don’t overwhelm yourself to plan for every scenario.” You’ll enjoy listening to Jen’s perspectives. The post ‘Rising Star’ Navigates Insurance Marketing appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

‘Rising Star’ Navigates Insurance Marketing

It turns out that business-focused cannabis clubs on college campuses are a thing. And they aren’t just an excuse to have keggers, pumpkin bongs, and pizza – though there’s little bit of that stuff. With so many states legalizing it, and the industry growing so rapidly, it makes sense that savvy business students out there are taking an interest in all things green. For some insight on all of this, we spoke with the president of the Marshall Cannabis Industry Club, a graduate level “business of cannabis” organization at USC. The post EP. 17: USC’s Cannabis Industry Club is All Business – Mostly appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

EP. 17: USC’s Cannabis Industry Club is All Business – Mostly

In this episode of IJam, host Julie Tinney chats with Matt Horton, EVP at SIS Insure. Listen in and you’ll learn fun facts like: • Where SIS fits in the industry. • Why Matt would never get in a fight with Lance Bishop, their most dependable underwriter. • What cool branding & educational tools can be found in their online producer toolbox. • Whether SIS is an insurtech company. • Why agents love them. • Why Matt was the only kid in his 7th grade class. Period. • …and More! The post How SIS Is Leveraging Technology & Education for its Growing Broker/Agent Network appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

How SIS Is Leveraging Technology & Education for its Growing Broker/Agent Network

How does that happen? Well, since February is Insurance Careers Month, let’s dive in, have some fun, and hear from Steve Linkous, CEO of Harford Mutual. (No, not The Hartford.) Steve joined the company back in 1985 at age – wait for it – 17. He grew up on a dairy farm and learned the value of how a business can support a family, and he brought those values to the carrier, first by starting in computer science. Listen as Steve walks us through his career progression and advice for others seeking to learn new things and grow professionally. Harford, a small commercial lines-only carrier, posted its best year ever in 2020, despite 10 months of operations in a pandemic. Steve tells us how that happened, too. The post Dairy Farmer Becomes Carrier CEO appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.