Why Covid-19 Should Have You Rethinking Cyber Liability Insurance

In this day and age, organizations rely on computers, networks, and electronic data to complete essential tasks. With most companies implementing work-from-home guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic, office staff are dependent on technology like never before. For organizations unfamiliar to the challenges of having staff work-from-home, there are dangerous cyber risks at play, such as hacking and data breaches, which can lead to costly damages for organizations trying to navigate these new waters.

Cybercrime is the fastest growing crime in the United States, and it’s increasing in complexity and cost. In 2019, cybercrime costs businesses over $2 trillion, and by 2021, it is estimated to cost the world $6 trillion annually. Because of this, the team at Hawley and Associates work diligently to ensure our clients are fully protected against any unforeseen circumstances.

It’s clear that cybercriminals have taken advantage of the opportunities presented by the pandemic and businesses are more likely to become victims as attacks quickly advance.  Social engineering is a tool of deception currently being used that relies on manipulating human emotions to bypass our critical thinking – a game that cybercriminals play all too well. They exploit uncertain or emotional situations to manipulate people into taking actions they would typically refrain from.

Attackers have been reveling in the chaos the pandemic has created by taking advantage of employees working from home, without the technical protections that their organization’s IT network usually provides. Additionally, many employees are working from their personal computers, often shared with family members, all while processing sensitive and potentially personally identifiable information (PII) without the extra security of managed endpoint protection.  Many standard insurance policies are not intended to act in such dispersed environments, leaving policy holders less protected against wire transfer fraud and other attacks.

WHY CYBER INSURANCE IS IMPORTANT
The loss, compromise or theft of electronic data can have a detrimental impact on a business, including the loss of customers and revenue. Businesses may also be liable for damages stemming from the theft of third-party data. Cyber liability coverage is crucial to protect businesses against the risk of cyber events, including those related to breach of data, lost devices, and terrorism.
Cyber insurance policies are sold by many of the same carriers that provide business insurance, such as E&O insurance, business liability insurance and commercial property insurance. Most policies also include first-party and third-party coverage. First-party coverage applies to the losses that directly impact a company, while third-party coverage applies to losses suffered by others from a cyber event or incident, depending on their business relationship with that company.

Having a cyber insurance policy in place helps cover the financial losses that result from cyber-attacks. Furthermore, cyber-risk coverage helps with the costs associated with remediation, including payment for legal assistance, investigators, crisis communicators, and customer credits or refunds.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE PROTECTED

Because cyber liability insurance is relatively new and rapidly evolving, policies will vary widely from one provider to the next. We here at Hawley and Associates take pride in the strong relationships we’ve maintained with our insurance carriers and are steadfast in our mission to provide the right policy you need to guarantee you and your organization are well protected.  We carefully review policy details to ensure it contains the necessary protections and provisions needed for each specific type of business. In addition, we evaluate whether policies provide protection against known and emerging cyber incidents and threat profiles.


The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on every industry in the world, which has opened unimaginable doors for cyber-criminals. Because of this, we have seen an uptick in cyber liability claims come across our desks from organizations of all sizes. This assures one common fear we all have – no one is safe from these attacks. Therefore, if your organization has inadequate cyber liability insurance coverage, or maybe you have none at all, please contact us for a free quote and to answer any questions you might have on how to better protect your mission.

Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Expanding into Nevada

Some more good news to reach the headlines! Late last month, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption announced they were expanding the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program to Nevada. Through this program, the Foundation supplies funding to adoption agencies to hire recruiters who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model. According to the Foundation, the model of the program has been proven to be up to three times more effective at serving children who have been in foster care the longest, including teenagers, sibling groups and children with special needs.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has worked tirelessly for almost 30 years to find permanent homes for more than 155,000 children in North America’s foster care systems. In 2017, the Foundation introduced a business plan to full scale the program across all 50 states and Washington D.C. As the plan comes to an end of phase one, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program is now under statewide expansion in Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington and now, Nevada. To date, this program has helped find adoptive homes for more than 9,000 children across the United States, including 146 youth in Nevada, the Dave Thomas Foundation stated.

Here’s a closer look at what has already been accomplished in Nevada:

• 406 children served
• 99 children currently on caseloads
• 238 children with families waiting for court finalization
• 146 permanent placements.

At Hawley and Associates, we believe every child is entitled to a loving family they can celebrate their successes and feel a sense of belonging. We are delighted to witness such massive action being taken by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. An evidence-based program, such as Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, is precisely the type of work needed to permanently place all children in foster care into safe, loving homes. We are looking forward to watching this incredible program expand across North America.

Hurricane Safety and Preparedness

The hurricane season officially starts on June 1^st and ends on November 30^th. The 2020 North Atlantic hurricane season is off to a historically fast start with already three named storms by early June.  This year will mark the sixth consecutive year that a named storm has preceded the official start of hurricane season. The 30-year average number of named storms is 13.  This year experts predict 17 named storms.


According to The Weather Channel, they have seen 5 unusual events so far this season:

• Three named storms have already formed in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season (none of these became a hurricane).
• Cristobal was the earliest "C" storm (or third named storm) on record and its remnants tracked to Wisconsin.
• Bertha made landfall one hour after it formed.
• All three storms brought impact to the U.S.

Below are some helpful resources to assist you in creating a clear hurricane plan that can help your company minimize injuries and property damage and get back in business quickly following a storm:

FEMA Hurricane Tool Kit
FEMA – "Every Business Should Have A Plan"


Hawley & Associates wishes everyone safety this hurricane season. If you have questions about your insurance coverage or would like an insurance policy review, please contact us!

Sesame Street Teams Up with CNN To Host Town Hall Meeting Discussing Racism

Considering the race relation challenges the nation and world has been witnessing, some parents and child advocates might find it challenging to find the words when explaining these situations to young children. Back in April, Sesame Street partnered with CNN to spell out the ABC’s of Coronavirus in a televised town hall for parents and kids. Now, they are back to help families and caregivers educate their children about racism. This Saturday, June 6 at 10a.m. ET, CNN and Sesame Street will be hosting a 60-minute special Coming Together: Standing Up To Racism.

The PBS Muppets will be welcoming diversity and explaining how to be empathetic and understanding. According to CNN, the show intends to talk to kids about the recent nationwide protests.  Big Bird will be co-hosting with CNN commentator Van Jones and reporter Erica Hill. Original Sesame Street cast members will be joining as well – including Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Rosita. They will be helping to answer questions submitted by families. 

Sesame Street has been with us for over 50 years helping to explain the ins and outs of the world to children. They have never shied away from addressing the dark or scary topics of society with kids. A new Muppet was introduced in 2011 who struggled with hunger. Another Muppet moved onto the street who had autism, and in 2009, they even debuted a cute character who was HIV-Positive. And just last year, a new character named Karlie explained how he lived in a foster home.

Viewers can tune-in Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. ET on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español. It will also stream live on CNN.com’s homepage and across mobile devices via CNN’s apps, without requiring a cable login.

Hawley and Associates was founded on the core belief of empowerment, equality and a brighter future for our clients and community. In this, we stand with our neighbors of color against systemic racism, injustice, hatred, and police brutality. Treating all people with dignity and respect is a cornerstone of our mission, and in this very difficult time we commit to acting in alignment with our values. Based on this, we continue to stand behind you and your mission to help make a difference in the communities we all serve and support.

The Gift of Art: 10-Year-Old Girl Gives 1,500 Art Kits to Kids in Foster Care and Homeless Shelters During Pandemic

A 10-year-old girl is solely responsible for giving the gift of art and smiles to more than 1,500 kids in foster care and homeless shelters during the Covid-19 shutdowns. The brains behind Chelsea’s Charity – a nonprofit started in August 2019 for the purpose of donating art kits to at-risk children – is Chelsea Phaire, a vibrant sixth grader from Danbury, Connecticut, who started this organization with her parents as part of her 10th birthday present.

“Since she was seven, she was begging me and her dad to start a charity,” Candace Phaire, Chelsea’s mom, told CNN. “She was so persistent, every couple of months she would ask, ‘Are we starting Chelsea’s Charity yet?’ When she was turning 10, she asked us again, and we decided it was time to go for it.”

Chelsea asked people to give her art supplies instead of birthday gifts as a way of commencing the charity on her birthday. After the first round of donations helped to supply several dozen art kits for children in need, Chelsea pushed on and set up her charity’s Amazon Wishlist as a way to collect supplies for the kits. Since then, Chelsea’s Charity has donated hundreds of art kits to women’s shelters, schools, and homeless shelters impacted by gun violence in 12 US States. Each kit contains crayons, gel pens, coloring books, paper, and colored pencils. Although stay-at-home orders have prevented her from personally delivering the kits like she normally would, she has still managed to send an additional 1,500 art kits since quarantine started.

Chelsea believes art is a healing remedy, which is why her mission is to help as many traumatized kids as she possibly can through art. Despite her tenacity and zest for life, she herself is no stranger to trauma. When Chelsea was just 8, someone considered part of her family lost their life to gun violence. This was the point that art went from being a hobby to the perfect therapy. Knowing that there are other children out there also dealing with trauma is what motivated Chelsea to help make art more accessible to kids in need and to help them cope with their emotions.

Candace Phaire, who is a professor of early-childhood education at Central Connecticut State University, believes art plays an important role in the emotional development of children. “Art therapy is being prescribed a lot more to support the mental health of young kids, especially those with social and emotional deficiencies,” Phaire told CNN. “Now with Covid-19, a lot of kids in shelters and also children in foster homes might not have access to art supplies they usually find in school. It is also mental health awareness month, so that’s definitely motivating us to ramp it up and send even more kits.”

While she may have had to alter her in-person delivery service to accommodate social distancing, it won’t stop Chelsea from bringing smiles and hope to children all over the country. During such unprecedented times we are all experiencing, it’s restorative to see such selfless action taken to spread joy and wonderment throughout our communities. All of us here at Hawley and Associates commend Chelsea and her willingness to serve others and we have been truly inspired by the message behind Chelsea’s Charity.