As if digital threats from the main U.S. cyberspace adversaries weren’t enough, U.S. officials and researchers are increasingly worried about hacking dangers posed by a slew of other nations including Vietnam, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Risk management is integral to insurance, but it’s traditionally been an inexact science. Thanks to recent technological advances, however, risk management is about to get a long overdue upgrade.

A recent report by the advisory board of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends using blockchain to expedite insurance payouts in the event of a disaster.

From the steam-powered factories of the first industrial revolution, to mass production in the second, to the rise of digitization in the third, every advance builds upon the last. Today, something entirely new is happening.

When it comes to implementing new technology, the insurance industry is rarely considered an early adopter. However, insurance companies have been taking early strides, somewhat in a migratory manner, to adapt to technology advances to help better run operations, improve underwriting and risk management, enhance customer offerings and services and profitably grow the business.

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a Nov. 20 hearing on the testing and deployment of self-driving vehicles that will include top U.S. safety officials, as Congress has struggled to pass legislation on autonomous vehicles.

With total worldwide funding commitments in the insurtech sector in 2019 officially surpassing the total for 2018, according to Willis Towers Watson’s latest insurtech briefing, it’s no surprise to see many insurers taking part in the flurry of investments, rounding out their own capabilities with those that start-ups are introducing to the insurance marketplace.

Every morning when he goes to work in the freezer room of a warehouse in eastern Pennsylvania, Jack Westley throws on a hooded sweatshirt to keep warm and grabs a radio to talk to his coworkers. He was recently given a new piece of equipment to wear, which he attaches to a harness over his shoulders.

The thoroughbred horse Spring Racing Carnival is in full swing in the state of Victoria, Australia, culminating in the running of the Melbourne Cup, “the race that stops a nation.”

Satisfaction with auto insurance claims is at an all time high, according to J.D. Power & Associates’ U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. However, policyholders are still eager to talk to live reps for assurance that their claim will be handled in the best manner.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the pedestrian crash prevention systems of 16 midsize cars in the lead-up to Halloween, a holiday that consistently ranks among the deadliest days for pedestrians in the United States.

Artificial intelligence and other technologies are helping employers better understand injury trends and are saving money in the process.

As expected, today California governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a statewide Earthquake Early Warning System. Based on reports from sensors embedded in the ground across the state, it can detect tremors and deliver warnings to mobile phones using the Wireless Emergency Alert system or the MyShake app (Android, iOS).

Talent shortage and keeping pace with change are two of the top issues facing claims professionals over the next three to five years, but that’s just the start of their concerns.

It’s almost inevitable: Spend your working life identifying, analysing, quantifying and ascribing monetary value to risk, and you’re likely to have a fairly strong aversion to it.