Mon, July 19 | German death toll nears 200 after worst floods in decades

As many rail lines and streets remain blocked in western Germany due to devastating floods, the death toll continues to rise. “Our region is experiencing a flooding catastrophe of historic proportions,” said chancellor candidate Armin Laschet. (Continue reading)

Read Next: What you need to learn from 2020’s natural disasters

Mon, July 19 | Only nature, through significant rain or snow, can extinguish huge Oregon fire, official says

The massive Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, currently the US’s largest wildfire, has burned more than 343,000 acres. Officials warned the blaze cannot be completely contained “unless there’s a significant change in the weather.” (Continue reading)

Mon, July 26 | Aon and Willis Towers Watson Terminate $30B Merger; Aon to Pay $1B Fee to WTW

According to a statement from Aon’s CEO, “despite regulatory momentum around the world, including the recent approval of our combination by the European Commission, we reached an impasse with the U.S. Department of Justice.” The merger, which would have created the largest insurance broker, was first announced on March 9. (Continue reading)

Read Next: How to Select the Right Insurance Core System

Wed, July 28 | New bill would update decades-old law governing children’s privacy online, add protection for teens

In the wake of increasing calls for greater protection for kids online, a new bill is expected to be introduced that would expand the existing law to include teenagers under 18, prohibit companies from using targeted ads against kids and teens, and more. (Continue reading)

Wed, July 28 | OSHA Heat Standard Aimed at Indoor Workers

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is “working on a new heat standard to target indoor workers without climate-controlled environments,” which will include those in manufacturing, warehouses, and distribution centers. (Continue reading)

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Fri, July 30 | Amazon hit with $887 million fine by European privacy watchdog

According to the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection, “Amazon’s processing of personal data did not comply with the EU General Protection Regulation,” and the commission has ordered Amazon to revise certain “undisclosed business practices.” (Continue reading)

Cybersecurity News

Mon, July 19 | Intermountain Healthcare patient data breached in 'security incident'

Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare announced that a data security event “affecting a business associate” made private health information accessible to “unauthorized individuals.” The breach occurred through the healthcare system’s cancer software vendor, Elekta. (Continue reading)

Mon, July 19 | Microsoft Exchange hack caused by China, US and allies say

The Biden Administration and other Western allies have formally blamed China “for a massing hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software” and alleged that the Chinese government has carried out “ransomware and other illicit cyber operations.” (Continue reading)

Thu, July 22 | Cyberattack disrupts major South African port operations

Container operations were disrupted at the South African port of Cape Town and Durban, the busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa, due to a cyberattack. The attack “has delayed containers and auto parts, but commodities were mostly unaffected as they were in a different part of the port.” (Continue reading)

Read Next: What we should have learned from the Ever Given and Suez Canal blockage

Wed, July 28 | Biden Pushes Cybersecurity Upgrades For Critical Infrastructure After Recent Hacks

A “national security directive aimed at boosting defenses against ransomware attacks and the hacking of critical infrastructure like energy, food, water and power systems” has been signed by President Biden. According to a senior administration official, “new standards will be voluntary.” (Continue reading)

Thu, July 29 | Cyber experts warn of ransomware risks during Tokyo Olympics

Already facing an uphill battle amid COVID-19, cyber experts warn of potential telecom disruptions and ransomware attacks during the Tokyo Olympics. “Experts say insurers could face potentially massive losses based on the high-risk factors.” (Continue reading)

Coronavirus News

The last two weeks have seen a steady stream of COVID news. The headlines are provided here in list view for skimmability.

• Industry Resource | Actions on How to Handle the Spread of Delta Variant of COVID Begins
• Mon, July 19 | Restaurants ask N.C. Supreme Court to hear business interruption case
• Mon, July 19 | Tokyo Olympics hit by trifecta of discouraging news amid Covid fears
• Mon, July 19 | Mask mandates make a return — along with controversy
• Tue, July 20 | New York to Require Vaccination or Weekly Testing for City Health Workers
• Wed, July 21 | Two doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca shots effective against Delta variant: study
• Mon, July 26 | Amid Delta Fears, NYC to Expand Vaccine Mandate for All City Workers
• Mon, July 26 | Leading medical groups urge mandatory vaccination for all health care workers
• Mon, July 26 | VA requires COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers
• Mon, July 26 | California to require proof of Covid-19 vaccination or regular testing for all state employees and health care workers
• Thu, July 29 | CDC Updates Face Mask Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated
• Thu, July 29 | Biden to announce federal employees must get vaccinated or face repeated testing

For additional risk and insurance-related resources, visit our COVID-19 resources page. If your organization has been impacted by new mandates or you would like to learn how Origami’s COVID-19 Solution Suite can help your organization, start a conversation with us.