Chicagoland SIA Blog

In the early 20th century, construction relied on solid concrete blocks weighing more than 100 pounds each. They were difficult to lift, hard to transport, and cumbersome to stack. Builders needed a solution that would make construction faster, safer, and more efficient. The answer came in the form of the hollow concreate bricks (we often call them cinderblocks). By removing unnecessary material, Harmon S. Palmer created the foundation for what would become a mass-produced, uniform block weighing about 30 pounds. Lighter, easier to handle, structurally stronger, better insulated, and built to last, this new concrete block proved that removing what is not essential can create something more powerful and efficient.

Do you know the most effective way to protect your private information? It sounds simple, but it is incredibly effective: You must get good at managing your passwords. Here are three of the best ways to do that:

Ever wonder how hackers gain access to online accounts at home or at the office? There are a variety of different ways, but one of the most common is by using the right password. That’s right. Criminals can gain access to your private information because they either have or can easily guess your login credentials. Unfortunately, most of us make it far too easy for criminals to access their accounts that way. Here are some common ways hackers gain access to your agency’s accounts and your own — and what you can do to thwart them:

Despite the growing awareness of cyber threats, many myths about cyber security still persist. Ready to separate fact from fiction? Here are four facts about cybersecurity to share with your small business clients:

There’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to educating employees about cybersecurity. Case in point: the cybersecurity awareness training firm KnowBe4′s State of Privacy and Security Awareness Report. This report details the state of employee awareness and practices — and it’s not good news for most organizations.

Facing an E&O insurance claim is a lot like an IRS audit. It’s something you really want to avoid. It’s time-consuming, unsettling and uncomfortable. In today’s litigious business environment, it’s a great time to review some of the most effective ways to reducing your E&O risk as well as provide a strong defense in the event a claim is made against you:

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt traditional ways of doing business, telecommuting has grown in popularity. Yet having employees working at home can definitely change things from a commercial insurance perspective.

Did you know that cybercrime has now surpassed illegal drug trafficking as a criminal moneymaker? It’s true. That’s why it’s critical to know how to protect yourself while you’re using your computer, on and offline. Here are some important tips designed to keep you and your data safe:

We all know we should be using strong passwords. But studies show that many of us are still using passwords like ’123456.’ That was the most-used password nationwide last year, followed by ‘password,’ ’123456789,’ ’12345678′ and ’12345′. Rounding out the top 10: ’111111,’ ’1234567,’ sunshine,’ ‘qwerty,’ and ‘iloveyou’. Chances are, even if your password skills are much better than average, they could still use some improvement. That’s why we wanted to share with you four simple steps to a stronger password.