FEATURE:
The price is right But is the cover?
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FEATURE:
Making waves
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The evolution of cruise insurance
ESSENTIAL READING FOR TRAVEL & HEALTH INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS
Chernobyl – you have been warned Thanks to the recent exposure from the HBO and Sky Atlantic drama, the perception around Ukraine nuclear disaster zone Chernobyl is changing, though it does still pose a danger to intrepid tourists
AUGUST 2019 • ISSUE 223
GDPR bites back It has been revealed that the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) intends to fine airline British Airways (BA) £183.39 million for infringing General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Last year, ITIJ reported on a cyberattack that targeted BA, which at the time was thought to have compromised the data of some 382,000 customers. The cyberattack in question, which began in June 2018, involved user traffic from BA’s website being redirected to a fraudulent site, where customer data was harvested by hackers and uploaded to the dark web. The ICO now says that, rather than 382,000, the number of customers whose data was affected is more in the region of 500,000; this included login, payment card and travel booking details, as well as names and addresses. “People’s personal data is just that – personal,” said Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham. “When an organisation fails to protect it from loss, damage or theft it is more than an inconvenience. That’s why the law is clear – when you are entrusted with personal data you must look after it. Those that don’t will face scrutiny from my office to check they have taken appropriate steps to protect fundamental privacy rights.” The ICO has pointed out that BA has co-operated fully with its investigation and implemented new security measures to avoid a repeat of the incident. The airline will now have an opportunity to make its own case to the ICO regarding the organisation’s findings and its proposed sanction. Javvad Malik, a security awareness consultant at cybersecurity firm KnowBe4, commented: “While there is no denying that it is a large fine, it is commensurate with the breach, which saw
Where before Chernobyl was an eerie, desolate region that many felt was best avoided (and to some degree, this is still the case), it is now set to become a popular tourist attraction. But while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly keen to encourage this, consumer awareness initiatives have warned that tourists need be aware that they will not be covered for any long-term complications that arise from exposure to the unstable environment. In truth, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – an area of approx. 2,600km2 that was evacuated in 1986 (and cordoned off for many years after) after a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, causing nuclear fallout and radioactive contamination – has seen a rise in visitors since 2013. Alexandro Chalenko, a tour guide for Gamma Travel, told The Independent online newspaper that between 2013 and 2018, the number of yearly visitors to the area rose from 8,000 to 65,000. But since the HBO series first aired, the uptake of visitors has increased dramatically. Chalenko noted that visitor numbers were expected to reach as high as 100,000 in 2019. And in many ways, this change is positive. Indeed, President Zelensky believes that the region should be given new life. “Until now,
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Ebola emergency The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) “It is time for the world to take notice and redouble our efforts. We need to work together in solidarity with the DRC to end this outbreak and build a better health system,” said WHO DirectorGeneral Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Extraordinary work has been done for almost a
year under the most difficult circumstances. We all owe it to these responders – coming from not just WHO but also government, partners and communities – to shoulder more of the burden.” The declaration occurred following a meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for Ebola in the DRC and emerged from recent updates in the outbreak, including its spread to Goma. The Committee stressed the need to protect livelihoods of the people most affected by the outbreak by keeping transport routes and borders open.
“It is important that the world follows these recommendations. It is also crucial that states do not use the PHEIC as an excuse to impose trade or travel restrictions, which would have a negative impact on the response and on the lives and livelihoods of people in the region,” said Professor Robert Steffen, Chair of the Emergency Committee. “At the heart of this are communities and individual tragedies,” said Dr Tedros. “The PHEIC should not be used to stigmatise or penalise the very people who are most in need of our help.”
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