Data breach tops Verisk's Emerging Issues Bracket

March 26, 2018 / 2 min read

Every March, the ISO Emerging Issues Bracket pits 32 emerging trends and risks against one another, tournament-style.

Insurance professionals from various parts of the industry are surveyed and asked to choose their favorites in each matchup, with the issues of most concern advancing to each subsequent round. The issues are seeded based on web traffic to the Emerging Issues website, past Bracket performance, and ISO customer feedback.

emerging-issues-bracket-2018_small — Click to enlarge

2018: Data breach liability beats distracted driving

Perhaps because of recent high-profile data breaches, including the reported Equifax breach, cybersecurity-related issues are back on top in the ISO Emerging Issues bracket. This year, data breach liability edged out distracted driving in the final round to become the winner of ISO’s fifth annual Emerging Issues Bracket.

Previous winners

2017 winner: Autonomous vehicles beats distracted driving
2016 winner: Cybersecurity beats Internet of Things
2015 winner: Cybersecurity beats autonomous vehicles
2014 winner: Cybersecurity beats Internet of Things

Did you know?

ISO recently announced that 42 states and U.S. territories have implemented ISO’s cyber insurance program, which features an array of coverage options and extensive rating information to help insurers address the growing and diverse cyber market.

Autonomous vehicles can't get unto gear

Autonomous vehicles had a strong showing, but could not reclaim the title, despite the recently reported fatal traffic accident involving an autonomous vehicle in Arizona.

Distracted driving exceeded expectations again, barely losing to data breach liability in the final round. There have been a number of recent concerns related to distracted driving – not least of which is the growing incidence of states permitting personal marijuana use.

Did your bracket get busted this year? Don't worry, there’s always next year: Stay tuned for ISO’s sixth annual Emerging Issues Bracket in March 2019. Can marijuana finally beat distracted driving? Or will some new issue emerge that could rocket to victory and potentially affect the property/casualty industry in unforeseen ways?