Happy Wednesday! This week we are discussing what information the hackers needed to disrupt the Colonial Pipeline, how to celebrate National Dairy Month in Wisconsin and recent growth in the RV industry. 

Hackers Only Needed a Single Password to Disrupt Colonial Pipeline, CEO Testifies

According to Reuters, hackers gained access to the Colonial pipeline system by stealing a single password. Their system have multi-factor authentication in place, something that may have helped in preventing the ransomware attack. 

According to Insurance Journal, "The Justice Department said it had recovered some $2.3 million in cryptocurrency ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline. Bitcoin seizures are rare, but authorities have stepped up their expertise in tracking the flow of digital money as ransomware has become a growing national security threat and put a further strain on relations between the United States and Russia, where many of the gangs are based."

Celebrating National Dairy Month in Wisconsin

Welcome to National Dairy Month - a celebration of the farmers who help define Wisconsin and makes Wisconsin, America's Dairyland. Wisconsin dairy farmers have dedicated their lives to feeding communities across the state, country and globe. The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin have put together ways that you can celebrate National Dairy Month by pulling information on some of the families behind the Wisconsin dairy industry, summer dairy recipes and a list of events to celebrate! You can visit the Diary Farmers of Wisconsin here. 

How the Stars are Aligning for Independent Agents and RV Insurance

The outdoor recreation market has taken off exponentially over the past year. Outdoor recreation offered a safe way to get outside and many people saw RVs as a convenient and fun way to enjoy themselves during a time when the world was hunkered down by COVID-19. 

According to the RV Industry Association 2021 Owner Demographic Profile, "RV Ownership increased over 62% in the last 20 years with a record 11.2 million RV-owning households, split almost equally between those over and under the age of 55, with significant growth among 18-to-34-year-olds, who now make up 22% of the market."

With growth in the market, there is a clear opportunity for independent agents to provide coverage in a marketplace that is continuing to expand. You can read more about how the stars may be aligning for the RV industry and independent agents here. 

For more news, check out the Action news section of our weekly e-newsletter, Big I Buzz. If you aren’t subscribed, click here to add your email to our emailing list. Don’t forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news as its happening on our Online Community. You can join the Online Community (exclusive to IIAW members)  here . We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week.