News
AP: Cloudflare resolves second outage in three weeks
The internet infrastructure company Cloudflare resolved a minutes-long services outage, which effect websites like LinkedIn and Zoom last Friday. This is the second outage to affect the company in less than three weeks. Cloudflare stated that the outage was due to a change in how its firewall handles requests. A similar outage impacted Amazon Web Services back in October. State insurance departments like the New York State Department of Financial Services issued guidance for incidents like these. These types of cases serve as a good reminder to keep your agency’s cybersecurity updated. Protect your agency from cyberthreats. Agents and every one of their small-business clients must understand and then tackle their cyber security weaknesses before they are crippled by them. To protect their sensitive data—and their insureds’ sensitive data—insurance agents should have cyber liability coverage. To determine their unique cyber risks, PIA-member agents can use PIA’s Cyber Risk Assessment. PIA members also can access Ransomware is a real menace and Managing risks with cyber liability policies in the PIA QuickSource library.
Keeping your holiday gifts safe with the right coverage
Winter is here, and that means the holiday season is in full swing. Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanza and the Winter Solstice are just around the corner: come January there’s the Epiphany and Chinese New Year. There’s plenty of festivities to enjoy, and that almost always means a gift exchange. If you have clients who like to go the extra mile with their presents and get something expensive, you should have a conversation with them about their coverage options. The last thing anyone wants this season is a broken or stolen gift, so having the right coverage helps.
Advocacy
N.Y.: Governor vetoes wrongful death bill
PIANY members mobilized after Gov. Kathy Hochul called for action on A.6063/S.4423—legislation that would have amended New York state’s wrongful-death statute significantly. The bill was well intended, but posed serious concerns for consumers, businesses and the insurance marketplace. PIANY extends a sincere thank-you to our members who responded quickly to the association’s advocacy alert and contacted the governor’s office. Your outreach helped highlight the practical impacts this bill could have on policyholders and the marketplace.
Technical
How to best prepare for homeowners inspections
Each homeowners insurance carrier has its own criteria as to how and when homeowners inspections are ordered; how homeowners policies are reviewed and interpreted; how tight homeowners inspections are underwritten; what the turnaround time can be expected for these homeowners inspections; and other variables affecting the policy. How do you best prepare yourself and your clients for one of these inspections? To learn more, PIA Northeast members can access Who is going to write this policy? Be prepared for the homeowners inspection in the PIA Northeast QuickSource library.
Educating insurance agents
Quality education. PIA Northeast offers CE-approved designation programs. Find out more, and see the upcoming schedules, for the CIC, CISR, CPIA, CRM, CPRM and TRA designations.
Take your career to new heights with CRM and CPRM designations
By working toward your Certified Risk Manager and Certified Personal Risk Manager designations, you will grow into a risk management industry expert who can address your client’s unique needs. A CRM designation will leave you with in-depth knowledge of the risk management process and an understanding of how to minimize losses and maximize opportunities associated with risk. A CPRM designation will help make you an expert in working with the specialized market segment of high-net worth clients. To register for the CRM and CPRM course, visit PIA Northeast’s education page, select your state and filter for courses under those designations.
Events
Be the MVP of AI: Register today for PIANY’s MetroRAP
Artificial intelligence is a cutting-edge technology that is making its way into numerous industries, including insurance. When you attend the AI panel discussions at PIANY’s MetroRAP 2026, you’ll leave with the knowledge and confidence to make this technology work to your benefit. PIA Northeast’s Director of Government & Industry Affairs Bradford Lachut Esq., will moderate these discussions, paneled by experts from across the insurance industry. At the first panel, Game-Changer: Using AI to Become an Insurance MVP, panelists will discuss how they applied AI to offer service to their clients and boost their business, as well as AI’s practical applications for risk prevention. The second panel, Beyond the Firewall: Emerging Exposures in Cyber & AI, will feature coverage experts looking through a cyber liability and professional liability lens at how policy wording is adapting to address the increased use of AI, and how professionals can advise their clients. Both panels have been submitted for CE approval in New Jersey and New York. Don’t miss out on these insightful panels: MetroRAP will be held on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel. Register now and save 15%. Sponsor, exhibit, or advertise here.
N.Y.: Ugly sweater fun with NY-YIP and IPALI
NY-YIP and the Insurance Professionals Association of Long Island held a joint holiday party last week at Jackie Reilly’s Bar & Grill in Bethpage, N.Y. Over 50 insurance professionals gathered for a fun ugly sweater-themed party with great music, delicious food and raffle gifts. We would like to thank everyone who was able to provide donations for the party’s toy and gift card charity drives: your contributions matter. See you at the next NY-YIP event. View photos from the holiday party here.
Register now
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2026: NJYIP Ugly Sweater Party
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026: CTYIP Holiday Social
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026: NY-YIP MetroRAP Welcome Reception
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026: PIANY MetroRAP—Interested in sponsoring, exhibiting or advertising?
Save the date
March 19-20, 2026: Connecticut Convention—Interested in sponsoring, exhibiting or advertising?
Wednesday, May 6, 2026: NJYIP Golf Open
June 7-9, 2026: PIANJ | PIANY Annual Conference
Sunday, June 7, 2026: NJYIP Nitecap
Tuesday, June 9, 2026: NJYIP Fun Run
