As insurance executives, you understand the importance of mitigating risk and ensuring the safety of your clients. One area where this is particularly crucial is in the sale of firearms. Recently, the state of Washington experienced a two-week delay in their gun-buying background check process due to a statewide computer system outage. This delay highlights the importance of reliable background checks and the potential consequences of a system failure.

According to a news release from the Washington State Patrol, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) was able to restore online services, allowing the secure automated firearms E-Check or SAFE system to regain connectivity with AOC’s data repository. During the delay, the State Patrol continued to do non-computer-related work to ensure that delayed background checks could be completed quickly once data services were regained. In the first eight hours after service was restored, more than 6,500 of the backlogged checks were completed.

While the outage was caused by computer system security concerns, the AOC confirmed that there was no detected breach of data and the event did not result in ransomware, due to quick action taken to isolate and secure the network. However, the delay in background checks could have had serious consequences if someone with a criminal record had been able to purchase a firearm during that time.

As insurance executives, it’s important to consider the potential risks and consequences of system failures in any industry. In the case of gun sales, reliable background checks are crucial to ensuring the safety of the public. This incident in Washington serves as a reminder of the importance of having backup systems in place and the need for constant vigilance in the face of potential security threats.

At Riskwolf, we understand the importance of mitigating risk and ensuring the safety of your clients. That’s why we offer parametric insurance solutions that can help protect against unexpected events like system failures. With our unique real-time data and dynamic risk modeling, we enable insurers to build and operate parametric insurance at scale. Simple. Reliable. Fast.

Don’t take chances with your clients' safety. Contact Riskwolf today to learn more about how we can help you develop parametric insurance solutions for your industry.

Source: The Olympian