HSB expands digital capabilities, risk innovation through new partnerships

Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB) recently announced two new collaborations – a partnership with IronSDN and a strategic agreement with Schneider Electric – with a focus on providing customers protection with technologies and digital solutions that prevent or mitigate losses.

“We want to make sure we do our best to help insureds predict and prevent loss and be there to respond in the event of loss. Bringing a tool like WhiteHax Cybersafe to the marketplace for individuals really helps them in that,” says James Hajjar, assistant vice president and cyber product lead for HSB’s Treaty Division.

Through its partnership with IronSDN, the WhiteHaX Cybersafe app is now available to personal lines customers of HSB’s Home Cyber Protection, which is an addition to the homeowners policy, and also to customers of the standalone MyCyberProtection program. The app, designed for mobile phones and tablets, helps customers manage cyber risks by offering constant monitoring and protection of personal cloud devices from cyberattacks. 

“Everything’s digitizing. Everybody’s on their phone, everything is getting connected from your washing machine to your smartphone to smart TVs…. and all those points of connectivity lead to more exposure,” Hajjar explains. “We are seeing a lot more cybercrime – the FBI publishes statistics every year about individuals losing their identities and different types of cybercrime, and so we are seeing both an uptick on our commercial and personal line sides.”

Available for up to four iOS or Android devices in a household, the WhiteHaX app protects users from becoming victims of a cyberattack by constantly scanning emails for data breaches, offering Wi-Fi scans to analyze public or private network security and issuing security alerts in the event of a scam or other cyber risk. Users can also check the security and status of their household devices through the app-based program. The virtual privacy network (VPN) function also protects user security and privacy by enabling a protected internet connection and encrypting data to combat activity tracking or cyberattacks.

“It’s very similar to what HSB is doing in other areas. We’ve been leading the way [with] the Internet of Things and connected technologies. We’re putting sensors in homes relative to water leaks or potential for fire. The ability to have information in the consumer’s hands right away if something’s going to happen – that’s something that’s important to us,” says Hajjar.

By teaming up with Schneider Electric, HSB is further expanding its digital capabilities and technology distribution efforts. The companies have agreed to provide their customers with each other’s solutions and technologies for electrical and equipment risks.

HSB is offering performance guarantees for customers of ArcBlok 2500, Schneider Electric’s sensor technology that helps to prevent electrical arc flashes and protects personnel by performing thermal readings and sending communications through a mobile device. The insurer will also create new products for solutions of Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Power, which streamlines electrical distribution systems through digitization and connectivity. This collaboration with Schneider Electric further drives HSB’s expansion of its global ecosystem of IoT solutions for water leaks, fire and equipment failure, and the alliance ultimately contributes to HSB’s mission to help clients prevent loss before it happens. 

John Riggs, HSB chief technology officer and senior vice president of Applied Technology Solutions writes to Digital Insurance, “At HSB, we strongly believe in the potential of technology to transform the traditional insurance paradigm. Technology represents a cornerstone in creating a future vision focused on predicting and preventing loss. HSB is actively seeking partners with technology-enabled solutions that support the expansion of our global ecosystem, solutions that bring our predict-and-prevent vision into reality. Schneider Electric is a great example of this, given their cutting-edge technologies and world-class product portfolio. We look forward to bringing to market innovative electrical and equipment risk solutions that leverage our combined capabilities.”