Mind the (IT-)System – Ein Vorschlag zur Gestaltung einer IT Due Diligence von Versicherungsunternehmen

This paper describes the structural setup and the analytical scope of an independent IT due diligence for insurance companies. Based on a comprehensive review of the academic and practice-oriented literature the individual fields and the focal points of the analysis of the insurance IT are segmented. Also a framework for the structural setup of the IT due diligence is presented. Additionally, the ideal process for the analysis is portrayed and it is discussed, how the findings can subsequently be considered in the company valuation and the contract negotiations. It is shown that the analysis of the insurance IT in the course of a due diligence comprises of organizational, technical, and legal aspects which are structured in the form of independent fields of analysis. The chances and risks associated with the IT of the company to be acquired can either be incorporated as IT integration costs/synergies in the company valuation or be secured through comprehensive guaranty and liability agreements.Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt den strukturellen Aufbau und Untersuchungsumfang einer eigenständigen Due Diligence der IT von Versicherungsunternehmen. Hierzu werden auf Basis einer umfassenden Aufarbeitung der akademischen als auch praxisorientierten Literatur die einzelnen Teilbereiche und Schwerpunktsetzungen bei der Untersuchung der Versicherungs-IT segmentiert sowie ein Ordnungsrahmen für den strukturellen Aufbau einer IT Due Diligence vorgestellt. Ebenfalls wird der idealtypische Ablauf des Analyseprozesses dargestellt und diskutiert, wie sich die Erkenntnisse einer Due Diligence der IT in der sich anschließenden Unternehmensbewertung und den Vertragsverhandlungen berücksichtigen lassen. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die Analyse der Versicherungs-IT im Rahmen einer Due Diligence-Prüfung organisatorische, technische und rechtliche Aspekte umfasst, welche in Form eigenständiger Analysefelder strukturiert werden. Die mit der Informationsverarbeitung des zu akquirierenden Unternehmens in Zusammenhang stehenden Chancen- und Risikoaspekte lassen sich entweder als IT-Integrationskosten und Synergien bei der Unternehmenswertermittlung berücksichtigen oder durch die Ausarbeitung umfangreicher Garantie- und Haftungsvereinbarungen absichern

Affirmative and silent cyber coverage in traditional insurance policies : Qualitative content analysis of selected insurance products from the German insurance market

This paper examines the design of affirmative and silent coverage in view of the cyber risks in traditional insurance policies for select product lines on the German market. Given the novelty and complexity of the topic and the insufficient coverage in the literature, we use two different sources. We analysed the general insurance terms and conditions of different traditional insurance lines using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis. Also, we conducted interviews with experts from the German insurance industry to evaluate how insurers understand their silent cyber exposures, and what measures they take to deal with this new exposure. The study shows a considerable cyber liability risk potential for insurers in the considered insurance lines. This arises from the affirmative as well as silent cover inclusions and exclusions for cyber risks, which result from imprecise wordings of insurance clauses and insufficient descriptions of the contractually specified scope of the insurance coverage

Arbeitstagung der Konferenz der Einrichtungen für Frauen- und Geschlechterstudien im deutschsprachigen Raum (KEG) 2019

Wrede B, Pache I, Amacker M, Ellmeier A, Schulz D. Arbeitstagung der Konferenz der Einrichtungen für Frauen- und Geschlechterstudien im deutschsprachigen Raum (KEG) 2019. IZGOnZeit - Onlinezeitschrift des Interdisziplinären Zentrums für Geschlechterforschung. 2019;8:100-105

Mechanical design of the optical modules intended for IceCube-Gen2

IceCube-Gen2 is an expansion of the IceCube neutrino observatory at the South Pole that aims to increase the sensitivity to high-energy neutrinos by an order of magnitude. To this end, about 10,000 new optical modules will be installed, instrumenting a fiducial volume of about 8 km3. Two newly developed optical module types increase IceCube’s current sensitivity per module by a factor of three by integrating 16 and 18 newly developed four-inch PMTs in specially designed 12.5-inch diameter pressure vessels. Both designs use conical silicone gel pads to optically couple the PMTs to the pressure vessel to increase photon collection efficiency. The outside portion of gel pads are pre-cast onto each PMT prior to integration, while the interiors are filled and cast after the PMT assemblies are installed in the pressure vessel via a pushing mechanism. This paper presents both the mechanical design, as well as the performance of prototype modules at high pressure (70 MPa) and low temperature (−40∘C), characteristic of the environment inside the South Pole ice

The next generation neutrino telescope: IceCube-Gen2

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a cubic-kilometer-scale neutrino detector at the geographic South Pole, has reached a number of milestones in the field of neutrino astrophysics: the discovery of a high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux, the temporal and directional correlation of neutrinos with a flaring blazar, and a steady emission of neutrinos from the direction of an active galaxy of a Seyfert II type and the Milky Way. The next generation neutrino telescope, IceCube-Gen2, currently under development, will consist of three essential components: an array of about 10,000 optical sensors, embedded within approximately 8 cubic kilometers of ice, for detecting neutrinos with energies of TeV and above, with a sensitivity five times greater than that of IceCube; a surface array with scintillation panels and radio antennas targeting air showers; and buried radio antennas distributed over an area of more than 400 square kilometers to significantly enhance the sensitivity of detecting neutrino sources beyond EeV. This contribution describes the design and status of IceCube-Gen2 and discusses the expected sensitivity from the simulations of the optical, surface, and radio components

Sensitivity of IceCube-Gen2 to measure flavor composition of Astrophysical neutrinos

The observation of an astrophysical neutrino flux in IceCube and its detection capability to separate between the different neutrino flavors has led IceCube to constraint the flavor content of this flux. IceCube-Gen2 is the planned extension of the current IceCube detector, which will be about 8 times larger than the current instrumented volume. In this work, we study the sensitivity of IceCube-Gen2 to the astrophysical neutrino flavor composition and investigate its tau neutrino identification capabilities. We apply the IceCube analysis on a simulated IceCube-Gen2 dataset that mimics the High Energy Starting Event (HESE) classification. Reconstructions are performed using sensors that have 3 times higher quantum efficiency and isotropic angular acceptance compared to the current IceCube optical modules. We present the projected sensitivity for 10 years of data on constraining the flavor ratio of the astrophysical neutrino flux at Earth by IceCube-Gen2