The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV), brings its Cyber: Prepare, Prevent, Mitigate, Restore℠ educational series to the nation’s capital today to help businesses tackle evolving cyber threats. Brett Leatherman, Assistant Section Chief, Cyber Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, will deliver the keynote address, “Understanding the Cyber Threat Landscape: A View from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

“The FBI recognizes the importance of developing public and private partnerships, and we are committed to combating the evolving cyber threat. Information-sharing benefits all of us. If we work together as a team, we can combat these threats and work to prevent future attacks,” said Leatherman. “Our engagement with public and private partnerships is a great way to establish additional relationships between the FBI and the private sector, because you have the technical expertise, the infrastructure and the innovation.”

Cyber risk was a top business concern among more than half of the business owners surveyed in the 2015 Travelers Business Risk Index, yet only 33 percent indicated they had a cyber or data breach response plan.

“Cybersecurity is on everyone’s mind, but few have taken appropriate steps to effectively protect themselves or their businesses,” said Joan Woodward, President of the Travelers Institute and Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers. “We are pleased to convene a discussion with Capitol Hill policymakers, business owners and leading cybersecurity experts to share insights on preventing cyber breaches and quickly recovering from them when they do occur.”

Held in collaboration with the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, Women Impacting Public Policy, the National Association of Women Business Owners' Greater DC Chapter and the Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum, the symposium also features a panel discussion moderated by Woodward. Panelists include Leatherman and the following participants:

  • Tim Francis, Vice President and Enterprise Cyber Lead, Travelers
  • Ben Edson, Founder and CEO, VariQ
  • Siobhan Gorman, Director, The Brunswick Group
  • John Mullen, Managing Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP

Visit the Travelers Institute website for information on upcoming Cyber: Prepare, Prevent, Mitigate, Restore events.

About the Travelers Institute

The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers’ senior management, as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers’ underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.