WebCE’s Weekly Wrap Up: October 5 - 11

Just as Florida began recovering from Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton made landfall this week. While losses are estimated to be in the billions, analysts say it could have been much worse. To help the state recover, Florida enacted an emergency rule to prevent post-storm fraud and the IRS extended tax

deadlines. To better predict and prepare for these storms, meteorologists are increasingly turning to AI. 

Meanwhile, major cybersecurity breaches were reported from major organizations across the U.S. AT&T, Verizon, American Water, and Fidelity Investments all confirmed cybersecurity incidents this week that prove anyone is a target.  

In this week’s roundup, we’ll cover the latest on Hurricane Milton’s impact and the top cybersecurity reports and best practices to keep yourself and your organization protected.  

The Latest Coverage on Hurricane Milton  

1. Hurricane Milton Might Cost Insurers Up to $50 Billion — But it Could Have Been Much Worse, Analysts Said (Business Insider) 

While final losses have yet to be determined, Fitch analysts said that the "demand surge" often following major storms will be a key factor affecting the final cost of insured losses. 

1. Seeking Answers for Insurance Crisis Left in Milton, Helene’s wake (Insurance News Net) 

Some of the keys to minimizing the insurance crisis plaguing high-risk areas like Florida, the Gulf Coast, and other regions could lie with such mundane things as zoning boards, building codes, and architectural designs. 

1. Florida Issues Emergency Rule to Prevent ‘Post-Storm Fraud’ by Insurers (The Washington Post) 

On Wednesday evening, just before Hurricane Milton made landfall on an already storm-battered region of Florida, state officials issued an emergency rule to protect homeowners against “unfair and deceptive acts” and “post-storm fraud” by insurance carriers. 

1. IRS Provides Tax Relief to All of Florida After Hurricane Milton (CPA Practice Advisor) 

Individuals and businesses in six counties that previously didn’t qualify for relief under either Hurricane Debby or Hurricane Helene will receive disaster tax relief, which began Oct. 5 and concludes on May 1, 2025. 

1. How Meteorologists Are Using AI to Forecast Hurricane Milton and Other Storms (Time) 

“In terms of hurricanes, we've learned that the AI modeling can go toe-to-toe with the physics-based model, so you have to use it.” 

Top Cybersecurity Stories of the Week 

1. Exclusive: U.S. Officials Race to Understand Severity of China’s Salt Typhoon Hacks (The Wall Street Journal) 

Among the concerns are that the hackers may have essentially been able to spy on the U.S. government’s efforts to surveil Chinese threats, including the FBI’s investigations.  

1. Largest water utility company in the U.S. targeted in cyberattack (NBC News) 

American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., announced Tuesday that it was the target of a “cybersecurity incident.” 

1. Fidelity reports data breach exposing 77,000 customers' personal data (Investment News) 

Fidelity Investments has confirmed a significant data breach affecting tens of thousands of its customers, exposing sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses. 

1. Cybersecurity Risks: When AI Becomes A Tool For Evil (Forbes) 

From deepfakes to phishing attacks and election interference, malicious actors are leveraging AI to wreak havoc on organizations and individuals alike. 

1. Celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month with These Best Practices (WebCE) 

Every October, CISA (the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency), promotes cybersecurity best practices to raise awareness and encourage the public to reduce their risk of becoming a target. 

Top Podcast of the Week 

Cybersecurity (Wake Up with WebCE) 

Learn how to spot and avoid social engineering traps, adopt proactive cybersecurity strategies, and safeguard your sensitive data from evolving cyber risks.