Information Security News: New Male Fashion Accessory Is Worrying Insurers

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.fool.co.uk/news/your-money/insurance/2007/07/06/new_male_fashion_accessory_is_worrying_insurers.aspx

By Fool News Wire 
6 July 2007

The latest male fashion accessory is providing insurance companies with 
an unwelcome headache, it has been revealed.

The rise and rise of the 'man bag' has led to 13.8 million British men 
regularly carrying the item, with total content value estimated to be in 
the region of 4.4 billion.

Unconventionally, it appears that men now have more valuable items on 
their person than women.

According to LV= General Insurance, men carry contents worth 319 in 
their man bags, compared with the 255 carried around by women in the 
handbags.

As a result, LV= General Insurance's Andrew Beard is concerned that not 
enough British men are taking care to ensure that the possessions they 
carry with them on a day-to-day basis are fully insured.

"Man bags have quickly become a mainstream accessory, helping men lug 
around their ever more valuable stash of gadgets and personal effects," 
he commented.

"British men and women now routinely carry around more than 10 billion 
worth of possessions - not to mention the cost of the bags themselves 
and any cash carried.

"Although most household insurance providers offer some personal 
possessions cover away from the home, people should check their policies 
to see whether they require additional cover for valuable items such as 
laptops, gadgets and even expensive pens.

"Finally, men and women should try to stay safe by not displaying the 
contents of their bags to thieves."

The LV= General Insurance poll shows that the most popular items carried 
around by men and women in their respective bag versions are pens and 
mobile phones.

However, men are more likely to transport literature than their female 
counterparts, while MP3 players also prove popular.

Women, on the other hand, are more concerned with their appearance - 
cosmetics, perfume and sunglasses are high on their list of priorities.

Significantly, men have a higher propensity to laptop carrying than 
women, which is the main cause of the content value discrepancy.

(c) 2007 Adfero Ltd


_____________________________________________________
Attend Black Hat USA, July 28-August 2 in Las Vegas, 
the world's premier technical event for ICT security 
experts. Featuring 30 hands-on training courses and 
90 Briefings presentations with lots of new content 
and new tools. Network with 4,000 delegates from 
70 nations.   Visit product displays by 30 top
sponsors in a relaxed setting. Rates increase on 
June 1 so register today. http://www.blackhat.com