As the message regarding the need and importance of protecting customer information continues to grow by leaps and bounds, so to do the expectations of compliance and enforcement. This fact is called out in numerous federal and state laws, best practices, and even contractual obligations.
To their credit, this has not gone unnoticed by independent insurance agencies. I am frequently asked by agents, "How do I go about developing an Information Security Plan to help keep customer information secure and private?"
Thanks to the Agents Council for Technology (ACT), ask and you shall receive.
The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) website reports that ACT has developed and released a free prototype agency information security plan.
According to Jeff Yates, ACT Executive Director, "Recent headlines have underscored the importance of agents having written security plans ... ACT has developed a free prototype security plan to assist agents and brokers in formulating and implementing specific procedures, training and monitoring to protect the security of their operations and the privacy of their client information."
Having reviewed the protoype information security plan, it is a solid first step. I strongly encourage agents and brokers to take adavantage of this excellent resource.
The ACT Prototype Agency Information Security Plan & Companion Article can be found HERE.
Robert Salandre manages Information Security Policy and Awareness at Westfield Insurance. Sharing Knowledge. Building Trust.
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