PIA Winter 2018 digital magazine by PIA of Tennessee

Winter 2018 • Tennessee

Page 16

CYBer 7

Play offense for defense

Outwit the hacks

PIA/AVYST partnership

A greAt defense The value of your agency’s cybersecurity

TEAM UP WITH MidSouth Mutual Create a Win for Your Agency and Your Clients MidSouth Mutual provides workers’ compensation insurance, risk management resources and claims services to drive success for your agency.

NEW...

We now provide workers’ compensation insurance to Long Term Care providers including retired living centers, nursing homes and home healthcare workers. MidSouth Mutual Insurance provides independent insurance agents and their clients throughout the region superior workers’ compensation insurance products backed by a commitment to exceptional service. As we continue to grow, MidSouth Mutual is clearly focused on managing the fundamentals of our business intelligently as part of a strategy of sustainable quality growth. We have earned an “A” Exceptional rating from Demotech, Inc. The company is committed to doing business the right way in service of our clients.

Examples of clients we serve include: HVAC Contractors Building Suppliers Dozing Services Road Contractors

Bricklayers Electricians Plumbers Painters

Carpenters Framers Dry Wallers Landscapers

Masonry Contractors Insulation Installers Cabinetry Contractors Long Term Care Providers

Be sure to see our new website at www.midsouthmutual.com MidSouth Mutual provides insurance to clients in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

www.midsouthmutual.com

Contact Wendy.Cox-Vetitoe@bwood.com or 615-263-1763 or 800-524-0604

Departments 4 Winter 2018 • Tennessee

In brief

7 Legal 11 Sales 13 E&O 25 Connect 30

Readers’ service and advertising index

Officers and directors directory

Cover story 16 A great defense The value of your agency’s cybersecurity

Feature 21 Want new ways to outwit hacks? The state of cybersecurity

Statements of fact and opinion in PIA magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or the members of the Professional Insurance Agents. Participation in PIA events, activities, and/or publications is available on a nondiscriminatory basis and does not reflect PIA endorsement of the products and/or services. CEO Mark LaLonde, CPIA, CIC, AAI; President Jeff Parmenter, CPCU, ARM; Executive Director Kelly K. Norris, CAE; Communication Director Mary E. Christiano; Senior Magazine Designer Sue Jacobsen; Member Information Manager Jaye Czupryna. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Professional Insurance Agents of Tennessee, 504 Autumn Springs Court, Suite A-3, Franklin, TN 37067. “Professional Insurance Agents” is published quarterly by PIA Management Services Inc. PIA Management Services, 25 Chamberlain St., P.O. Box 997, Glenmont, NY 12077-0997; (518) 434-3111 or toll-free (800) 424-4244; email pia@pia.org. ©2018 Professional Insurance Agents. All rights reserved. No material within this publication may be reproduced—in whole or in part—without the express written consent of the publisher. Cover design Roberta Lawrence

In brief

from the executive vice president

A new day dawning And, we will continue to work behind the scenes to protect you and your clients from legislative actions that could cripple or negatively impact your agency.

As I write this email, we have just completed a survey of our current members, previous members and potential members. (If you were not contacted about the survey, we want your feedback and ideas. Please call me at the PIA office.) Armed with the results of the survey, our board of directors met to discuss the future of this Association. The singular question addressed was, “What does PIA of Tennessee need to become in the next one to three years?” Through feedback from you, our stakeholders, we have identified 11 specific needs of our industry. Probably the most prevalent need is to offer resources to help identify, secure, develop and retain key staff members.

Kristopher Mark Fisher, CPIA, LUTCF Executive Vice President and CEO PIA of TN Franklin, Tenn.

Additionally, the feedback also called for us to examine how we can assist with growth and retention of your business, and how we can better communicate vital and valuable information to our agency members. Finally, while we believe our conventions have been hugely successful, we realize that to attract new and engaged members, we must examine how to improve our events to provide great information and turnkey tools that our members can take home to implement for the betterment of their agencies. As we move into 2019, PIA of Tennessee will continue to leverage the incredible tools offered through our PIA National affiliation, including programs like PIA Market Access, AVYST eForms (see the related article on page 25 of this magazine), PIA Branding Program, Employee Profiling Services, DocITTM and additional flood insurance commissions.

However, as we move into 2019, your Association may begin to look slightly different. You will start to see new tools and resources to help you be more efficient and effective; reach new markets in this digital age; and capture and retain the best possible team members. In short, we will move PIA to be the first place you check when you have a need for your agency. You will start to Think PIA First when you have a question, requirement or issue. And, if we do not have the resource, we will help you find a solution.

We want you to reach out to the PIA office or your local board members to discuss your ideas or so they can assist you with your needs. You can find a list of PIA of Tennessee’s board of directors online at http://piatn.com/board-of-directors/. From this day forward, we want you to understand that you are independent, but not alone! PIA of Tennessee is your partner. PIA is a valuable resource. And, PIA is the first place you should check when there is something you need for your agency! Always at your service,

Kristopher Mark Fisher, CPIA, LUTCF Executive Vice President & CEO

Think PIA First

for all your insurance questions and needs!

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

What’s important to you is important to us.

Strong. Stable. Committed To You. Nationwide was founded in 1926 to help farmers insure their vehicles, but our members’ needs quickly evolved — as they continue to evolve today. Over the past 90 years, our company has grown into one of the largest insurance companies in the country. What hasn’t changed? Our commitment to one fundamental principle: that we can do more together than we can do alone. As we’ve grown, we’ve taken a thoughtful approach to building relationships, focusing on offering the right level of consultation, compensation and benefits to agencies. These strong relationships empower you to grow your business with Nationwide — and to be rewarded for success. Today, we have come together as One Nationwide — which has expanded even further our ability to offer a broad portfolio of flexible options so our agency partners can solve for a wide range of customer needs. Today, we’re so much more than automobile insurance. We’re a diversified insurance and financial services organization serving consumers and businesses from coast-to-coast.

Sales Leader Amy Rose

FEATURED PARTNER Nationwide

A.M. BEST RATING “A+”

PRESIDENT & CEO Steve Rasmussen

WEBSITE nationwide.com

HEADQUARTERS Columbus, OH

We are financially strong. FORTUNE

COMPANY 1

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

RATED

A+

FOR FINANCIAL STABILITY BY A.M. BEST2

26+

BILLION

We are an industry leader. #1 Farm Insurer4 #1 Total Small Business Insurer5 #3 U.S. Excess & Surplus Provider4 #7 Commercial Carrier4 #7 U.S. Home Insurer4 #8 U.S. Auto Insurer4

IN TOTAL REVENUE3

¹ Fortune Magazine, 2015 ² A.M. Best, 2015 ³ Nationwide Annual Report, 2015 ⁴ A.M. Best, 2015 DWP. Based on premiums written ⁵ Conning, 2014. Conning Strategic Study: The Small Business Sector for Property-Casualty Insurance: Market Shift Coming

To learn more about our strong commitment to consumers and businesses and our breadth of products to support your agency, contact Amy Rose rosea4@nationwide.com.

Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Columbus, Ohio. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, Nationwide is on your side and We Put Members First are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2017 Nationwide NPO-0732M2.1 (02/17)

Location: Mayfield Heights, Ohio Area of business: All Exec: • CEO: Tricia Griffith • CFO: John Sauerland • Personal Lines President: Pat Callahan • Commercial Lines President: John Barbagallo

Jeff Scovell Regional Sales Manager, Tennessee 440-910-3719 Jeffrey_J_Scovell@Progressive.com

Why Progressive: Stay relevant and adapt to the changing environment – that’s our goal in becoming your destination carrier. Our agents have the drive to embrace the changes in the marketplace, and we have the tools, technology, stability, and breadth of product to ensure we thrive well into the future – together. And while we’re focused on the journey ahead, our past is equally important. Since 1937, we’ve grown into one of the largest auto insurance providers in the country and the largest personal auto insurer by written premium among independent agents. In addition, we’ve worked to achieve No. 1 commercial auto insurer, motorcycle and specialty RV insurer in the US and we also have an A+ (Superior) rating for auto and A (Excellent) rating for home from A.M. Best, an independent U.S. based insurance rating agency. We help agents keep their promises by always keeping ours, operating consistently from our Core Values and delivering intuitive technology, claims and service excellence, marketing support for their local brand, and a national name customer know and trust. We’re proud to serve independent agents by making insurance a little better every day, and we’re proud to have independent agents like you representing our brand in your community. Progressive Benefits and Services Technology and Ease of Use – Throughout our history, we've pushed the independent agent channel forward with easier and faster ways to quote business, and breakthrough segmentation that keeps agents ahead of the competition. We help you stay ahead of consumer needs by providing online and mobile technologies that today's customers expect from businesses. Breadth of Products – No matter your customers’ needs, from simple to complex, we have the products and coverages to meet the needs of the entire household. We offer personal auto, motorcycle, boat, RV, homeowners, renters, commercial auto and more. Stability and Choice – Our commitment to underwriting profit and low-cost operations provides quality coverage for all risks at a consistently competitive price. Through a variety of discounts and programs we offer your customers ways to save and personalize their rate, like our usage-based insurance program Snapshot®. Progressive's agency business is as big as it's ever been, and we continue to make significant investments to support agent's long-term, profitable growth. Insights and Tools – We've built our business with agents, and after 80 years, we're just as committed as we've ever been. We use our experience, insights and scale as a market leader to continuously improve our products and deliver business-building tools that fuel agent success. Don’t take it from us, visit AgentsofProgressive.com to hear more from some of our agents. Not all programs, discounts or products are available. 6

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

Cybersecurity: Play offense for your defense No matter how hard you may try to avoid technology, there is a good chance that every piece of valuable information at your agency is digitized. Your business records, financial statements, personnel records and emails all remain on computer servers and back-ups. You may think that, as an independent agency, you are not under much of a threat compared to international corporations, but hackers know small businesses tend to lack the security of Fortune 500 companies. In fact, the House of Representatives Small Business Committee reported that 71 percent of cyberattacks are on businesses with fewer than 100 employees. To protect against online threats, your agency needs to create a written cyber policy playbook that goes beyond a firewall and a password-protected Wi-Fi network. Instead of viewing cyber security plans as a hassle to comply with possible regulations, use it as an opportunity to strengthen your agency by developing both offensive and defensive strategies to protect it with security and a plan to minimize any harm if an attack does take place.

Play offense The first way to protect your data is with a strong password, effectively the key into digital systems. Once the popular approach for a safe password was devising something with at least 10 letters, a capitalized letter, followed by a number and exclamation point. Hackers now have developed programs that can crack passwords containing dictionary or known words and follow this pattern, rendering your “BradtheJedi7!” password insecure. The strongest passwords still consist of a random assortment of at least 12 letters, both capitalized and lowercase, symbols and numbers. Problematically, it is difficult to come up with a truly random password that you will remember. Cyber security expert Bruce Scheier came up with a solution to these issues. First, come up with a distinct sentence. Then condense it down to abbreviations that mix letters, numbers and symbols that would not be predictable to anyone else. My password of “@Bµ£f!§>12W\rB∞l0!” looks like my dog walked over my keyboard, but I remember it with the sentence, “Maybe the Buffalo Bills could beat the Patriots with an assist from the Rebel Alliance (unlikely).” Once you have reduced a sentence to a mess of at least 12 characters, numbers and symbols, type it out 20 or 30 times while repeating the sentence in your head to commit the password to muscle memory. If you write out a reminder, make sure to store it in a safe place.

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legal

clare irvine Government affairs counsel, PIA Management Services

Secure passwords only do so much if you do not take precautions to protect your network from attacks. The next strategy for protection is the firewall, which functions as a filter between everything on the World Wide Web and your agency’s computers and network. If your agency has multiple computers, servers and users on the same internet network, you need to have a network firewall to protect sensitive internal data across the network. Depending on the size of your agency, you may want to consider an internal firewall that can protect a specific section of the network or servers. Any laptops that connect to a network outside your office should have their own protection. Almost everyone carries a miniature computer around as a phone, and your cyber playbook must include phone security. The security of these devices needs to be taken just as seriously as the overall network and computer security. In your agency’s cyberpolicy, write out the security measures agency employees must take to keep their work devices safe. If anyone at your agency has the ability to access sensitive information remotely, it is vital to include public Wi-Fi guidelines. Public internet creates security risks by making it extremely easy for another user on the network to access your device.

Employees should use a virtual private network to create a private tunnel that encrypts information to keep it secure from other users on the public Wi-Fi network. Alternatively, your employees can use a secure mobile device as a hotspot to create their own private network. Find the methods that best suit your agency and include them in your written policy. None of these policies matter if even one person at your agency does not comply with them. Cyber security training should engage employees and include explanations on the importance of the policies. Include one-page checklists that allow employees to review their devices and cyberusage periodically. Do what you can to ensure everyone participates in the protection of your agency’s network.

Stored data Digitization has made it affordable to store information indefinitely. Agencies need proactive data retention policies for a number of reasons, including cybersecurity. The policy should dictate how long your agency retains business records, consumer information, emails, personnel files, financial documents and all other digital records. Your agency needs to take steps to protect all electronic records. This starts with secure back-ups of all computers and mobile devices. The easiest back-up is a secure, automated cloud that regularly moves everything from your devices. If your agency uses the cloud, protect it with passwords. Back-up tapes stored off-site may require more work to maintain, but they store information offline and out of the reach of hackers. Identify your agency’s data storage requirements and tailor your plan to address them. Every agency needs a data retention plan to dispose of digital files that are no longer needed. First, find out how long you must keep the information. Then, figure out a timeline and method to dispose of those files properly. If there is a reason to keep documents longer than the necessary period, then examine these documents on a case-by-case basis. Finally, ensure the proper disposal of files to protect this sensitive information. Do not forget to document your policy for retaining and disposing of your agency’s documents and make sure that staff members all follow it.

Plan a defense Even if you install a top-notch firewall and have the most-complex password ever created, cybercriminals can attack your network. Your agency’s cyberpolicy must include plans for what to do if this happens and how your agency will handle it. Planning what to do in advance can make a massive difference during a highly stressful situation in which time is of the essence. First, your policy should include an outline to identify and contain the damage. Have programs prepared to help with the process. Once the attack has been contained, identify the compromised files or systems; isolate them; and remove them to prevent more damage. Take the system offline, but do not shut it down until you have identified the malware or virus. Your policy should include a guide for what to look for when assessing the damage and

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

the companies and law enforcement agencies to contact (include phone numbers and addresses). Include any applicable state laws on cyberattack responses and include them in the policy. You also should prepare written draft notices to clients who may have had their nonpublic information accessed. Draft the notice as part of your cyberpolicy and include essential information to make it easy to plug in details in the event of an attack. The notice should state that your agency experienced a cyberattack; the information that was potentially compromised; and what your agency is doing to address the issue. It also should include what your clients should do to protect their personal information. You should advise them to put fraud alerts on all their accounts and tell them the contact information for the three major credit-monitoring agencies. Having this ready will allow quicker notification and minimize potential damage.

Understand it all When drafting or revising your cyber policy playbook, your agency needs to think through all your offensive and defensive strategies. This article is an overview on steps you can take to protect your agency. When it comes to cybersecurity, having a thorough policy to prevent any attack offensively with a defensive strategy to minimize damage is crucial for every agency. Irvine is PIA Management Services’ government affairs counsel.

We know what it took to build this unique business.

And we know what it takes to protect it. Underwriters who know and understand what coverages are necessary for each unique business. Loss prevention professionals who use a hands-on approach to help develop programs tailored to each specialty business. Claim reps with the expertise and technology to process claims quickly and efficiently. As an Official Supplier of the Silver LiningÂŽ, you and West Bend will find a specialized insurance plan for your valued customers. To find out more, talk to your West Bend underwriter.

Because Nothing Happens Until Someone Makes a Sale

Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) Designation Sales isn’t a natural skill for many people. Even among the most talented sales professionals, there’s always room for improvement.

Our Sales Expertise. Your Goals. If you want to sell more, you need to learn more. However, cookie cutter sales training is seldom the best solution. Instead, you need education that is built around your unique realities.

Action. Not Theory. The AIMS Society has decades of experience developing curriculum and facilitating sessions for the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) designation. Every aspect of our coursework is designed to help participants gain insight and practical skills that can be applied right away. There’s simply no more business as usual when everyone begins approaching projects with a customer-first sales mentality. The focus at the AIMS Society has always been on tactics and sales information that are realistic and applicable to actual business situations. Position for Success – CPIA 1 Participants focus on internal and external factors affecting the development of effective business development plans. Factors discussed include a review of the state of the insurance marketplace; analysis of competitive pressures; necessary insurance carrier underwriting criteria; and consumer expectations and understandings. Throughout each section of the workshop, tips for preventing errors and omissions (E&O) are highlighted. Implement for Success – CPIA 2 Attendees discover specific tools for analyzing consumer needs. They also learn to utilize risk identification techniques to gather pertinent prospect information, develop skills necessary to assimilate collected information into a customized protection program and participate in exercises designed to promote effective delivery of proven solutions. As in CPIA 1, tips for preventing E&O are discussed. Sustain Success – CPIA 3 This program focuses on fulfilling the implied promises contained in the insuring agreement. Students will review methods of providing evidence of insurance coverage and will discuss policies and procedures to control errors and omissions, including policy review and delivery, endorsements, claims-processing and handling of client complaints. Also included is a review of professional expectations; the law of agency; and legal and ethical standards. Our emphasis on providing tips for preventing E&O continues.

CPIA faculty are fabulous, the best in the business. They bring true life examples and excitement into the program. Attendees leave class with a renewed vigor and bring this feeling with them back to their places of employment. They are excited about their insurance careers. Interaction is the highlight of the program, not only between instructor and attendees, but also between attendees themselves. Great ideas are shared and everyone in class feels a shared sense of commonality and togetherness. - CPIA Sponsor Kelly O’Connell Education Manager

“Sales” and “marketing” are not the exclusive responsibility of the sales team. Every interaction can impact sales. Therefore, we believe our designation is ideal for anyone with consistent interaction with people outside the organization. For more information contact: Tina Nickell, CISR, CPIA for more information: 615-823-5079 or tnickell@piatn.com

Avoid losing clients to competitors Often you hear a salesperson say, “We service the heck out of our customers. They’ll never leave us.” Then a competitor walks away with an account. And, no one saw it coming. You work hard getting new accounts, take providing them with services seriously, yet they still leave. Why? Think about it this way: you buy a new car—it’s just what you wanted. However, after a year or so, you start thinking about the new models. That’s when little things about your current car start bugging you—it doesn’t have this-or-that, there’s a squeak or the technology is outdated. Before you know it, you are back in the showroom. It’s no different with your clients. When competitors come calling, they are ripe for the picking. All of a sudden, the list of little things that fester over time gets longer. Before you know it, your client sacks you and he or she moves on to a competitor. The accumulation of minor issues does damage and make your clients vulnerable to your competitor’s promises. To help prevent this from happening, here’s a checklist to help you keep your clients. No. 1: Be irritation aware. By themselves, little things accumulate in a client’s mind, tolerated and quietly dormant until something triggers a reaction. “I’ll call you back about that,” but you forgot. “I’ll get on it right now,” but you didn’t. Minor irritations to be sure, but over time, they

Online Education • • • •

Pre-Licensing Webinars Training and Education for the New Employee Continuing Education

http://piatn.com/professional-development/

Education at your convenience

For more information, call Tina Nickell, CISR, CPIA at 615-823-5079 or tnickell@piatn.com

sales

john graham Principal, GrahamComm

become a big issue. That’s when the competitor arrives.

No. 2: Meet deadlines. Telling your clients you’ll get back to them tomorrow when they follow-up on a question they asked you a week ago isn’t a good precedent to establish. If it happens once, that’s understandable. If it happens twice, your clients see it as a pattern.

No. 3: Exhibit self-confidence. Few things raise red flags faster than those who come across as wishywashy. Surprising as it may seem, it can happen to people who take their work seriously and make a point of being thorough. Even so, their behavior can be interpreted as being doubtful and lacking in confidence. No. 4: Be a resource. Make it a practice to keep your antennae tuned for ideas that may be of interest to clients. Then, pass them along. It’s not only helpful, but a way to let them know you’re thinking of them. No. 5: Become a better presenter. This tip is best explained through an example: A regional representative for a steel company signed up for a public speaking class. “I’m not good enough on my feet,” he told the instructor. Months later, he received a big promotion and he credited what he learned in the class as making the difference in his performance. No 6: Get better organized. Smart salespeople know the value of being

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well organized. Intuitively, perhaps, they recognize that getting clients what they need fast helps them to be seen as someone they can count on and someone who is reliable. No. 7: Don’t talk about yourself. Understandably, salespeople want to impress prospects and current clients. Sometimes they try too hard; they don’t do themselves any favors by telling stories about themselves. It’s not what clients want to hear. No. 8: Ask questions. How many times do we need to be reminded that, telling isn’t selling? Yet, there are times when the urge is so strong, it gets out of control. Just remember, asking questions works better since it gives prospects and current clients a chance to do what they know best: to talk about themselves and what they do. No. 9: Be attentive. Salespeople know the danger of ignoring clients and do everything possible to avoid it from happening. But, some clients see it differently. What they notice are subtle changes in attentiveness: “Have we heard from Lurleen lately?” or “When was the last time Carl was in?” A picture begins to take shape. Once it starts, it sticks. No. 10: Be on time. Keeping customers waiting is dangerous. Calling or texting you’ll be late doesn’t cut it. Some may think, it lets you off the hook; it doesn’t. Clients, including those who don’t say anything, may feel differently. Being late may be ignored, but it’s not forgotten. No. 11: Respond rapidly. Those expecting a response have their own perception of quickly. It seems a bit tough, but a good rule of thumb is 15 minutes

to one hour for responding to both phone calls and email. It can be as simple as letting people know you received their messages and when you will get back to them later. No. 12: Anticipate problems. While optimism is essential if you’re in sales, it’s also useful to be a bit pessimistic. It creates doubt, which will help you spot potential problems before disaster strikes. It’s better to be aware of what’s coming so you can correct it, while there’s still time. No. 13: Listen intently. We all find ourselves thinking, “What did I just read? I can’t remember a word!” Our eyes were moving across the page, but we were thinking about something else. It’s the same with listening, including sales situations. The client is talking and we’re thinking about what we will say next. All it takes to avoid this is to take a few notes, just enough to capture what the client is saying. Besides getting the message, it will impress the clients that you’re focused on them. No. 14: Write simply. The goal is to make everything you write easy to read. To do this, some suggest shooting for a third-grade reading level. It’s difficult to reach that level of clarity. However, a fifth- to seventh-grade level works well for capturing and holding attention. By following the strategies listed in this article, you can help keep encroaching competitors away from your clients. Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. He is the creator of Magnet Marketing, and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas. Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or johnrgraham.com.

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

Proposals: A great E&O prevention tool Most agencies and their respective producers probably look at the insurance proposals they provide to customers and prospects as one of the key tools that will determine whether they land the account. In many respects, this is correct. While a great proposal does not guarantee success, a poor proposal almost certainly guarantees failure. Typically, the insurance proposal is broken down by line of business and lists the coverages offered/proposed and the corresponding premium. That’s fine and probably serves the purpose. For example, say you are providing a proposal to a hardware store. The store’s owner undoubtedly knows the hardware store business well, but how knowledgeable is he or she on the finer points of the insurance business? Imagine you are the hardware store owner who is receiving this proposal. Does the proposal help you understand the insurance program? Does it include references to terms such as ACV/RC or co-insurance? Are these terms defined?

Educate customers and prospects If your proposals are structured strictly to provide an overview, you may be missing an important element—one that may play a role in landing the account while also providing some quality errors-and-omissions protection. What is it? Look for your proposals to educate your prospects and help them understand their insurance program. Educating customers and prospects is a key issue in minimizing E&O claims activity. If an E&O claim developed, the defense attorney (defending the agency) and the plaintiff’s attorney (defending your customer) would review the agency file and all of the specific documents involved in the procurement of the coverage. You can bet that the proposal provided will be reviewed in depth. The goal is to ensure that when this occurs, the proposal helps your case, not hurts it. Customers and prospects heavily rely on proposals to make informed purchasing decisions. The best proposals clearly lay out the coverages offered, with documentation ultimately being made to detail what was—and was not—purchased. To ensure there is no misunderstanding, it is highly suggested to secure the insured’s signature and acknowledgement detailing his or her buying decision. Moreover, to ensure thoroughness and consistency, the agency should have a standard template detailing what the proposal should include and how it should be communicated. Without this, the potential exists that proposals will lack the necessary detail and explanation. www.piaTN.COM

E&O

Curtis m. pearsall, cpcu, CPIA President, Pearsall Associates Inc.

Proposal ingredients Each proposal that your agency issues should include the following elements: Detailed explanations and definitions of key terms. Just because the agency understands the terms does not mean the client does. Educating your client on the finer points of the proposal will help him or her better understand the insurance program and should also help minimize the potential for an E&O claim. As you present the proposal, look for opportunities to ensure that the prospect understands the material. Avoid abbreviations if there is any chance the customer will not understand they mean. Easy-to-understand information. The language should not be above the ability of the prospect to understand it. Relevant additional parties. Reference any known mortgagee or loss payee. Include details. For example, if you are providing a proposal for commercial auto and some drivers are excluded, a reference to the excluded (or conversely acceptable) drivers is appropriate. When dealing with workers’ compensation, based on the corporate structure of the entity, reference should be made to whether 13

the policy affords coverage for sole proprietors/partners. On general liability, if the policy is “subject to audit,” it should be stated. For a professional liability/ directors and officers policy, provide clarification on issues such as “retro date” and whether the defense is within or outside of the limit of liability. Possible higher limits available. Where applicable, include a statement that clearly denotes that higher limits are available. This would certainly be applicable in references to an umbrella or excess limits policy. Carrier rating information. Include A.M. Best information for each of the carriers, with an explanation of what the rating means. It is recommended to use the exact definition as provided by A.M. Best. Disclaimer. There is no way the proposal can include every single aspect of the

insurance program. A disclaimer, such as the following, will provide a degree of E&O protection: Information contained in this proposal is intended to provide you with a brief overview of the coverages provided for reference purposes only. It is not intended to provide you with all policy exclusions, limitations and conditions. The precise coverage afforded is subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the policies issued. In addition, if your agency has relied upon information provided directly by the prospect, consider including a statement such as, “this proposal is based on information provided and we cannot attest to the accuracy of this information.”

amerisafe.com - 800.897.9719

Nonadmitted carriers. If any of the carriers referenced are nonadmitted, provide an explanation of what this means. Verbiage such as the following is suggested: “The insurance company does not participate in any of the insurance guarantee funds created by (the applicable state) law should the insurance company become insolvent and be unable to honor claim payments.”

A clearer understanding

SAFE ABOVE ALL Strong and steady, constantly raising the bar. All great accomplishments have a certain level of hazard involved, but AMERISAFE has workers’ comp down to the detail. It’s a large part of why we retain 90%* of our policyholders. The best protection is being proactive.

*Policyholder retention rate based on voluntary business that we elected for renewal quote: 93.0% in 2017.

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

At the end of the day, while your proposals may be a little longer, your client will have a much clearer understanding of the coverages proposed and how they work. This could be the difference that helps you land the account. Plus, if a problem develops down the road, the detail provided in your proposal could be key in the defense of your agency. Pearsall is president of Pearsall Associates Inc. and special consultant to the Utica National E&O Program.

Safety is no accident. Provide more than coverage to your clients. Offer them the added protection of EMC’s loss control services. Whether it’s making operational changes to reduce injuries, implementing new work policies or coordinating targeted safety courses, our experts provide valuable services that can result in meaningful loss reduction. A safe work environment often leads to a more profitable business. And offering our loss control services at no additional cost to your clients often leads to a more profitable business for you too.

Count on EMC ® to have your clients’ best interests in mind.

RaLph LabaRta Chief technology officer, Engage PEO

A great defense Plan now to maximize your agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value

ike companies across business sectors, insurance agencies have seen improvements in efficiency, client engagement and overall profitability through technology. Whether it is something as simple as enhanced communications and marketing through web-based channels, or as comprehensive as agency management programs and comparative raters, digital initiatives have changed the way that agenciesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and individual agentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;do business. Clients have greater access to information about unique insurance products, and those that provide insurance have a greater ability to demonstrate how their offerings meet the specific needs of customers. On the business insurance side, technology has also sparked new partnerships that have brought the mission of human resources and insurance closer together.

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

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With these rewards come obvious challenges. Agency owners and managers must not only be experts in the products they offer and in general business management tactics, they must be tech-savvy too—or find the right partners to help them. Above all, they must learn about, and defend against, everchanging cybersecurity threats. The fact is that companies of all sizes, including small- and mid-sized organizations, are at risk of a cyberattack—one that could cause financial devastation. While many high-profile data breaches have focused on large global enterprises, such as Equifax, smaller organizations are, in some ways, in a more precarious position. This is because they often lack the resources or awareness to implement safeguards; and their networks can be used as gateways to the larger organizations that they may serve.

IoT in the office

According to a 2017 research report by the Ponemon Institute, 61 percent of small- and mid-sized businesses experienced a cyberattack in 2017—up 6 percent from the previous year. Another report from the Better Business Bureau, the 2017 State of Cybersecurity Among Small Businesses in North America, surveyed more than 1,100 companies about their understanding of and experience with cybersecurity. While a smaller number (about 20 percent) reported having been victim of a breach, of those more than 35 percent suffered a significant financial loss.

A common practice is to support wireless network access in office shared workspaces and to support employee devices and guests. This creates exposure to resources on the corporate network where the computers and servers are connected and confidential data is stored.

For insurance agencies, a primary concern is the protection of personal information relating to individual clients and business customers. But, agencies also must understand the need to safeguard their own financial information, assets and employee data. While cybersecurity threats are changing constantly, here are several key areas that should demand your attention today, along with strategies to keep your data, and your agency, safe.

The vulnerability has expanded in recent years, as the Internet of Things has made its way into the office environment via smart TVs, connected appliances, alarm systems and other connected devices. The presence of IoT devices on secure networks introduces easily exploitable vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to gain access to secure resources. Hackers attempt to locate IoT devices within an office environment, access the devices and install malware.

Targeted phishing attacks While phishing has been around for a while, and warnings about the practice are plentiful, it still ranks as one of the greatest threats to your agency. Emails with malicious content targeted at specific individuals in your organization will continue to be a grave threat, and the practice is becoming more specialized. For instance, spear phishing is a targeted attack when a malicious email appears to come from someone who you may know well; this email is specially sent to you, and perhaps a small group of your colleagues. The goal is to trick you or a member of your organization into providing valuable information, via false weblinks for instance. This information may include account numbers and passwords that can give an intruder access to your agency’s network, customer data and bank information. How can your agency combat phishing attacks? First, it is important to use an outsourced (cloud-based) email service provider such as Microsoft Office 365. These cloud-based programs provide advanced and constantly updated tools to block malicious links and phishing attacks, and they offer additional security options, such as mobile security. Since your in-house IT team may be small, and the bulk of your focus needs to be on your business, outsourcing is the best solution, offering teams of hundreds of engineers working to address email-based cyberattacks as they occur and evolve every day.

Second, make sure everyone in your agency receives ongoing technology training and support. Phishing works by targeting one of the most vulnerable links in an organization’s technology structure—its people. By making sure your employees know to spot and avoid malicious emails, you provide a final layer of defense beyond your email provider.

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

To protect your agency, it is essential to make sure your wireless networks are segregated from the secure “corporate” network that stores your critical data. A separate internet connection should serve these segments, a task that can be achieved economically via broadband service providers that offer cable and internet services. All devices that present a security vulnerability, but contain no corporate data should use the “guest” network for internet connectivity. Then the corporate network can be dedicated to only allow secure wired connections to devices that have

been approved or meet a minimum threshold of security compliance.

your immediate neighborhood, remote access represents a front door accessible to anyone in the world at any time.

Remote-access attacks

The concept that employees need remote access to their office-based computers or server is outdated and represents a large security risk relative to the specific need, which is most likely, a specific file, email or customer record. Businesses should close outdated remote access points, and move to web-based file sharing, email and application suites that support multifactor authentication. As an example, instead of supporting remote access to an employee’s office desktop, utilize a file sharing service such as OneDrive or Egnyte to which only specific shared file libraries are synchronized. When remote access to these files is needed, secure login with multifactor authentication can be used from any browser without exposing other data resources unnecessarily.

The ability to work from anywhere is a convenience that often is characterized as a must-have for business management and executives. No doubt, your agency allows remote access to your network and/or email for employees to work from home or the field. Over the years, many vendor solutions have come to market to address the demand; however, the majority of solutions introduce security vulnerabilities that far outweigh the perceived benefits. Traditionally, remote access implies you are opening an access method to your secure network. When the front door to your house represents a possible opening to individuals in

Home/public network breach As phishing attacks become more specialized, attackers will focus on specific targets and the technology resources they utilize. An attacker will seek to identify the laptop of an individual with elevated rights or access to financial authorization. Tools that exist today can be used to monitor a laptop as it connects to the internet from the employee office, public Wi-Fi or home network. Network weaknesses or compromised devices on the same network can present an opportunity that can be detected automatically and trigger an attacker’s bot to strike.

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Your organization can take steps to combat the threat, beginning with the implementation of clear rules for employees to follow. When remote access is needed, employees should utilize cellphone hotspots to avoid shared Wi-Fi connections. Business laptops should be equipped with effective real-time virus and malware detection software including “DNS” filters that only allows access to a filtered list of internet sites. Home networks, particularly for employees with elevated rights, should be segregated to provide a secure connection that is not exposed to the employee’s smart refrigerator, the gaming console or the smart thermostat. Business management and executives should consider employing the services of an IT services firm to assist in elevating the security of key employee home networks. Preventing cyberattacks is critical not just for your agency’s immediate financial security, but also for your reputation as a trusted and skilled adviser to your clients, and therefore your long-term performance. Remember that your business customers also are potential targets of hacking and malware, and so as you advise them on how to protect their assets and employees with the right insurance products, you should remind them of the importance of cybersecurity as well. Today, some insurance agents work to provide their clients with value-added services, from IT support to employee communication. Many are doing this by working with professional employment organizations. While the idea of agents partnering with PEOs used to be met with a healthy dose of skepticism, the trend is changing direction. Partnerships between insurance agents and the right PEO—one that offers attractive commissions to agents and high-caliber services to clients—are becoming more important. PEOs drive best practices, administrative efficiencies and savings through aggregation. The mission of PEOs extends beyond the administration of health insurance and related compliance—the industry leaders also offer payroll and tax administration; safety and risk management; worker’s compensation administration; human resources and regulatory compliance support; and technology administration. As agents move to take advantage of the many benefits that technology has to offer, they would be wise to guard against the dangers and to advise their clients to do the same. In his role as Engage PEO’s chief technology officer, Labarta oversees the company’s technology and process innovation, including all customer-facing technology services. He has led technology operations and strategy and major product development initiatives for a national PEO as well as for leading companies in the chemical and energy industries. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Florida and earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Florida. For more information, see engagepeo.com.

Contact Tina Nickell, CPIA 615-771-1177

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Professional Insurance Agents magazine

adam stern CEO, Infinitely Virtual

Want new ways to outwit hacks? The state of cybersecurity

If awareness is a precursor to constructive change, the murky world of cybersecurity has notched some real, albeit incremental, steps forward during the past year. That’s particularly the case in the financial services sector, which includes the insurance industry. On a number of fronts, companies, organizations and individuals are beginning to think more deeply about and act more decisively on the threats they face—an acknowledgement of how pervasive and challenging those threats have become (famously Equifax, but others as well). As CSO, an organization that provides security decision makers with information to help them to stay ahead of evolving threats and defend against criminal cyberattacks, observed in February: In the past year, tremendous regulatory developments have taken shape in the realm of cybersecurity, fiduciary responsibility and legal liability for licensees … starting with the State of New York’s Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Cybersecurity Requirements and ending with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Model Law.

Within this framework, insurance agents and brokers are required to complete continuing-education training on a regular basis, for credit (of some kind). At least in theory. But, even if the state of cybersecurity readiness doesn’t exceed these supposed minimums in the near term, this counts as progress. Ditto for the growing embrace of two relatively new constructs for thinking about cybersecurity, both of which may ultimately be more influential in righting the balance between bad actors and the organizations they victimize. While perceived threats and vulnerabilities are assumed to exist outside the firewall, truly effective security policies assume nothing. The conventional wisdom once held that everyone inside the network was trusted and everyone outside was not. The newer, more enlightened, paradigm for security is “more trusted” and “less trusted”—and that’s where the principles of least privilege and zero trust come into play. And, while the understanding and acting on these principles falls to the cloud-hosting provider, it’s a good business practice for your agency to be aware of these principles and to act accordingly.

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In savvy organizations (i.e., those firms that have partnered with a vigilant host), least privilege applies to every employee. Encryption is the rule internally, and multifactor authentication to log into every networking component and storage system is mandated; no one can delete a snapshot or burrow into the firewall. The upside is clear: Since all user data is inside the network, there’s no need to sweat issues like internal encryption—the hosting provider more than likely already has handled it for users. And, that extends to the rights conferred on users, for example, their ability to use home equipment on an office network. Of course, without that a vigilant cloud-hosting partner, users may indeed need to sweat the unattended details, like encryption and authentication, since they’re flying without a net. As blogger Gresham Harkless of CBNation puts it: the Zero Trust model of network security has been … spurred on by the constant barrage of cyber threats that seem to continually break through traditional security measures. Many businesses are recognizing that the ‘trust but verify’ model often fails to stop cyber threats. Zero Trust instead says that we must ‘verify and never trust.’ Interviewed by Cyber Security Hub, Russell Walker, CISO for Mississippi’s Secretary of State, put it this way: “The perimeter in the traditional sense has disappeared. The network itself is no longer a static environment we can put barriers around, have a guard at the gate and say, ‘Now we are protected.’”

Security settings hacks No. 1: Minimum password length. Require minimum eight character passwords.

Walker also is right to underscore that zero trust and least privilege aren’t merely technologies and policies. They truly do involve changing the way IT staff and end-users think and approach their environment.

No. 2: Complex passwords. Require lower case, upper case and special character.

Your agency’s role

No. 3: Maximum password age. Require all users to change password every 90 days.

That handoff—from these two powerful theoretical constructs to demonstrable practices in real-time—is everything. While cloud infrastructure providers do a good deal of the heavy lifting, every organization has a role to play, implementing and evolving security policies and procedures that best fit its environment and business requirements. Changes in business procedures and practices don’t necessarily need to be large; in cybersecurity as in other endeavors, the margins often are quite slim, and seemingly minute adjustments can make a world of difference. Consider clickbait, that pervasive—and potentially debilitating—pest in so many email inboxes. As Golden Frog GmbH, a Swiss security company, observes: clickbait is often associated with titles of articles over-promising content … the source of clickbait disguises itself and uses links to confuse victims. The best way to protect yourself against clickbait is similar to protecting yourself against phishing—be careful what links you open and always be sure the URL is secure. If the business is unfamiliar, search for reviews of the company to learn if it’s reputable before visiting their site. The good news is that for any business in the insurance sector, meeting the minimums in security policy and practices is achievable and can be surprisingly effective.

All organizations need to have a process that: 1. evaluates threats; 2. selects threats to blunt based on importance; 3. assesses and implements policies/technologies to block; 4. measures success/failure; and 5. starts again. Taken together, these stipulations can serve as an addendum to an existing policy, or as a framework for new internal guidelines. Treat the following recommendations as a starting point (e.g., recommended security settings; and security policy recommendations). They are worth your agency’s time.

Professional Insurance Agents magazine

No. 4: Account lockout. Lock accounts after multiple unsuccessful login attempts. No. 5: Two-factor authentication. Require users to accept login request using mobile phone. No. 6: Restrict IP address. Lock RDP port 3389 to only specified office IP address if it’s static. That way, even if people had a user name and password to your agency’s system, they wouldn’t be able to access the system remotely. No. 7: Install SSL certificate. Purchase and setup verified Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, to encrypt all traffic between your agency’s website and its internet browser.

No. 8: Site-to-site. Only allow connections over a virtual private network (VPN) from the office. This will help your agency protect its privacy online and maintain your agency’s data security. No. 9: Use a remote desktop gateway. This will block all connections to standard remote desktop connection (RDP) port and will require all users to authenticate over a secure HTTPS.

Security policy hacks No. 1: Make sure no one in your office writes passwords on paper. No. 2: Passwords should never by saved in a plain-text document on your agency’s computers or server.

No. 3: Make sure everyone knows not to share their passwords with anyone inside or outside the company. No. 4: Staff should not leave their computers unattended while they are logged in to the system. No. 5: Do not save any RDP credentials. No. 6: Tell and teach staff to avoid logging on to a server from unknown computers. No. 7: Make sure all your agency’s anti-virus programs are updated and that you run regular scans. No. 8: Make sure operating system and programs are updated on regular schedule. No. 9: Do not give users administrative rights to their computers and use a built-in super-user account for system administration. Although these suggestions and recommendations are tactics, they’re integral to a strategic approach to cybersecurity—an approach that ought to be understood as a form of corporate physical fitness. And remember: Sitting ducks can’t move nearly as swiftly as hawks. Stern is founder and CEO of Infinitely Virtual, which offers products and services based on virtual dedicated server and cloud-computing technologies (infinitelyvirtual.com or @IV_CloudHosting). The company is based in Los Angeles.

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PIA partners with AVYST to launch eForms Wizard PIA is proud to announce a partnership with AVYST. Through this partnership, PIA members will be able to simplify client interviews; streamline the submission process; and get to market faster. PIA members can access the eForms Wizard Gold package free of charge through the end of 2018. AVYST eForms Wizard is a software solution that enables professional insurance agents and producers to efficiently interview clients and prospects on-site with or without access to the internet. AVYST eForms Wizard reduces the tedium and difficulty associated with completing a set of ACORD, agency or carrier unique forms since prospect or existing client data is entered only once to get a quote. After client information is collected and entered into data fields, updates and edits are shared across files. Repetitive keystrokes are eliminated, which reduces mundane tasks and opportunity for error—and employees are freed up to focus instead on cross-selling, business building and client retention.

The eForms Wizard allows agents to work with their colleagues and underwriters quickly. Agents are able to build, share, and edit forms across their team and send forms as a secure PDF to multiple underwriters when ready. “Last year was a devastating year of natural disasters and one of the biggest challenges for agents working in areas affected by natural disasters was the inability to complete work without the internet,” said then PIA National President Timothy Russell, CPCU, of Southport, Conn. “This problem is eliminated with eForms Wizard as a software-based product, it allows agents with no internet access to complete the forms offline. Once agents have regained access to the internet they can send their completed forms to their underwriters, share them with agency staff or upload them right to their agency management system.” www.piaTN.COM

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Tina nickell, cisr, cpia Member services representative, PIA of TN

eForms Wizard is integrated with the International Risk Management Institute Glossary of Terms™ to enable agents to view embedded definitions right on the forms which facilitates and encourages agents to easily discuss additional coverage options with customers. PIA members have access to a trial period of the comprehensive Goldlevel program until Dec. 31, 2018. After the trial expires, the Bronzelevel package is available for free to all PIA members or upgrade to the Gold level package for $50 per user per year (a 50 percent PIA member discount off the regular price). AVYST eForms Wizard is available to all PIA members except those in Colorado and North Carolina. To start your trial, download the software today. If you are a PIA member and have received an email from AVYST with login credentials (and have misplaced the email), see here: http://lic2.avyst.com/a/auth/ recover. If you are a PIA member and you have not received prior communications about AVYST eForms Wizard, see here: https://avyst.com/ partnerships/pia-national/. Are you interested in more information about AVYST eForms Wizard? Please contact Linda Dodson, chief experience officer at (877) 204-0704 or linda@avyst.com. Nickell is PIA of Tennessee’s member services representative.

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