What cybersecurity challenges does your business face during COVID-19?
Is your company at risk during COVID-19? Even if you manage the changing workload and numerous changes that come with running a business during a pandemic, you could be brought down by security issues. What cybersecurity concerns are of particular interest to insurance agencies?
An Abrupt Transition to Remote Work
The sudden transition to remote work makes it challenging to ensure that all of your employees are well-served when it comes to their home-based cybersecurity. This is particularly important as you are safeguarding your business information and client information.
To stay safe, provide support to your employees to do the following:
- Install antivirus software.
- Make sure that browsers have updated privacy tools.
- Have secure wi-fi so that the neighbors can’t look in on your activities.
- Back up files in a secure way.
More Worries Can Equal Less Care
Are you worried about the security of your workplace when it’s locked up and vacant? Someone out there is probably interested in taking advantage of your worries, whether they’re about paying your bills or managing a vacant building. Unfortunately, according to ZDNet, “opportunist crooks are already using the coronavirus as subject matter for their phishing scams, hoping that the unwary will click through and hand over passwords or other data.” Remind yourself and your employees to stay on guard, even if an email, text, or phone call appears to be from a service provider that you work with regularly. Continue to do your due diligence.
Provide similar security and support for all of your employees.
Provide Security Support
How can you ensure that your insurance agency remains secure during this particularly challenging time?
- Create simple procedures for security. Consider providing your employees with a security checklist.
- Develop a procedure to follow if a potential security breach has occurred.
- Be ready to invest in security updates for those who are working from home. For instance, you could invest in a password program that reduces the chance that passwords will be hacked.
- Get encryption tools so that files that are in transit can be handled securely.
- Consider providing devices that are exclusive for work, if you can afford it. This helps prevent inadvertent security breaches and also ensures that all employees have equivalent security features. Alternatively, ask employees to set up a guest network. According to Net News Ledger , “depending on a router, you may be able to create two different networks with different security rules for your work, personal life, and family members.”
- Ensure that you have insurance such as E&O insurance so that you’re protected from employee errors and omissions.
Put in the time now so that you don’t need to unravel a serious security mess later.
If you want to stay up to date on insurance industry tools and concerns, join us at American Agents Alliance. We help facilitate education and connect you with the learning and tools that you need to run a successful agency. Contact us today for more information.
