A First-of-its-kind Cybersecurity Solution Designed Specifically for Insurance Agents

WESTFIELD CENTER, Ohio, May 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's foremost cybersecurity leaders and insurance agents have partnered to develop a new solution in the fight against cyber-crime.  "InsuraShield is an innovative approach for insurance agents to protect their agencies like never before," said Craig Welsh, Chief Distribution Officer at Westfield.  

Launching in June, InsuraShield is a first-of-its kind cybersecurity resource designed specifically for independent agents. It includes a powerful and unique combination of software, services and information that can help agencies protect against cyber-attacks, improve cybersecurity knowledge and comply with insurance industry-related security regulations. The Westfield Agents Association (WAA), a member based not-for-profit organization that partners with  Westfield to provide opportunities and services to promote a thriving agency force, collaborated with Arete Advisors, a global cybersecurity firm, to develop InsuraShield.

InsuraShield is an Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) that encourages and enables the sharing of cybersecurity information within its insurance industry members. It's also a managed security service that includes next-generation security software and active threat monitoring that helps protect agencies from sophisticated threats, such as ransomware, that can get past traditional small business security defenses. According to Small Business Trends, 60 percent of small businesses in the United States go out of business after a cyber-attack. InsuraShield's goal is to help keep insurance agencies from becoming one of these statistics.

"As a small business owner myself, it's not a matter of if my agency will suffer a cyber-attack, but when it will happen," said Rick Truman, Owner of McFadden Insurance Agency and Westfield Agents Association Board of Directors. "My life's work is helping my customers manage risk. InsuraShield helps me protect not only my customers' information, but everything I've worked so hard for—my business, my retirement."

Many small businesses don't have access to the same level of security resources as large companies. InsuraShield provides a unique set of features and benefits that bring large-enterprise class security to small and mid-size insurance agencies. These include:

• Advanced Endpoint Protection Software 
• Active Threat Monitoring 
• Phishing Sandbox 
• Security Help Desk 
• 24x7 Cyber Incident Response Hotline 
• Cybersecurity Information 

"InsuraShield is really unique," said Jim Jaeger, President and Cybersecurity Strategist at Arete Advisors. "It brings the kind of security that you would normally only see in large enterprises and government agencies to small and mid-size insurance agencies, at a fraction of the cost."

The increased targeting of insurance agencies by attackers and the increase in cybersecurity regulations focused on the insurance industry require insurance agencies to take proactive steps to improve their security posture, enhance security knowledge and comply with security regulations.

"The insurance industry is seeing an increase in cybersecurity-related regulation," said Diane Keil-Hipp, COO at Knight Insurance Group and President of the Westfield Agents Association. "Soon, an agency will need to demonstrate that deliberate actions have been taken to address the cyber risk in their own environment, as a service provider to carriers, and as a custodian of consumer data. InsuraShield gives agents access to the tools to meet the standard requirements."

"We've seen agents struggle to recover from a breach and InsuraShield is a cost-effective way for agents to safeguard their customer information, be confident in their information security and manage cyber risk," continued Welsh. "Designed by insurance agents for insurance agents and some of the best minds in cybersecurity, it doesn't get any better than that."

For more information about InsuraShield, visit www.InsuraShield.net.

About Westfield Agents Association
The Westfield Agents Association is a member based not-for-profit organization that partners with Westfield to provide educational opportunities, scholarships, and other services to promote a thriving agency force. The 14 WAA Board of Directors is made up of diverse group of agency representatives who serve as the governing body of the Association. Since 1891, the Association has served to enhance the relationship between independent agencies and Westfield Insurance.

About Westfield
Westfield was founded in 1848 by a small group of hard-working farmers who believed in the promise of the future and the power of the individual. Today, as one of the nation's leading property and casualty (P&C) companies, we remain true to their vision and are dedicated to your protection and prosperity and to the progress of our community. Learn more at www.westfieldInsurance.com.

About Arete Advisors
Arete Advisors partners with organizations worldwide to help their clients prepare for, detect and respond to cyber-attacks. InsuraShield offers independent agencies access to Arete's elite team of experts for everything from cyber industry best practices and lessons learned from the largest breaches in history, to protection from the theft of sensitive data that can devastate your agency and reputation.

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SOURCE Westfield Agents Association