ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 12, 2009 — The Independent Agents & Brokers of America’s Agents Council for Technology (ACT) announced that they will be hosting a free webinar titled “Protecting Independent Agent Clients with Secure E-mail Using TLS (Transport Layer Security)” tomorrow, May 13 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
TITLE: ACT Webinar: Protecting Independent Agent Clients with Secure E-mail Using TLS
MODERATOR: Jeff Yates, ACT Executive Director
PANELISTS: Jim Rogers, Director of Distribution Technology, The Hartford
Tim Woodcock, President, Courtesy Computers
DATE: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
TIME: 1:30--2:30 p.m. Eastern
REGISTRATION: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/810821305 or CLICK HERE
“Regular unsecured e-mail is like sending an open postcard through the mail,” says Jeff Yates ACT executive director. “It is not an appropriate tool where confidential consumer information may be included, such as when sending commercial lines applications.”
The first 30 minutes of this Webinar is designed for agency business leaders explaining the risks of unsecured email and how TLS works. The second 30 minutes will get into a more technical discussion regarding implementation of TLS on Microsoft Exchange servers.
“ACT recommends independent agents and carriers implement TLS e-mail encryption wherever possible to protect the sensitive client information being sent between carriers and clients,” Yates adds. “Taking such steps positions the agency well with regard to the various federal and state privacy, security, and data breach laws.”
TLS is available on most up-to-date in-house e-mail servers (such as Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes). It is not currently available on hosted e-mail such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo. Once implemented by the agency’s technology professional, TLS is transparent to the user and the only cost is for the security certificate. It provides a better agent workflow than proprietary e-mail solutions imposed by the carrier. Many carriers are already enabled with TLS.
ACT has produced the article “Protect Your Clients with Secure Email using TLS,” as well as agents’ frequently asked questions about TLS, which can be found at www.independentagent.com/act at the “Agency Security/Customer Privacy” link. A recording of the May 13 webinar will also be available on this webpage in the near future.
The next live ACT Webinar is scheduled for June 23, 2009 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Details TBA.
Established in 1999 by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”), ACT provides a candid, action-oriented forum for agent and industry associations, user groups, companies and vendors to address critical technology and workflow issues facing the independent agency system and provides agencies with reports and tools to assist them in making improvements in their businesses.
Founded in 1896, the Big “I” is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
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