Security people are the problem solvers in IT, but they rarely get to celebrate victories for long before new challenges arise. As Accenture's Steve Barlock says, "Like everything in security, you knock these issues down one brick at a time."
Lately, the bricks have been piling up around Web technology. More carriers have made their systems Web enabled, so the focus has shifted from protecting network systems locked inside the IT department to providing secure access to agents and policyholders alike. With the technology becoming more fluid, so, too, has the access of people using the technology, presenting greater challenges in dealing with these mobile applications.
Independent agents connecting to the Penn National Insurance Web site enter a secure network, according to Thomas Miele, manager of information security and IT risk management for the insurer. "When they come into our network from their various offices, [agents] actually are coming into a protected network that is unique to us and controlled by a system based on their identities, the normal user ID/passwords, and some special codes they have to enter," says Miele. "Those authentication methods are the key to allowing them to take the next step."
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