Federation is the act of using something other than a user ID and password for authentication between trusted people. There are a ton of products that do this, and I see independent agencies investing in those products to conduct all of their transactions.
But independent agencies should be pushing in a concerted effort for SignOn Once by ID Federation as their federated provider for all insurance transactions among carriers, agencies and solution providers. Here’s why:
No. 1. SignOn Once is the safest solution
The security provided by any federated provider is critical to protect agencies from cybercrime. We all get that.
But to maximize its protection, an agency also needs:
- To be low on the desirability list for hackers.
- To minimize its visibility to hackers.
The weakness of a generic federated product is that it’s not specific to one business. A lot of people know about it and use it. The generic federated provider houses a centralized treasure trove of sensitive information.
Think about it: If you’re a hacker, wouldn’t you prefer to hack the store that manages the greatest number of user IDs and passwords for the greatest number of businesses?
If your agency uses a general password manager, your customers’ information is thrown into a huge pool that by its very size is more desirable and therefore more vulnerable to the average high-volume hacker. You’ve entrusted one federated provider with your bank and credit card information. And that’s all mixed in with your carrier logins? That means all the data your agency must protect is available to the lucky hacker who breaks the code.
And generic federation products have had breaches.
In contrast, SignOn Once is a comparatively small and limited pool. It serves only one business. The risk is automatically lower. I would imagine there’s no hacker out there who’s thinking, “OMG, I want to hack an insurance database.”
No. 2. SignOn Once is the easiest solution
Every agency I’ve ever visited has somewhere that they store all the agency’s user IDs and passwords. It’s amazing how many customer credentials are advertised on sticky notes on computer monitors. Can you spell v-u-l-n-e-r-a-b-l-e?
And each user must keep track of credentials for every individual carrier the agency accesses. That’s pain you don’t need and an incredible waste of time.
SignOn Once is ultra-easy for agencies. Each user has exactly one ID and password to conduct all insurance business with all participating carriers. It’s so seamless that the user doesn’t even know it’s there.
And there are no more random expiration dates to track. They happen all at once.
No. 3. SignOn Once is the least expensive solution
SignOn Once could not possibly be a better deal for agencies. It’s free.
Agencies can join ID Federation for a modest membership fee and demonstrate their support for this nonprofit industry coalition of volunteers. But that’s their choice.
Talk to your carriers
Carriers are the linchpin of SignOn Once. They must make a modest IT investment, and they do the behind-the-scenes work of implementation.
It’s important for you to tell each of your carriers that your agency needs the safety and ease of SignOn Once for insurance transactions. If you don’t ask for it, they won’t bother.
Until the day all of your carriers participate in SignOn Once, I urge you to use the real-time connectivity products provided to you by your agency management system vendor. Those products are already slated to be federated through SignOn Once by ID Federation.
Join the insurance credential management revolution. Ask for SignOn Once.
B. Nellie Massoni is director, product management and connectivity, for Vertafore. As an ambassador of the ACORD User Groups Information Change (AUGIE), she advocates for and communicates to the industry about the efficient workflows available to independent agencies and brokerages through their agency systems, specifically with regard to agency carrier connectivity and identity federation.
