Every day we read about more ways nefarious actors find to invade cyber boundaries. A recent Big I article educated me about three new techniques: bluesnarfing, bluejacking and Sybil attacks.
As consumers, we embrace convenience, and having Bluetooth-attached devices is so much easier than connecting a wire. But did you know that digital traffic opens another avenue for cybercriminals to obtain sensitive information?
Consider this scenario: On a busy flight from Orlando to Chicago, you need to respond to a customer claim inquiry. You are sitting in an airline lounge — a favorite haunt for cybercriminals looking for business travelers with poor security procedures. You pull out your iPad and, using a Bluetooth keyboard, log into your agency management system. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth keyboard connectivity exposes confidential information, including potentially your agency management system ID and password. Can you protect against this? Absolutely. Using a wired keyboard would prevent Bluetooth capture, but it may not be as convenient.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is also a process that would render an ID and password useless without a secondary authentication — like a one-time passcode — to complete the login process. But, like a wired keyboard, having a unique MFA for every digital connection may not be convenient. ID Federation is an industry nonprofit working to make authentication both safer and operationally convenient.
Imagine if your agency management system credentials, with secure MFA sign-on, could be used for connection to a carrier’s agent portal. This would eliminate multiple IDs and passwords and redundant MFA processes. ID Federation has implemented this with leading carriers to make it easier for agents. Ask your carriers to support ID Federation so you can improve your agency’s cyber protection.
Protect your customers. Protect your business.
Alvito Vaz is executive director of ID Federation. He is a long-time participant in AUGIE and has held business and technology leadership roles at Progressive and Travelers. He can be reached at alvito@idfederation.com.
