Happy Wednesday and welcome to the month of March. In this week's Big I Buzz, we're discussing a few upcoming events that you won't want to miss, how insurance agents can avoid being victims to hackers and the Join Task Force on Payroll Fund and Worker Misclassification's recommendations for Gov. Evers. 

Upcoming Events to Put on Your Calendar NOW:

InsurCon2021 - August 10-11, 2021

Join us August 10-11 at the Kalahari Resorts & Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells for our safe, in-person convention.The Kalahari is home to Wisconsin's largest indoor waterpark and brand new events and convention center. You won't want to miss our keynote speaker and Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Theismann! Our other amazing speakers include Beth Ziesenis and Bill Pieroni.

Beth Ziesenis

Beth, a.k.a. your nerdy best friend, has authored six books, and she keeps up with the latest technology to educate and entertain attendees with the fast-changing world of technology.

Bill Pieroni

Bill is the President & CEO of ACORD, the standards-setting body for the global insurance industry. His career has spanned technology, operations and top executive roles at several top insurers, brokers and consulting firms. Bill's areas of particular expertise include digitization, change management and the strategic and capability imperatives for a high performance in the insurance industry.

We will be following all safety guidelines outlined by the Kalahari, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC. As guidelines evolve as we move closer to the event, we will be clearly communicating any requirements or changes as we approach InsurCon2021.

Registration will be opening soon! Keep an eye out as we continue to release new information about the schedule of events. If you have any questions about InsurCon2021, please visit iiaw.com/insurcon2021. Exhibitors can reach out to our Membership & Event Coordinator, Andrea Michelz, (andrea@iiaw.com) for more information. 

Big "I" Virtual Legislative Conference - April 13-16, 2021

The Big "I" has your back, especially in uncertain times. While you are helping your clients, the Big I team is working around the clock to protect your industry. Join us from the comfort of your computer or mobile device, and get up to speed on the many legislative, regulatory and legal challenges to your profession happening now. Hear from legislators, carriers and industry leaders and walk away with a plan to help you lead the way and protect your industry. 

Schedule of Events: 

Tuesday, April 13th at 1 p.m. CST:
Congressional Leaders: Agenda for Small Business

Wednesday, April 14th at 1 p.m. CST:
Legislative Update: A Briefing from the Hill

Thursday, April 15th at 1 p.m. CST: 
Capitol Hill: Messages from the Middle

Friday, April 16th at 1 p.m. CST: 
Conversations: Industry Leaders and National Commentators

Hackers Targeting Insurance Agents

There has been an increase in the number of insurance agents being targeted by online hackers. According to Steve Anderson, "Hackers have been systematically tracking and collecting the email addresses of insurance agency employees. They are now targeting the passwords used by insurance agency employees, and data shows that in some cases, passwords can be acquired. When successful, hackers can access the quote applications. Phishing emails are sent to consumers using false company identity, email addresses and insurance company logos to collect additional information." 

Steve recommends taking these steps to avoid hacking, 

Agencies should use a password management program for every computer in the office (or at home for remote workers), so that every employee can have a complex and unique password for every site. 

Next, inform employees of the potential for suspicious emails. Before anyone clicks on a link, they should understand where the link will actually lead to. "In Outlook, you can do this by hovering your mouse over the link. A small pop-up will show the actual link address. If it looks suspicious, delete it," Steve says. 

If the link looks legitimate, you can then type the link address into your browser rather than clicking the link within the email. 

Finally, head to the IIABA's website to download the latest Agency Cyber Guide to forward to all of your employees. Follow-up with a short meeting to emphasize the importance of protecting client information. For more information click here. 

2021 Joint Enforcement Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Worker Misclassification Report

The Joint Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Worker Misclassification submitted its annual 2021 report with a series of recommendations to Governor Evers this week. A number of recommendations, including establishing an Insurance Fraud Bureau, would impact Workers' Compensation and would require the Legislature to pass enabling legislation in order for them to be enacted into law. It remains to be seen whether the Legislature will act upon recommendations from the report. For a full list of task force recommendations, head to page 8 of the report here.

For more news, check out the Action news section of our weekly e-newsletter, Big I Buzz. If you aren’t subscribed, click here to add your email to our emailing list. Don’t forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news as its happening on our Online Community. You can join the Online Community (exclusive to IIAW members) here. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week.