There are two points each of us has to deal with whenever we logon to our computers: security and ease-of-business. The two mayseem to be mutually exclusive, but they must work together for anyof us to be effective.

All of us deal with password issues. Don't you just hate it whenyou are asked to change your password and you get a warning thatyour password is "weak?" We all deal with multiple companies whenwe are paying bills online and keeping those log-ins straight takesorganization.

The issue of password management is even more critical forindependent agencies who not only work with multiple insurancecarriers, but with vendors, MGAs and others. The issue of passwordmanagement has been simmering for a while and is now garnering theattention carriers and agents feel it desperately needs.

Security is a priority because confidential data is being passedbetween the carrier and the agency and no one wants to think that alist of passwords offering access to your private information is"hidden" in the unlocked desk drawer of the CSR or gone unchangedeven though a third of the staff has turned over in the last twomonths.

Password management comes down to two issues, according to TedJoyce, a director of XD Net, the Nexsure user group who representsXD Net with the ACORD User Group Information Exchange (AUGIE).

One issue is to make the system manageable—which is notcurrently the case—and the second is to have an automatedmanagement system.

"What we are hoping for it that password management would evolveto where it would automatically connect to each of our partners sothat once Company X verifies this is Ted Joyce's agency, thaneveryone connected with Ted will automatically be identified andverified so wedon't have to manage all the passwords," Joyce says."All I'll have to do is manage my system, and be identifiedonce."

Joyce believes this is one of the issues carriers need torespond to if they truly believe they are easy to do business withfrom workflow and pure agency managementstandpoints.

As for the security issues, Joyce points out if a lower levelperson leaves the agency it might mean changing four or fivepasswords, but if it is a higher level producer there may be 20 or25 passwords that need to be changed.

"You can't disconnect them in one fell swoop," says Joyce. "Youhave to do them all individually. What happens if you miss one andunfortunately that person has an axe to grind? You and your carrierpartner are at risk. That not only affects you, it affects a clientor a prospect. You can see the great payback on this and it'scritical to getdone."

One step in the right direction has been the establishment ofthe ID Federation, which not only has the support of the majoragency management system vendors, but has leading insurers such asProgressive, The Hartford, Hanover and others looking for asolution.

The mission statement of the ID Federation is simple: "Ourmission is to provide our industry with common legal andtechnicalstandards, which will remove the need for multiplepasswords while increasing security and the ease of doing businesswith one another."

Sounds simple, but it takes a firm commitment to serve yourbusiness partners and a trust in your competitors to get everyoneon equal footing. A mission such as this requires patience, butlet's hopes it doesn't take too long to realize the value in storefor each of them.