JND Consulting Group

Insurance carriers and insurance distribution firms are the focus of JND Consulting Group, an IT services provider. The company reports more than a quarter century of work with clients in that sector, across compliance, security and managed IT. Its work covers managed IT, cloud solutions, cyber security, data backup, phone systems and data integration, and it presents all of these as parts of one plan that aligns technology with the business's goals and its regulatory obligations.

Managed IT and security for insurance firms

The company's managed IT service monitors computers, servers and network systems around the clock, with the aim of keeping them running and preventing downtime. Proactive maintenance is part of the same service, and the company says it helps users work more productively with support fitted to their needs.

Security is delivered in layers. A managed security operations center watches for threats, using security information and event management tools to collect and analyze activity across the network. Threat detection and response work follows from that monitoring, so that an incident is identified, understood and acted on rather than simply logged.

Endpoint protection is offered as a separate product for computers and devices. It is designed to block viruses and malware while keeping machines fast for the people who use them, and it includes controls such as allow-listing, two-factor authentication for devices and controls on remote access.

Co-managed IT for in-house teams

Some firms already have IT staff but need extra skills or technology to oversee their systems. For those clients the company offers a co-managed arrangement, in which its engineers work alongside the in-house team and supply the tools and expertise the internal staff lack. The company says this saves the client time and money while keeping control of the systems with the people who know the business best.

Backup, communications and data work

Data backup covers cloud-to-cloud copies, site replication, database backups, and protection for Office 365 and SharePoint. The company presents these options as a way to make sure a client's most valuable records survive a disaster, and it works with each client to assess the level of risk and draw up a plan for the business.

Its communications offer is a cloud-based phone system with secure, compliant features. Staff can work from anywhere, and new offices can be set up quickly across a state, a country or further afield. The company says the same service fits a two-person office as well as a large enterprise.

Data integration and analytics are offered by a team that includes data scientists. The company says they produce reports, build analytics, carry out custom development and connect data sources, and that they can also help a client bring artificial intelligence into its operations.

Compliance, training and policy support

Compliance work covers the policies and procedures a firm needs to meet its obligations. The company provides a platform that helps clients create and customize their policies, and it says it will sit in on audits to deal with the questions an auditor raises. It also helps clients complete cyber insurance applications and makes sure employees have the training those applications require.

Staff training is a major part of the security offer. Employees take part in phishing simulations and cyber security awareness training, and the company monitors the dark web for exposed passwords and carries out employee risk assessments. It also offers a training platform for HIPAA compliance, for firms that handle health information alongside their insurance work.

Email and the outside threat

Advanced email protection covers encryption that needs no plug-ins, filtering against spam, and defense against email-borne viruses and phishing attacks. Outbound filtering is included to stop sensitive data leaving the organization by mistake. The company also offers a security operations center as a service, which it presents as a way for firms to get advanced monitoring without building the skills themselves.