This year, for World Suicide Prevention Day, the theme is "Reaching Out to Save Lives" - a message all employers can use to let people know that everyone can play a role in suicide prevention. The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force members and the organizations they serve offer the top six things workplaces can do during the month of September to make prevention a health and safety priority:

1. Offer a Leadership Proclamation: "Not Another Life to Lose"

Members of executive leadership can take bold and visible positions declaring suicide prevention and mental health promotion critical workplace concerns. This proclamation can be in the form of a newsletter to employees or a video on a website.

• There is sample proclamation language within this National Suicide Prevention Week Toolkit from the American Association of Suicidology; for those working with American Indian and Alaska Native audiences, use the Action Alliance's culturally relevant materials for promoting Hope for Life Day.
• Here is a video with Bob Turner, the private sector co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, from the 2014 US/Canada Forum on Workplace Suicide Prevention.
• Here are three articles, "A Call to Action on Mental Health," "How to be a Visionary in Mental Health" and "Stand Up for Robin Williams," by Sally Spencer-Thomas, the co-lead of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force.

2. Highlight Mental Health Resources

Host a brown bag lunch program each day for the week. Invite employee assistance program (EAP) representatives or other local mental health professionals to offer educational session on stress, work-life balance, coping with depression or other related topics.

Offer a mental health fair where local suicide prevention, mental health or other wellness resources share more information and employees get a "passport" stamped for each one they visit. Completed passports go into a drawing for a prize.

Send resources to employees such as:

• EAP phone number or website with a list of answers to frequently asked questions
• Screening tool: "Workplace Response: Screening for Mental Health"
• Article: "Making Mental Health Your Business" by Candice Porter of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force
• Hotlines: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK/8255)
• Online support resources:
  • Community Forum for Suicide Loss Survivors
  • "Get Help" from National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  • ManTherapy.org - self-screening and humor to engage men to think about mental health in a different way
  • CirclesOfSupports.org - resources for peers and caring adults of youth suicide attempt survivors

3. Launch a Mental Wellness Task Force

A true comprehensive and sustained public health approach to prevention will take more than an awareness week or one-time training. To create significant change, a more strategic approach is needed. Start by pulling together a small group of stakeholders - people whose job titles reflect some level of relevance to this issue (i.e., wellness, HR, risk management, safety) and others who are passionate about prevention because it has touched their lives personally. Their task? To identify culturally relevant areas of strength and vulnerability for suicide within the organization and to develop a strategic approach to change.

Here are some resources:

• Workplace self-assessment tool: "How Mentally Healthy is Your Workplace?"
• Article: "Why Employers Must Help Stop Suicide," by Jodi Jacobsen Frey, a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force
• Article: "Suicide Prevention: Talk About It at Work," by Rich Paul, a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force
• Article: "Breaking the Silence on Mental Health," by Bernard Dyme, a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force
• Article: "A Blueprint for Preventing Suicide," by Michelle Holmberg, a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force
• Workplace blueprint from the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
• Online resource: WorkingMinds.org

4. Leverage Social Media

During this week, companies can join the international conversation by posting on Twitter and Facebook.

• Sample posts:
  • [Name of company or Twitter handle] makes #suicideprevention a health and safety priority #WSPD15
  • [Name of company or Twitter handle] We are doing our part to #preventsuicide during #NSPW. Everyone can play a role!
• Hashtags:
  • National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 7-13)
    • #NSPW
    • #NSPW15
    • #SuicidePrevention
  • World Suicide Prevention Day (Sept. 10)
    • #WSPD
    • #WSPD15
  • Workplace
    • #WorkplaceMH
    • #WorkingMinds
  • Guidelines on social media and mental health.

5. Honor Suicide Loss With Candle-Lighting Ceremony

How companies respond to the aftermath of suicide matters greatly. Grief and trauma support, thoughtful communication and compassionate leadership can help a workforce make the transition from immobilization to a bonded community.

Here are some resources:

• Example of candle-lighting ceremony honoring those who've died by suicide
• Tool: "A Manager's Guide to Suicide Postvention: 10 Action Steps for Dealing with the Aftermath of Suicide"
• Article: "A Manager's Response to Workplace Suicide" by Jodi Jacobsen Frey, a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force
• Article: "Preventing Deaths Following a Suicide," by Judy Beahan, a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Workplace Task Force

6. Donate to or Volunteer for Local or National Suicide Prevention Organizations

Engaging in community prevention efforts is a great way for employees to give back and to get to know the local resources available. Corporate investments in prevention programs and research will help us get ahead of the problem. Get involved!

Here are some resources:

• Donate to suicide prevention organizations
• Walk for suicide prevention (community walks offered by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
• Article: "Why Invest in Suicide Prevention?" from Insurance Thought Leadership contributor Sue Murray

Keeping antivirus software protection current on all company-owned computing devices has become an essential business practice. That's not a simple endeavor.

ThirdCertainty recently sat down with Andy Hayter, security evangelist at antivirus vendor G Data Software, to discuss the intricacies of managing antivirus solutions effectively, particularly in small and mid-sized companies. (Answers edited for clarity and length.)

3C: With hackers updating their virus signatures almost minute-to-minute, why do companies still need antivirus protection?

Hayter: One of the myths out there today is that antivirus is dead. But the good news is that antivirus software today isn't just signature-based. It includes heuristic technology that looks at the characteristics of a piece of software executing on your computer.

So in many cases, even though a particular piece of malware may not necessarily have been identified through a signature, it can easily be identified through the heuristics.

Security & Privacy Weekly News Roundup: Stay informed of key patterns and trends

3C: As a business owner or manager, if I'm implementing my antivirus solution on my own, what should I know?

Andy Hayter, G Data Software security evangelist

Hayter: Having a management interface is important, so that you can manage all devices and deploy the antivirus software out to all your devices and keep it maintained and updated. Your vendor should offer training to your key personnel.

It's important for them to understand how to manage threats, and understand what's going on in your network environment from a malicious software perspective.

3C: Is relying on my IT department to take charge of security wise?

Hayter: Most small and mid-sized companies are going to look at the IT department to do this. They are not large enough to have a separate security function. The CEO and CFO still must fully understand the impact malware can have.

3C: What about outsourcing security?

Hayter: Many smaller companies don't have the time or resources to get someone up to speed and trained, or even multiple people trained, because this is a 24-hour type of situation. So more companies are looking at managed security Service (MSS) providers to take this on for them. This entails a solution that a third party manages remotely through a remote management console.

So it depends on whether the business has the time and the money to train people or wants to outsource this to a professional whose business is security. Either way, you still need to train your IT staff so they know the fundamentals of security and can protect the business in an emergency.

3C: So I can't just outsource and wash my hands of security?

Hayter: No. You cannot wash your hands of security. Your managed security service provider is there for you, but you still have to understand the basics. You still have to perform the training. And you still are the person on site to talk to your employees about situations that might occur at 8:30 in the morning when they log on their PC and get a strange e-mail.

3C: Establishing a security mind-set for my company is a day-to-day thing?

Hayter: Right. If you do outsource your security, you cannot just forget about it and pray that it's done completely. You still need to train your employees and help them understand that bad things can happen to them.

We're busy gearing up for the annual SMA Summit, where innovation will take center stage. In the spirit of the summit, I started to gather some inescapable facts that could inspire us all to innovate and improve - to truly become the Next-Gen Insurer. But, rather than peddle the same old innovation benefits and business rationale, I thought it would be refreshing to share 10 facts about change and innovation that will directly affect insurance and that may inspire you, surprise you or reinforce why you should be continuously improving by reimagining and reinventing the business of insurance!

1. Younger generations like Millennials and Generation Z are going to be the biggest consumers in the market in five to 10 years. Make sure you can reach them. They will not use paper applications or have a face-to-face meeting, but they will be searching for options from their phones and cars. A typical mobile user checks her phone more than 100 times a day (Marketing to Millennials).
2. Innovative workplaces attract the best and brightest talent. Today, word of a stale, outdated work environment spreads fast. Don't be one of those employers. Invest in talent, but also invest in your infrastructure and creating an innovative workplace (How Great Companies Attract Top Talent).
3. A majority of insurers (65%) have focused on innovation for five years or less. You aren't alone, and, surprisingly, you probably aren't far behind. With the right focus, you can make remarkable strides in a short amount of time (SMA Research: Innovation in Insurance: Expanding Focus and Growing Momentum).
4. 80% of all crowdsourcing is done by small business and start-ups. Embrace the crowd! It is often the most cost-effective way to generate ideas. Big business loves the crowd, too. Just look at McDonald's crowdsourced burger or Apple's crowdsourced mapping tools (Crowdsourcing: Great For Your Business).
5. The amount of stored data doubles every 24 months. The U.S. Census estimates that the population has grown more than 27% in the last two decades. Changing demographics, aging citizens and diverse populations are changing the face of data accessible to insurers. To stay on top of the situation, you need a data and analytics strategy that makes the most of the new data available (Vernon Turner).
6. Wearable devices have grown 200% every month since 2012. This doesn't mean that wearables won't eventually be replaced by something else or evolve. It does mean that wearables are growing so fast that it makes sense to try to tap into some of that innovation and apply it to your own organization, your processes or even your products (2013 Internet Trends).
7. It is six to seven times more expensive to acquire new customers than it is to keep existing ones. One risk of not innovating is that you may start losing customers who can find better, easier-to-use insurance options. Studying consumer behavior might be the best indicator of market trends and areas to innovate. Don't lose renewals because you haven’t kept up with market demands (15 Statistics That Should Change the Business World But Haven't).
8. More than 40% of the companies at the top of the Fortune 500 list in 2000 were not on the list in 2010. The digital age shuttered many long-standing businesses. Some experts think that, in the next decade, businesses that do not embrace innovation or adapt to market demands will suffer the same fate. Insurance is not immune to this phenomenon. Today, everything is connected (Sorry We're Closed: The Rise of Digital Darwinism).
9. Just 10% of cars were connected to the internet in 2012, but by 2020 it is estimated that 90% will be. It is amazing to think of how quickly we are witnessing innovation expand. What was once an outlier is now a standard (Amazing Facts Everyone Should Know About the Internet of Things).
10. Internet of Things (IoT) technology has the potential to add $10 to $15 trillion to global GDP over the next 20 years. Like the connected car, IoT will eventually become standard. What insurers do with the new data available and the amazing growth potential will ultimately make or break them (Internet of Things Market Statistics-2015).

These facts are inescapable. Not only is innovation here, but the statistics are astounding. The time to embrace innovation and become the Next-Generation Insurer is now.

If you're in the insurance industry, then you know why the topic of improving the customer experience is so important. Although insurance is a complex business not so easily entered by "outsiders," as technology becomes more intuitive and simplified, barriers that once protected insurance from outside competition have started to dissipate. Companies like Google can use targeted partnerships and marketing prowess to provide consumers with a process that is quick and painless and offers policies at the right price. This type of business model is especially attractive to Millennials, the largest consumer base in the U,S. at 75 million strong.

Luckily for insurers, even with a side-by-side comparison of policies at their fingertips, Millennials still want the insurance-buying process to be completed through a person they trust. Less luckily for insurers, there is a perception that insurers use outdated methods of communication, making them appear untrustworthy and - dare we say it? - incompetent.

Here are a few ways to help alleviate this problem:

Know a Consumer's Common History

Nothing can make an insurer or agent appear more out of touch than neglecting a customer's history with your company or a past carrier. Simply asking a question that has been answered previously can be the start of a frustrating relationship.

Technology offers ways to engage customers and access databases that record and recall all customer touch points and information gathered thus far. Not taking advantage of these tools reflects poorly on the brand, especially considering how many current companies today employ similar tactics. How can we expect consumers to be loyal to an insurer when there is no understanding of their previous experiences? For example, if their history includes a disputed claim, an agent must pay careful attention on communicating what the policy will cost, what it will cover and most importantly what it won't cover. Showing an intuitive level of care when it comes to a new customer can show that you are up to task of insuring their assets.

Understand Their Journey

Whether researching product offerings, paying bills or submitting a claim, customers are on a path that is transactional and rarely linear. As a carrier, broker, agent or customer service representative, you must adjust your messages based on each customer and provide a way to view a policy that offers structure. Studies have shown that customers do not feel confident about their policies and what they cover, relying on the insurer to walk them through what can be a confusing process. Additionally, responsibilities of each person (insurer and agent) in the internal insurance pipeline must be written down and agreed upon, including who is in charge of sending specific customer information to other team members. The last thing you want is a floating customer with no idea who to speak to regarding a problem. One of the most surprising components leading to poor customer communication is a lack of cohesive internal communication within a company.

Through the use of upgraded core systems, documents like smart forms can strengthen this process. Smart forms have access to all existing data on a customer and can plug it into the appropriate sections of the form. This allows agents more time to think about their individual customers instead of performing low-level work. Agents of the future will likely take more of an advisory role, leaving the grunt work for the new technologies available to them.

Additionally, steps are being taken in the life insurance segment to gain back the trust from Millennials that was lost in the 2008 financial crisis. According to the 2015 Makovsky Wall Street Reputation Study, seven out of 10 Millennials no longer trust financial service firms. One clever example of how these insurers plan to understand the Millennial consumers is the Society of Grownups, an organization backed by MassMutual, offering a social learning environment to teach about credit scores and retirement savings. This type of out-of-the-box initiative is another way for insurers to begin rebuilding trust with their younger customers.

The Age of the Inquisitive Consumer

With the continued rise of the inquisitive consumer, more and more are going into new policy discussions and purchases with their own research and preconceived notions. In fact, according to a recent Ernst & Young survey, 69% of global customers feel that they initiate the purchase of new policies. However, insurance is still a complex business, which means agents have a responsibility to locate and dissolve any discrepancies between customer perceptions based on their own research and what the actual policy dictates.

It's also important to allow for omnichannel communication. This is where delivery can be tailored for each step in the insurance buying process and centered on the preferred communication method. In the beginning of a new policy discussion, perhaps customers would prefer their interaction to be done over mobile phone or through live email chat, but as they get closer to signing the policy they may want a direct line to their agent.

The key ingredient to improving the consumer experience is simple in theory but difficult in practice: to listen to each customer and her specific needs and enter into the discussion from the position of education rather than sales. Millennials gravitate toward a more personal touch that is also transparent and efficient. With the addition of new technologies and refined internal strategies, insurers can help mitigate a perception issue in insurance and help agents move into different roles that are more suitable for the millennial consumer.

What do companies like Southwest Airlines, Ritz-Carlton and Zappos have in common? They hire for attitude and train for skill.

It's a simple mantra but one that has a profound impact on how to successfully recruit and select new employees.

Prioritizing Soft Skills

During their hiring process, these companies weigh "attitudinal" characteristics very heavily.

These are personal attributes that it's difficult to train employees on -- such as being a people-person, having an upbeat personality or possessing a keen ability to learn.

While these firms won't ignore technical skills (Southwest doesn't put unqualified pilots in the cockpit, no matter how bright and cheery they are) they nonetheless look very carefully at these soft skills -- far more than most employers do.

These companies gain a lot from this hiring strategy. By focusing on attitudinal characteristics that align with their company brand, these companies reinforce their distinctive company culture with each new hire.

And because they're hiring people whose values align with that culture, the result is a workforce that's happier, more engaged and less likely to turn over.

But the benefits of this hiring process don't stop there. When a workforce embodies the company brand (think how Southwest employees exude "fun"), it differentiates the customer experience where it counts most -- in consumers’ one-on-one interactions with your staff.

If you have any doubt about the power of that dynamic, just consider how Southwest, Ritz-Carlton and Zappos have dominated their respective markets.

Five Steps to Hiring for Attitude

So how should you go about hiring for attitude, seeding your workforce with true brand ambassadors? You could run your applicants through personality tests and behavioral assessments -- but that can be pricey, time-consuming and onerous for the candidates.

Fortunately, there are other approaches you can employ to put this strategy in practice. Here are five simple, low-cost ways to hire for attitude:

1. Be clear about expectations.

Take advantage of candidate self-selection by clearly broadcasting what qualities you look for when bringing on staff.

For example, if you tell the world that you're in the market for extroverts - fewer introverts will apply (and that's a good outcome for you and them).

By defining what personal qualities you're searching for up-front, you make it more likely that candidates with those attributes will throw their hats into the ring.

2. Be aggressive.

Don't just wait for people with the right attitude to apply for a job - spot them in the marketplace and make your pitch!

When you see someone who clearly embodies the qualities you want on your team, give her your card and invite her to apply for employment.

As any great recruiter knows, that extremely attentive waiter, remarkably patient sales associate or well-spoken repairman could be your next great hire.

3. Focus on the person behind the paper.

Gauging attitude from a resume requires insight and vision. Consider how the personal qualities you seek would manifest themselves in a candidate's resume and background.

For example, individuals who are adept at overcoming adversity may have demonstrated that spirit in how they responded to a layoff. People-oriented extroverts may belong to a variety of business associations and community groups. Skilled communicators will likely design and organize their resume content in exceptional ways.

In addition, your interview questions can also reveal attitudinal characteristics. Looking for someone with customer service in his DNA? Ask about the most over-the-top service he ever delivered (the best service people never forget such stories).

Looking for someone with a sense of humor? Ask about the time she laughed the hardest.

Whatever attitude you seek to hire, the key is to look beyond the words on the resume and search for more subtle clues about a candidate's character.

4. Observe applicants when they think no one is watching.

Want to see a candidate's true colors? Then see how he behaves when he thinks no one is watching.

How did the applicant treat your receptionist? Did he strike up a conversation with other applicants in the waiting room? Did he eat alone in the cafeteria or introduce himself to a table of strangers?

What the candidate says and does outside of the hiring manager's view can give you a glimpse into her true personality (which may differ from how she presents in an interview). Use these clues to help judge if the applicant will really be a good fit in the culture you're cultivating.

5. Enlist today's stars to spot tomorrow's standouts.

Toward the end of the hiring process, see if it's possible to have your job finalists spend some time shadowing existing employees.

This serves two objectives. First, candidates get an unfiltered look at the job they'd be performing, so there's less chance of unpleasant surprises and post-hire buyers' remorse.

Second, by pairing these finalists with the best employees (the ones who embody the desired attitude), your existing staff can help identify those applicants who have the right stuff.

Hiring for attitude is about building a distinctive workplace culture and company brand that, unlike skill sets, can't easily be copied in the market. It's what gives Southwest Airlines, Ritz-Carlton and Zappos their unique character -- and competitive advantage.

Follow the lead of these legendary firms as you look to recruit great candidates. Don't just hire for skill; hire for attitude. It makes all the difference.

This article originally appeared on monster.com.

"Cancer drugs aren't just really expensive; they're a bad value."

That stunning headline is from a Washington Post article. The author is Carolyn Johnson.

She writes, "With some cancer drug prices soaring past $10,000 a month, doctors have begun to ask one nagging question: Do drug prices correctly reflect the value they bring to patients by extending or improving their lives?" The short answer is that many cancer drugs do not. That comment will not surprise regular readers of my book Cracking Health Costs.

Further: "'Currently, the prices of cancer drugs are increasing, and the prices are not linked to the benefit that the drug provides,' Daniel Goldstein, an oncologist at the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University who led the study, said in an e-mail."

Goldstein suggests: "We propose that drugs that provide a minimal benefit should have a low price, while drugs that provide a major benefit should have a high price."

Makes sense.

Alas.

Firewalls are superb at deflecting obvious network attacks. And intrusion detection systems continue to make remarkable advances. So why are network breaches continuing at an unprecedented scale?

One reason is the bad guys are adept at leveraging a work tool we all use intensively every day: the Web browser. Microsoft Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Apple Safari by design execute myriad tiny programs over which network administrators have zero control. Most of this code execution occurs with no action required by the user. That's what makes browsers so nifty.

A blessing and a curse

But that architecture is also what makes browsers a godsend for intruders. All a criminal hacker has to do is slip malicious code into the mix of legit browser executable code. And, as bad guys are fully aware, there are endless ways to do that.

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The result: The majority of malware seeping into company networks today arrives via infectious code lurking on legit, high-traffic websites. The hackers' game often boils down to luring victims to click to an infected site, or simply just waiting to see who shows up and gets infected.

So if browsers represent a wide open sieve to company networks, could inoculating browsers be something of a security silver bullet? A cadre of security start-ups laser-focused on boosting browser security is testing that notion. The trick, of course, is to do it without undermining usability.

Branden Spikes, Spikes Security founder and CEO

ThirdCertainty recently sat down with one of these security innovators, Branden Spikes, to discuss the progress and promise of improving Web browser security. Spikes left his job as CIO of SpaceX, where he was responsible for securing the browsers of company owner Elon Musk's team of rocket scientists, to launch an eponymous start-up, Spikes Security. (Answers edited for clarity and length.)

3C: The idea of making Web browsing more secure certainly isn’t new.

Spikes: Let me break it down by drawing a line between detection and isolation. Browser security has been attempted with detection for many, many years, and it's proven to not work. McAfee, Symantec, Sophos, Kaspersky and all the anti-virus applications that might run on your computer became Web-aware a while back. They all try to use detection mechanisms to prevent you from going to bad places on the Web.

Then you have detection that takes place at secure Web gateways. Websense, Ironport (now part of Cisco), Blue Coat, Zscaler and numerous Web proxies out there have security features based on the concept of preventing you from going to places that look malicious or that are known to be bad. Well, hackers have figured out how to evade detection, so that battle has been lost.

3C: Okay, so you and other start-ups are waging the browser battle on a different front?

Spikes: When you realize that detection doesn't work, now you have to isolate. You have to say, :You know, I don't trust browsers anymore. Therefore, I'm not going to let my stuff interact with the Web directly." In the past five years, newer products have started to offer browser isolation technology. We've taken a very no-compromise approach to isolation technology.

Free IDT911 white paper: Breach, Privacy, And Cyber Coverages: Fact And Fiction

3C: So instead of detecting and blocking you're isolating, and sort of cleansing, browser interactions?

Spikes: Yes, and much like with detection technology, isolation can exist in either the endpoint or on the network. Some examples of endpoint isolation might be Invincea or Bromium, where you've got your sandboxes that do isolation on the endpoint. I applaud all the efforts out there. It spreads the whole gamut from minimal amount of isolation to sandbox technologies built into browsers. There's quite a bit of investment going into this.

3C: Your approach is to intercept browser activity before it can execute on the worker’s computer.

Spikes: If you come at the problem from the assumption that all Web browsers are fundamentally malware, you can understand our technology. We essentially take the malware off the endpoint entirely, and we isolate the execution of Web pages on a purpose-built appliance. What goes to the end user is a very benign stream of images and sound. There’s really no way for malware to get across that channel.

3C: If browser security gets much better, at least in the workplace, how much will that help?

Spikes: If we successfully solve the browser malware problem, we could, I think, allow for more strategically important things to occur in cybersecurity. We could watch the other entry points that are less obvious. This sort of rampant problem with the browser may have taken some very important attention away from other entry points into the network: physical entry points, social engineering and some of the more dynamic and challenging types of attacks.

I am beginning to wonder more about insurance conferences.

Over the course of my career, I have attended and spoken at numerous external events, some good, some less so. I have presented in the English language and through simultaneous translation and had translators stand by my side and paraphrase what I have said. In reality, I have had no idea what they said, and if it made sense. Who knows?

Paul Carroll's recent article about the insurance industry's use of impenetrable language has never been more timely - occasionally I've had to explain technical insurance issues in layman's terms, so that the translator could interpret what I had said. Hiding in jargon doesn't work in this sort of multi-lingual environment.

But the main reason for writing is to comment about insurance conferences themselves. Are they in need of reinvention? Is the old format reaching the end of its useful life? I don't mean vendor-organized events, which are explicitly in your face. You're really in no doubt that this is a marketing vehicle. Big vendors can summon 20,000 people to hear what is new.

What I am talking about is the indirect "third party" event that lands in our in-box with amazing regularity. Attendance numbers on some of these events can be so small that when attendees on free passes have been stripped out (sponsors, exhibitors, speakers), the target audience can be very modest indeed.

Don't get me wrong. I love standing in front of an audience and sharing my ideas and experience. If we are anything, Insurance Thought Leaders are evangelists, and we want to share what's on our mind and engage with our audience. But even after 30 years of speaking, I still get nervous and have to go through a personal ritual of preparation. Want to know why? It's because no one better knows their own business and the business of insurance than the people we speak to, and they are the toughest of audiences to work with.

What that means is that insurance conference audiences attend for one of three reasons: to learn, to reaffirm their thinking or to network. Let's take these in order.

If you attend a conference to learn, what is it about your organization that it doesn't provide an adequate training environment? If your focus is individual learning, is sitting in a room watching multiple presentations the most effective way? Won't you learn more from personal discussion, from coffee with a mentor or from sites like this? (You are less likely to learn if you are checking your e-mails while the presentations are being made.)

If you attend to reaffirm your thinking - well, you are probably well-informed already, and I would be very surprised if what you learn at a conference makes you think too much differently.

And networking? Well, knowing what the competition is up to is always interesting, but how much are they really going to give away? And aren't the really interesting things happening in other customer-facing industries, such as retail and telco? Customers are setting the insurance benchmark based on the service they are receiving in other verticals.

As the innovation exec of a major global insurer once said to me, "Tony, I know what my competitors are doing. I need to know what innovation is happening in other industries, and how I can take that into insurance."

We have a new generation of buyers - well-informed, insightful, skeptical, more experienced. They remind me of when I moved from the vendor side to the client side more than 20 years ago and created internal capabilities for insurance carriers that helped transform their models and aspirations. Poacher turned gamekeeper. I wasn't the first to cross that particular Rubicon, and I'm certainly not the last. (I'm not entirely sure that I have been forgiven by some professional colleagues.)

So - back to conferences. Insurance marketers are increasingly questioning the return on investment for sponsorship. Are they getting to the right audience? Has the audience changed? Do speakers need to be better? Is the presentation format adequate for today's informed environment?

Aren't attendees entitled to ask the same questions?

Are some of today's conferences increasingly mainly for the benefit of the organizers, not the industry?

Enjoying the emotions of my second son's wedding was the highlight of our family's year. After the drama of the ceremony (including the comedy of a fire alarm that wouldn't give up), we enjoyed great food at the reception, moving speeches and then the joys of drink and dancing into the wee small hours. Everyone agreed it was a great day with brilliant weather.

Reflecting on this time afterward reminded me of the importance of such events in all our lives, including the lives of our customers. Whether it is getting married, the birth of your children, moving home or even (as I've had the joy of experiencing) the arrival of your first grandchild, such milestones affect us all.

Does our marketing or customer insight work always reflect this? Do you target your marketing on the basis of important and appropriate trigger events in your customers' lives?

Common practice can be to assume that the gold standard of targeted direct or digital marketing is to use logistic regression propensity models and perhaps optimization across multiple models to determine next best action. However, think for a moment about your own life. Do you feel that you walk around with a more or less permanent level of propensity to buy something? Apart from perhaps coffee, chocolate or alcohol, I suspect not.

In our lives, is it really more about "events, dear boy, events," as former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan quipped? Different experiences and special occasions help us to mark out the progress of our lives and trigger us to reflect on other needs and aspirations. These can be as mundane as the annual renewal cycle for home insurance or as momentous as the birth of our second child, for considering life insurance or the need for a new home. Those who an predict the timing of a trigger event will outperform those who target using any propensity model.

How long ago did you reflect on the right timing to talk with your customers? Does your customer segmentation capture the key life events that shape their thinking about new needs, where your products and services could help them?

It is perhaps also time to acknowledge that the whole concept of an apparently permanent "needs-based segmentation" is looking dated. Customers rarely have such semi-permanent needs, at least not ones that they are aware of or will consider at every point in time.

Perhaps it's more helpful to think about the "jobs they want to get done" when the right triggers arise in their lives. Segmenting based on the jobs your products and services can help your customers to "get done easily" can be very powerful. Even more so if you can combine that behavioral analysis to predict the trigger events or actions that prompt such a job requirement.

Have you experienced this shift to thinking more about timing in your analysis and marketing targeting?

The difference between a victim of identity theft who does have coverage and a victim who doesn't is monumental, and the costs (time, money, health) affect not only the victim but also his productivity in the workplace. It is vital that an employer understands the necessity of an identity theft protection plan, and which types of services and features should be included, so employees have access to the resources they need for timely and sufficient assistance.

How does identity theft affect the victim?

Identity theft affects more and more people every minute; in fact, every two seconds someone becomes a victim. The financial consequences of this growing threat can't be ignored:

• Over the last couple years, roughly $45 billion has been lost because of identity theft.
• Fraud ends up costing companies three times as much as what was initially stolen.

Thieves not only steal people's information and money but their time, as well. Close to a third of identity theft victims spend a month or more trying to resolve the issues, and a lengthy recovery process takes a toll on victims’ health:

• More than one-third (36%) of victims said the identity theft caused them moderate to severe emotional distress.
• 47% of victims who spent six-plus months fixing the issue(s) felt severe emotional distress, vs. the 4% of victims who resolved issues within 24 hours.

What does identity theft have to do with productivity?

Identity theft can distract victims and affect their levels of productivity at work.

• About one million employees miss work each day because of stress.
• One survey found that 60% of employees said they have lower productivity at work because of stress.
• Stress-related illnesses can cost businesses as much as $300 billion a year in lost productivity.

If identity theft causes such severe stress, and the recovery process takes months to complete, imagine how many workers are distracted or absent because they're dealing with fraud, and imagine what that's doing to their company's bottom line.

How can identity theft protection products help?

Catching identity theft before it gets out of hand, and getting quality support, can help cut costs. Say a thief steals someone's personal information and tries to reset her bank password. If the victim has a protection plan that includes high-risk transaction monitoring, that feature would catch the transaction as it is occurring and could prevent it from going through. If the victim doesn't have that kind of alert system, she may not even find out about the issue until the thief has already drained the account.

There are different kinds of monitoring available, and each type covers a different group of data points. The most common are credit monitoring (for credit-related activity) and identity monitoring (for personal information). Other features could include watching high-risk transactions, assistance with tax fraud and medical identity theft cases and data sweeps.

Assistance during the recovery process can also lessen distress and distraction. If victims have access to a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist (or someone with comparable experience) who can give them an immediate action plan and actually take on some of the recovery tasks, victims can recover more quickly, which means decreased absenteeism and financial losses.

Over the past year, 70% of companies suffered from fraud. The threat is real, and the consequences are deep, but they can be subdued if employees have a coverage plan with support for victims and protection against future attacks.