GGA President, Paige Schaffer, Speaks on INCOMPAS Panel

Paige Schaffer, President of Identity and Digital Protection at Generali Global Assistance (GGA), participated in The Evolving Privacy and Cybersecurity Landscape panel at the INCOMPAS Spring Show on April 12^th. The twice-annual show was held April 10^th through 13^th at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. In addition, GGA was both an exhibitor and sponsor, showcasing its new identity protection solution, Iris™ OnWatch™.

The discussion was moderated by Daniel Alvarez of Willkie Farr & Gallagher and other panelists included Jennifer Tatel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Joe Weipert, Senior VP of UNITEL. The panelists brought three very unique perspectives to the conversation: a risk management perspective (Schaffer), a regulatory viewpoint (Tatel) and a customer-centric angle (Weipert). Moderator Alvarez opened the discussion with some general questions for the panelists – what are companies currently doing to protect themselves and what risks are they preparing for? Weipert stated that companies need to first identify their particular risks and then put a plan in place. Schaffer mentioned that one of the top vulnerabilities that companies face is privilege misuse – meaning, in many cases, it’s a company’s own employees that are putting them at risk.

A key highlight of the discussion was the panelists’ description of a major trend that the industry is seeing – they unanimously agreed that it’s “change.” Schaffer referenced GGA’s own product development as an example: “In 2003, when we first started offering identity protection services, our product was very much credit-oriented. Today, it’s more identity-focused. This evolution is a reflection of our increasingly connected world.” With the arrival of ‘the Internet of Things,’ everything is connected now. While connectivity has certainly made our lives easier, the opportunity it provides for identity thieves has never been greater, which only underscores the importance of education forums such as this one.

INCOMPAS, formerly COMPTEL, represents communications and technology companies of all sizes to ensure that these types of providers are able to continue offering value pricing, better service and greater innovation for consumers.

Iris™ is people-first identity protection by GGA,  providing advanced identity monitoring, award-winning resolution services, and $1 million identity theft insurance – all accessible through an easy-to-use online dashboard. Iris minimizes the risk of identity theft and quickly helps to resolve any issues that arise with advanced technology and award-winning customer service.

About Generali Global Assistance

Generali Global Assistance (GGA), formerly Europ Assistance in the U.S., is based in Bethesda, Maryland, and has been a leader in the assistance industry since its founding in 1963. GGA is a division of the multinational Generali Group which, for over 185 years, has created a presence in 60 countries with over 78,000 employees. Our success has been built on the foundation of trust that clients have placed in our ability to provide assistance in the most difficult of circumstances.