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Protecting Customer Data Starts with Operational Controls

<h4>AI-generated voices are making phone-based fraud harder to catch, and insurers are under pressure to show how their operations are governed as well as their technology. As AI makes these scams more convincing, protecting customer data depends on the people, processes and systems that handle it every day.</h4><figure id="attachment_137020" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-137020" style="width: 150px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-137020" src="https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1-e1790943371254.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="188" srcset="https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1-e1790943371254.jpg 816w, https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1-e1790943371254-239x300.jpg 239w, https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1-e1790943371254-120x150.jpg 120w, https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1-e1790943371254-768x964.jpg 768w, https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1-e1790943371254-319x400.jpg 319w, https://thefintechtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Norm-Hudson-Headshot1-e1790943371254-585x734.jpg 585w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137020" class="wp-caption-text">Norm Hudson, CEO at Staff Boom</figcaption></figure>Norm Hudson is CEO of Staff Boom, which builds dedicated teams for insurance industry partners, and draws on more than twenty years growing insurance agencies including Cost-U-Less, Confie Seguros and Inszone. In this opinion piece he argues that closing the governance gap in insurance fraud prevention is an operational task as much as a technological one. The views are his own.A new AI industry survey found that insurance executives are seeing real returns from implementing AI into their operations. Some 52 per cent report AI-driven revenue growth, 62 per cent say it has improved decision-making, and 50 per cent report lower costs. However, that same survey found that only 24 per cent of those executives are confident they could pass an independent review of their AI governance controls within 90 days.Closing that gap has as much to do with how operations are run day to day as it does with the AI itself.<h5>The gap becomes clearer</h5>Voice-based scams have become harder to catch by ear, and AI-generated voices are a big part of why. Recent research found that 70 per cent of people aren’t confident they can tell a cloned voice from the real one, and call centres are fielding more of these attempts than they were even a year ago. The calls sound more convincing each time, and that shift is exactly the kind of thing putting AI governance on so many insurance leadership agendas right now.<h5>Where fraud begins to sneak in</h5>New detection tools help, but they only go so far without clear access controls behind them. The more useful question is who is allowed to touch a claim file, and under what vetting, regardless of which system flags a call first.The gap fraud exploits lives in the organisation chart. It comes down to who has access and whether anyone would notice if that access got used the wrong way. Governance has to keep pace with how quickly these tools get adopted, or scams keep finding the space in between.Picture a caller who has enough information to pass the standard checks, whether that’s a knowledge-based question, a voice match, or both. What happens next depends less on how they got past the front door and more on what the representative on the other end can see and touch. If that representative, wherever they’re sitting, has standing access to the full policy file with no log of what got opened or why, nobody notices anything unusual until the customer calls back confused about a change they never made.<h5>What real governance requires</h5>Limiting standing access has to work as a daily rule, applied the same way whether someone sits in a headquarters office or a delivery centre miles away. In practice, that means giving people access scoped to the task in front of them, logging it at the individual level, and flagging anything outside a normal pattern quickly instead of catching it months later at audit time.Workflows also have to be audited on a real schedule. A procedure sitting in a binder says nothing about what happened on the call centre floor last Tuesday. Every authentication decision and every override needs to leave a trail that someone actually reviews.The vetting standard has to be identical for every person who can touch a policyholder’s data, regardless of where they sit. The same background checks and the same credentialing apply whether the team is offshore or down the hall. The best-run production floors require every employee to badge into a controlled space and work from a monitored station, with personal phones kept off the floor entirely. That consistency also helps protect policyholder information. Customer data should be handled under the same security protocols no matter where the work is performed or which team member is responsible for it.The same level of oversight should extend to any outside vendor or subcontractor involved in the work. Those relationships should be reviewed regularly to make sure security protocols continue to be followed, and customer information remains protected as processes, technology and fraud risks evolve.<h5>Why this matters now</h5>Detection software keeps getting better, but better tools alone don’t answer who has access and why. That is the piece operations teams, whether in-house or outsourced, are best positioned to own.AI adoption is accelerating, and so is the fraud being built on top of it. The 24 per cent figure cited at the beginning of this piece measures something narrower than AI maturity. It shows how much distance still sits between adopting AI and being able to prove, to an outside reviewer, how the operation behind it actually runs. That’s fixable, but only when operations, not just the underlying technology, get treated as the priority.Closing that gap starts with knowing who can access policyholder data, why they need it, and what safeguards are in place when they do. As fraud becomes more sophisticated, those day-to-day operational controls are an important part of protecting customer information from misuse, theft and impersonation.The post <a href="https://thefintechtimes.com/protecting-customer-data-starts-with-operational-controls/">Protecting Customer Data Starts with Operational Controls</a> appeared first on <a href="https://thefintechtimes.com">The Fintech Times</a>.

Man who survived the ‘deadliest tsunami in history’ explains how his injuries saved his life

<figure><img src="https://resizer.ladbiblegroup.com/unsafe/rs:fit:1204:0:0:0/g:sm/q:70/aHR0cHM6Ly9ldS1pbWFnZXMuY29udGVudHN0YWNrLmNvbS92My9hc3NldHMvYmx0Y2Q3NGFjYzFkMGE5OWYzYS9ibHQwZWUwYmVmZTMzODJlMTQxLzZhY2I4Nzc5ZmZkZTU3MmZhZTA2YjEwYi90c3VuYW1pLXN1cnZpdm9yLWxhZGJpYmxlLnBuZw.jpg"/></figure>A man who was 'completely at the mercy' of the Boxing Day tsunami has told how he believes his horror injuries actually saved his life.Andrew Chaggar miraculously survived<a href="https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/petra-nemcova-thailand-indian-ocean-tsunami-impossible-film-038491-20260730" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> the natural disaster in 2004</a> that tragically killed 220,000 people across Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Somalia - including his 'wonderful' partner Nova.The couple had taken a year off to explore the <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news" rel="noopener" target="_blank">world</a> and after travelling through <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/china" rel="noopener" target="_blank">China</a>, Vietnam and Cambodia, they fatefully decided to spend the <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/christmas" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Christmas</a> period in Thailand in a beachfront bungalow.Andrew courageously opened up about his story of survival and the loss of Nova while speaking to LADbible Stories in a new episode of Minutes With.He detailed how the dream trip they had spent a number of years saving up for turned into a nightmare after ferocious waves smashed into their accommodation in Khao Lak and swept them away.<iframe style="width: 512px; height: 288px; background-color: black;" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" src="https://www.ladbible.com/jw-iframe?videoId=HKLmxORg"></iframe>Andrew, who was 27 at the time, recalled how the row of bungalows were 'took down like dominoes' after <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/indian-ocean-tsunami-2004-youtube-footage-first-waves-899791-20250616" rel="noopener" target="_blank">the first wave of the Indian Ocean tsunami hit</a>.He described how the <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/home" rel="noopener" target="_blank">homes</a> began to 'violently' shake, while he could hear a noise comparable to a 'jet engine building up for takeoff' - adding that Nova 'looked quite scared' when he glanced over at her for the final time."I literally remember being in the bungalow and, the next minute, basically waking up in the water," Andrew told Minutes With. "It was almost like being in a washing machine full of nails."There was this incredibly strong current, and there was just no way to swim against it. I was completely at its mercy."And then there was all the wreckage from the bungalows themselves. In the water, there was metal, glass, bricks, probably whole <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/cars" rel="noopener" target="_blank">cars</a> and things like that. It was that powerful."<figure><img src="https://resizer.ladbiblegroup.com/unsafe/rs:fit:1204:0:0:0/g:sm/q:70/aHR0cHM6Ly9ldS1pbWFnZXMuY29udGVudHN0YWNrLmNvbS92My9hc3NldHMvYmx0Y2Q3NGFjYzFkMGE5OWYzYS9ibHQxYjMxMWQ3N2IwNTkyOWU5LzZhY2I4ODQ4NGY4MDYwY2Q2ZmRkYWU4Ni9ib3hpbmctZGF5LXRzdW5hbWktbWludXRlcy13aXRoLmpwZWc.jpg"><figcaption>22 years after the Boxing Day tsunami, Andrew Chaggar has bravely opened up about his story of survival (LADbible)</figcaption></figure>Andrew was then repeatedly 'turned over and over' by the force of the waves, which 'dragged him along' and away from the row of bungalows."At one point, I managed to surface, but almost immediately, I think an oil drum hit me in the head," he continued. "That's what caused the scar on my head, and it knocked me back under the water."I surfaced again, and the wave had started washing me inland. I was basically dragged through what was basically a building site for a hotel."At that point, it was just the concrete floors and the columns that were in place, so there were no walls."While he was hauled through the construction site, Andrew's left leg suddenly became pinned against a concrete pillar due to the debris in the water.<figure><img src="https://resizer.ladbiblegroup.com/unsafe/rs:fit:1204:0:0:0/g:sm/q:70/aHR0cHM6Ly9ldS1pbWFnZXMuY29udGVudHN0YWNrLmNvbS92My9hc3NldHMvYmx0Y2Q3NGFjYzFkMGE5OWYzYS9ibHQzMzljNDlkZTI2YjMxOWM0LzZhY2I4OGM0ZmNmZjc3YzBkNTU5ZGY2Yy9ib3hpbmctZGF5LXRzdW5hbWkuanBn.jpg"><figcaption>Khao Lak was obliterated by the ferocious waves in 2004 (Patrick AVENTURIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>"That's what caused the worst of my injuries," the dad-of-two said. "But I think it's fundamentally what saved my life."Andrew believes that a worse fate would have awaited him if his leg had not become trapped, as he suspects the waves would have dragged him back out of the site and catapulted him directly into the bay."I've seen videos of Khao Lak on the day of the tsunami, and there were these huge whirlpools going on," he said. "I think that's what also caused a lot of people to drown - being out in the bay when all that was happening."So, although it caused the worst of my injuries, I think that's fundamentally why I'm alive today."Being stuck there was still an 'incredibly frightening' experience, as Andrew explained he had never 'even heard the word tsunami at that point, so had no idea what had happened'.<h2>'I was incredibly lucky'</h2><figure><img src="https://resizer.ladbiblegroup.com/unsafe/rs:fit:1204:0:0:0/g:sm/q:70/aHR0cHM6Ly9ldS1pbWFnZXMuY29udGVudHN0YWNrLmNvbS92My9hc3NldHMvYmx0Y2Q3NGFjYzFkMGE5OWYzYS9ibHRiYWU3OTUxOWFiNGUyODcyLzZhY2JiYTlmYTc0YjZlMTJlYWZhNTZhMS90c3VuYW1pLXN1cnZpdm9yLmpwZWc.jpg"><figcaption>The dad-of-two explained he has maintained a close relationship with Nova's family (LADbible)</figcaption></figure>Moments later, he began to hear the same haunting noise he had heard that morning - and the second wave then struck and he feared that due to his injuries, he would not be able to survive this one.Explaining how he dodged death, Andrew went on: "I watched the wave come in, but again, I was incredibly lucky because, as it came in, it rose and probably stopped about six inches - about 15 centimetres - below where I was."Had it come any higher, it probably would have taken me with it. But the second wave came in, rose up almost to where I was and then, thankfully, dropped away without taking me."As well as sustaining 'terrible' injuries to his legs, he also broke his collarbone. Andrew spent around four hours in the construction site while being 'incredibly worried' about where Nova was, before he was eventually rescued from his ordeal by a pair of 'incredibly brave' strangers.<figure><img src="https://resizer.ladbiblegroup.com/unsafe/rs:fit:1204:0:0:0/g:sm/q:70/aHR0cHM6Ly9ldS1pbWFnZXMuY29udGVudHN0YWNrLmNvbS92My9hc3NldHMvYmx0Y2Q3NGFjYzFkMGE5OWYzYS9ibHRlMTBhYjY3NDQ0YWU4Y2QwLzZhY2I4OWQ3ZTBkOTYxNTBmNmY4N2U3ZC9ib3hpbmctZGF5LXRzdW5hbWkuanBn.jpg"><figcaption>Andrew later returned to Thailand (SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>He explained the <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/mental-health" rel="noopener" target="_blank">mental toll</a> of <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/community/boxing-day-tsunami-thailand-british-survivor-009739-20240826" rel="noopener" target="_blank">the Indian Ocean tsunami</a> was much greater than the physical, as he came to terms with the fact that Nova was gone, while he had witnessed scenes that he resembled a 'war zone'.Six months after the natural disaster, he was informed that Nova had been confirmed dead through a partial DNA match, which left him in 'a pretty dark place for a long time'.He said his healing journey has taken years and is still ongoing - but he bravely decided to return to Thailand as he had a 'very strong urge to go back and help'.Andrew's experience inspired him to go back to university and do a master's degree in international development, with a focus on disaster response, before he later launched the <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/charity" rel="noopener" target="_blank">charity</a>, International Disaster Volunteers (IDV).<div class="social-embed" contenteditable="false"><iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9azhyR-EEKg?si=bcUTFKAuk8nElH5D"></iframe></div>He now works for another charity and is an inspirational speaker. He has since got married and had two children, while he also remains 'incredibly close with Nova's <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/parenting" rel="noopener" target="_blank">parents</a>'."I'm in this position now where my kids call Nova's parents Grandma and Granddad," Andrew added. "That, to me, is just amazing. I feel incredibly lucky that they're family."They are family. There's no question about it, and I feel very lucky that relationship is there. "Obviously, as part of that, Nova is always part of our lives."<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=15593740&cv=2.0&cj=1" />

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