Month: February 2022

White & Associates Insurance is accepting applications for a full‐time CSS in Dyersburg, TN. The candidate must be comfortable with heavy computer use. Onsite training will be provided. The position will offer opportunities for career development and advancement.

Established in 1976, White & Associates Insurance is a locally owned and operated insurance agency with 11 locations in West Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas. White & Associates strives to provide a “doing more” approach to all aspects of operation including enhancing employee job satisfaction, providing clients with innovative insurance packages and improving the communities in which we serve. White & Associates has been named to the national Best Places to Work in Insurance list by Business Insurance magazine five years running. For more information, visit www.whiteandassociates.net.

Candidate Requirements:

• Possess strong communication skills
• Possess strong computer skills including Excel, Word, Adobe
• Be customer service minded
• Be detail oriented and organized
• Be able to work in a team environment and maintain a positive attitude

Employee Benefits:

We recognize that our employees are essential to the success of the company. We value each employee and believe that it is our obligation to offer more than just a paycheck. Our company full-time employee benefits include:

• Major medical insurance, dental, vision, long-term disability, short-term disability and life insurance
• 14 paid holidays
• Company match 401k
• Rewards health & wellness program
• Fitness center membership reimbursement
• Reimbursement for work related certifications and training
• Highly visible leadership & open-door company culture
• Incentives for community volunteer work
• Annual company-wide recognition event
• 5-day employee appreciation event

To Apply:

Email resume to Human Resources Manager –  Jan.Jernigan@whiteins.net .

Who could forget the “check yes or no” note passing of our grade school days? I am sure my kids would laugh hearing about how we used to communicate with our friends and secret admirers. No cell phones in my day!  It definitely was a simpler time in a lot of ways.

Businesses get the secret admirer messaging too but they are, unfortunately, not the type of note you want to receive: “Dear Business, we have decrypted all of your customer data and blocked access to your computers. You owe us 2 million dollars, or you will remain locked out and will share your data online, including your customer’s sensitive information. Looking forward to hearing back from you! Love, Your Cybercriminal.”

According to Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, in 2020 these notes tortured over 2,400 U.S. organizations. The average ransom in 2021 was $1.2 million dollars and rising. While it is exceedingly difficult to prevent attackers, experts agree on five steps every business should be taking no matter their size.  Keep in mind, the attackers tend to target small businesses who they assume may not have the same robust security measures in place as a mega-corporation.

1. Back up data in offline, off-site systems. This will improve the ability to restore data without paying a ransom.
2. Establish multifactor authentication (MFA) protocols. This can prevent a bad actor from accessing your networks or account. Do not allow anyone in your business to be exempt from the protocols you have initiated. P.S. If you haven’t put MFA on your Facebook account, stop reading and do it right now! Instructions here:  https://www.facebook.com/help/148233965247823
3. Conduct security training and testing. Human error is still the most common way for cybercriminals to gain entry. Enforce robust password protocols, disallow non-sanctioned electronic devices and test employees frequently to ensure they do not click on suspicious email links or attachments.
4. Implement thoughtful access control. The more access granted, the more leverage an attacker has when compromising an employee’s credentials. Only allow access to information that is relevant to their job.
5. Test your incident response plan. Anticipate and prepare for operational, legal and communication issues that arise during an attack, including sending immediate notification to your insurance agent and cyber insurer. Your cyber insurance company can quickly deploy experienced incident response resources to take the crucial steps necessary to protect your business. And, because decryption and data restoration can take weeks, cyber policies also can cover business interruption, reputational damage, extra expenses and data restoration services.

I hope you only got the good “love letters” this Valentine’s Day.   If not, never hesitate to call us and enact that cyber policy!

Tommy Allmon,
President, White & Associates Insurance

*Information in this article is sourced from Swiss Re Corporate Solutions and iamagazine.com. This article is intended for general purposes only. *

Ingredients

1 bag shredded Brussel sprouts

1 large onion (julienned)

1 red bell pepper (julienned)

1 green bell pepper (julienned)

¼ cp sun flower seeds

¼ cp dried cranberries

3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Add olive oil to a non-stick skillet.

Add onions and cook until caramelized.

Add red and green peppers. Sautee until heated through.

Add whole bag of shredded Brussel sprouts.

Combine with onions and peppers and cook until Brussel sprouts are al dente (fold over frequently to evenly distribute everything).

Add sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.

Remove from heat and let stand covered for 20 to 30 mins so that the cranberries can rehydrate.

Enjoy!

W&A is excited to offer 24/7 text messaging! Each White & Associates location has a designated text line available. Our numbers are available for any updates, changes or questions you may have for us. Shoot us a text at your convenience and an agent will respond back during our regular office hours. Please see the below list of our location text phone numbers.

• W&A Dyersburg Farm Department:     731-251-3736
• W&A Dyersburg Personal Lines:     731-599-4064
• W&A Life, Health & Group Benefits:     731-206-2826
• W&A Union City:     731-207-7778
• W&A Bodiford Agency, Bolivar, TN:     731-224-2882
• W&A Crancer Agency – Rector, AR:     870-600-3834
• W&A Forrester, White & Mathis, Tiptonville, TN:     731-248-0606
• W&A Kristal Carpenter Agency, Jackson, TN:     731-602-4048
• Bodiford-White Insurance, Selmer, TN:     731-253-2770
• Semo Insurance, Caruthersville, MO:     573-304-5538

*Please be mindful that coverage is not bound or changed until confirmed by a licensed agent.