Preventing Insider Threats: Why MFA Is Non-Negotiable for Insurance Claims Systems

Summary

Insider threats remain a serious concern for insurance claims systems. When internal accounts are compromised, legacy access controls can be exploited, leading to unauthorized activities that put sensitive financial data at risk. Passwords alone are no longer effective against these evolving threats. Today, the standard for safeguarding critical systems is multi-factor authentication (MFA) combined with audit-ready logging. By requiring multiple forms of verification for every session, organizations can block lateral movement, ensure only authorized users access confidential claims data, and strengthen core system security—all without interrupting day-to-day operations.

Why are insurance claims systems vulnerable to insider threats?

Insurance claims systems handle highly sensitive financial and personal data, making them attractive targets for malicious actors. While external attacks are often in the spotlight, insider threats—compromised employee accounts, disgruntled workers, or users with excessive permissions—can cause significant financial and reputational damage.

Legacy terminal emulators worsen this issue. They rely on standalone passwords and operate outside the central security perimeter. If a claims adjuster's credentials are stolen, attackers can quietly navigate mainframe applications, escalate privileges, and authorize fraudulent payouts.

Protecting insurance claims demands more than basic perimeter defenses; it requires true defense in depth. Integrating green screen access with modern identity and access management (IAM) solutions extends enterprise-grade security all the way to your mainframe. With IAM integration, insurers can seamlessly enforce least privilege and session-based MFA, ensuring only authorized personnel access claims data while maintaining core system reliability.

How do centralized access controls limit internal risks?

Centralized access controls connect host applications directly to leading identity and access management (IAM) platforms such as Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, or Ping Identity. This approach allows every user to be evaluated against the enterprise's security policies before accessing mainframe logins. Centralized control over the data environment reduces the risk of internal exploitation.

This integration allows every user to be evaluated against the enterprise's security policies before accessing mainframe logins. Centralized control over the data environment reduces the risk of internal exploitation.

Key benefits of unified access management include:

• Mapping host access permissions directly to enterprise IAM roles
• Automating user provisioning and de-provisioning workflows
• Enforcing the principle of least privilege across all applications
• Preventing unauthorized lateral movement within the network
• Delivering a frictionless single sign-on (SSO) experience for employees

Why is session-based MFA critical for claims system security?

Passwords leave claims data vulnerable to credential stuffing and phishing. To prevent insider threats, multi-factor authentication is essential. Historically, applying MFA to legacy systems was a challenge.

Session-based MFA addresses this challenge by requiring a secondary authentication step before users can access host sessions. The system triggers an additional verification through the organization’s existing IAM provider. Users must confirm their identity using a hardware token, authenticator app, or biometric scan.

This process ensures that even if a network password is compromised, attackers cannot access the claims system. It confirms a Zero Trust architecture for your most sensitive data.

Insurers that implement centralized access controls and session-based MFA reduce unauthorized access incidents by up to 60 percent.

How does audit-ready logging prove compliance?

Detecting an insider threat requires ongoing monitoring and irrefutable evidence. If suspicious activity occurs, the security team must act fast—delays can cause financial losses and compliance failures.

Traditional emulators often produce incomplete or fragmented logs, making it difficult to detect and respond swiftly to suspicious activity. Modern audit-ready logging solutions capture comprehensive, immutable records for every host session, enabling:

• Complete visibility into who accessed the claims system
• Recorded actions and session times for every user
• Centralized, clearly formatted logs
• Convenient integration into SIEM tools for real-time threat detection

Secure your claims systems with confidence

Protecting your organization from both internal and external threats is critical. Upgrading access controls can strengthen your claims systems and support compliance goals—without requiring major system overhauls or disruption. You can take practical steps today to safeguard your most sensitive data and operate with confidence.

By implementing Rocket^® Secure Host Access, you gain modern security to meet compliance expectations. Seamlessly enforce security mandates, safeguard your claims systems, and build a resilient foundation for the future.

What challenges does your organization face when securing legacy claims systems against internal threats?

Talk to an expert today to strengthen your mainframe security posture.