Ask the Expert: Monika Coleman

In this installment of Preferred’s “Ask the Expert,” we feature Monika Coleman, Liability Claims Supervisor at PGCS Claim Services as she reveals her thoughts about cybersecurity and managing cyber claims.

She has more than 25 years of nationwide claims experience with both carriers and administrators in Auto, Homeowners Liability, Commercial General Liability including construction defect, Trucking, Garage, Law Enforcement Liability, Professional Liability, Crime and Cyber, along with extensive subrogation experience.

Monika holds a degree in Political Science and Paralegal Certification from Marist College, as well as AIC, ARM, AIS and LPCS industry designations.

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What is your role at PGCS/Davies and what has influenced your career path??

I am one of the four Liability Claims Supervisors at PGCS.? I work closely with Preferred’s Loss Control team on claims’ role in member services from inquiries to claim reviews to training classes. My portfolio also includes cyber incident response for Preferred and training for both Davies staff and our clients. I have the honor of leading a team of five talented claims adjusters.? I have had some wonderful peers and mentors in my career who have given me opportunities to learn so many things. I try to learn something new every day and I am always successful!

What do you like best about working with clients?? ??

I love when we can present a solution to a challenge they are facing. Preferred members have so many great resources at their disposal. They are never alone. ?

What do you like best about working with the team at PRU? ??

The PRU team’s dedication to constant innovation to not only provide the best service in the market but also provide it in ways that deliver the most benefit to the member. ???

Tell us about what you do to help Preferred members prevent and manage Cyber claims??

I’m grateful to Preferred for the opportunity to work with Loss Control to present Cyber Claims 101 to help Preferred members avoid claims and become more cyber resilient. When claims do happen, I manage incident response with our carrier partner, AXA XL.? I do everything from gathering the Response Team and the facts, to paying the bills.?

At Preferred, how does the Cyber Incident Response work and why is Incident Response so important???

Once a claim is reported, PGCS immediately engages AXA XL and their vast expertise and resources. Reporting a claim immediately helps get the member restored to normal operations faster.

What are some emerging cyber trends that Florida public entities should be aware of???

Artificial intelligence is changing the threat landscape daily, so no amount of vigilance is too much. AI integration makes many tasks easier but also creates new risks. Bad actors are deploying it in a variety of ways. They can find targets by data mining publicly available information. The phishing attempts are getting harder to detect with the human eye. Short passwords can be cracked instantly. Ransomware is now AI-powered, so it can map a network, find and exfiltrate protected data, and wipe out back-ups faster than ever.

What are some of the cyber-related resources available to Preferred members?

Cyber 101 live training sessions are a great place to start. In addition, Preferred members have access to a variety of relevant, proactive cyber-related resources and services.?

For more information, check out our Cybersecurity Bulletin.

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