AgencyShield — Insurance Agency Compliance Program
A productized Insurance Data Security compliance program for independent insurance agencies. Built by a 40-year licensed broker at Heuston's Insurance Services.
What is AgencyShield?
AgencyShield is a structured compliance program that helps independent insurance agencies satisfy requirements under the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law (adopted in 25+ states including New Jersey N.J.S.A. 17:23B), NY DFS 23 NYCRR Part 500, and the federal GLBA / FTC Safeguards Rule. It delivers completed, agency-specific documentation and an ongoing program cadence — not blank templates.
Program Tiers
- The Wedge — $1,500 (one-time): Entry gap assessment. Fee waived if no actionable gaps are found. Convert to Starter within 12 months for an onboarding credit.
- Starter — $199/month (billed annually): Foundational ongoing compliance program with core documentation and annual cycle management.
- Professional — $499/month (billed annually): Everything in Starter plus NY DFS 500 certification prep, tabletop exercises, and monthly 60-minute office hours.
- Enterprise — $1,499/month (billed annually): Everything in Professional plus DOI exam prep, during-exam availability, and 4 dedicated hours per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this legal advice?
- No — and the engagement letter says so explicitly. AgencyShield is an operational compliance program delivered as professional services by a licensed insurance broker. It produces the documentation and operating practices regulators look for, but compliance with law is determined by the regulator, and legal questions belong with your counsel.
- We already have a policy binder. Why isn't that enough?
- Because the examiner's question isn't "do you have a policy?" — it's "show me the dated evidence." An undated generic template with your logo on it is a finding, not a defense. What holds up is a program tailored to your operation with a documented annual cycle: risk assessment, training records, vendor reviews, sign-offs.
- How much of my time does this actually take?
- The Wedge asks for one 90-minute kickoff session and a review pass on your customized documents — Tom does the 3–4 hours of customization work. Subscription tiers run on a calendar cadence: a quarterly or monthly check-in measured in minutes, not days.
- Why not just buy compliance software?
- Software hands you blank templates and a dashboard — then nobody fills them in, and the subscription becomes shelf-ware. AgencyShield is the opposite: a licensed broker who has sat on your side of DOI examinations delivers completed, agency-specific documents.
- What happens if we get a DOI exam or carrier audit mid-engagement?
- That's the moment the program exists for — documentation is the evidence, and it will already be in order. Enterprise includes exam preparation and during-exam availability; every other tier can add a pre-exam intensive or carrier audit response as a fixed-fee add-on.
- Which states does this apply to?
- The NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law is adopted in 25+ states, including New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 17:23B). If your agency holds a New York producer license, NY DFS 23 NYCRR Part 500 applies. The federal GLBA / FTC Safeguards Rule applies to insurance agencies regardless of state.
- What if the Wedge doesn't surface anything?
- Then you don't pay. If the Wedge assessment doesn't surface actionable gaps in your current program, the $1,500 is waived — you'll have earned the clean bill.
Heuston's Insurance Services