Gold standard security: How Chubb Life keeps customer data safe

From global corporations to corner shops, tech-savvy types to your Nan with her new smartphone, cybersecurity applies to everyone - and it’s a constant hot topic in a world that increasingly lives online.

Aspects like overseas wars and political unrest might not seem like a direct link to cyber safety, but in a recent report, The Reserve Bank of New Zealand noted that a rise in global instability can go hand-in-hand with a rise in cyber crime. And even closer to home, Advisers are hearing the same question more and more from customers: is my personal data safe and secure once I’ve handed it over? 

Chubb Life Senior Information Security Officer, Cassidy McCosh, says our combination of experienced in-house IT experts and globally recognised safety standards ensures that data protection is a core priority. This commitment provides Advisers with a clear, confident answer when customers ask: 'Is my personal information safe?

The highest bar

"There are no ifs or buts - Chubb is very, very stringent on how we protect our data," Cassidy says. "We have elevated standards for security that we enforce on our third parties, especially those that hold customer data.”

This means robust reviews of any third-party Chubb shares data with tight controls on who can access what and when, and strict requirements around the level of encryption that data must carry.

“It can be tricky to explain without getting too technical on it, but here at Chubb, we’re aligned to something called NIST - or the US National Institute of Standards and Technology framework,” Cassidy says. “So rather than relying on just one form of third-party certification, we’re also aligned with this broader set of widely recognised security benchmarks, which are reinforced by regular audits.”  

On the payments side, Chubb certifies against the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Globally recognised, it involves external certification requiring an independent assessor to test the environment handling credit card details. 

One area Cassidy flags as particularly sensitive is biometric data, including fingerprints  and the facial scans used by technology like Chubb Life’s new Life Lens tool. Life Lens is our non-invasive tool designed to streamline the application process, especially for lower-risk customers. To ensure privacy, it doesn’t capture or store images of a customer’s face. The scan is processed directly on the user's device, and only the necessary health data is securely transmitted. All data is destroyed after 30 days, and no information is shared with the technology provider.

"This is the most sensitive data people have, as it can’t ever be changed," Cassidy says. “It’s not like a credit card, where you can just cancel it and get a new one if it’s compromised. This is why biometric data sits at the top of Chubb's risk classification, with the highest level of protection applied accordingly.

"Across the board, cybersecurity is something we really care about. And as the threat landscape shifts constantly, it’s never a one-off exercise, but something we revisit on an ongoing basis to ensure our systems are world-class.”

What this means for you as an Adviser is straightforward: you can reassure your customers that their personal information is well protected with Chubb Life. That confidence makes conversations easier and keeps both you and your customers safer.