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Freedom251 › Blog › access control

How to Give an Insurance VA Secure Access to Agency Systems

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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Give a virtual assistant (VA) access through a separate, named account for each approved system—not through a staff member’s shared login. Limit that account to the records and actions required for the VA’s assigned duties, require multifactor authentication (MFA) where available, decide which devices and connection paths are acceptable, and assign someone inside the agency to review and revoke access.

The exact setup depends on your agency-management systems and identity provider. Ask the relevant application administrator what controls each system supports, and have your compliance or legal lead check the obligations that apply to your agency’s data, jurisdiction, and contract.

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1. Decide what the VA needs to do

Before creating an account, list the systems involved, the tasks the VA will perform, and the minimum customer information needed for those tasks. For example, a task may require access to a defined set of records or functions rather than broad access across the agency’s system. The appropriate scope depends on the application and the work.

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Have an internal access owner approve each system and permission. This gives the agency a clear decision-maker for granting, reviewing, and ending access.

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2. Create a separate, named account

Ask the administrator for each system to create an individual account for the VA, if the application supports external users. Do not share an employee’s login or use a shared or generic administrator account. Individual accounts help tie actions to a person and make it possible to change or revoke that person’s access without disrupting another user.

Set permissions to the minimum needed for the approved work. Keep security-administration privileges separate from ordinary work; NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3 control 03.01.06 says to restrict privileged accounts to designated personnel or roles. Read NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3. Microsoft likewise recommends least privilege and cautions against shared administrator accounts in its customer security guidance.

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3. Require MFA and choose a suitable method

Enable MFA for each account wherever the identity provider and application support it. For privileged accounts, prefer phishing-resistant MFA when available. A FIDO2 security key can be an option, but verify that both the identity provider and the applications the VA uses support the selected method before making it a requirement.

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Microsoft’s guidance recommends MFA and phishing-resistant MFA for tenant administrators; its Partner Center guidance describes MFA and granular delegated privileges for partner-tenant accounts. Partner Center’s requirements apply to that environment, not automatically to an insurance agency’s systems. See Microsoft customer security guidance and Microsoft Partner Center MFA guidance.

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4. Set the device and connection rules before access begins

Decide in advance which devices and connection paths the VA may use. Where feasible, use a managed or agency-approved device and device-based controls. If a personal or partner-managed device must be used for sensitive or privileged work, assess whether access through an agency-controlled remote desktop or similar intermediary is appropriate. This can provide a controlled access path, but the agency should confirm what its systems can enforce.

Microsoft Entra guidance discusses device controls and the proofing and review of external identities. These recommendations can inform an agency’s approach, but the available controls vary by identity provider and application. See Microsoft Entra best practices.

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5. Keep an access record and review it

Maintain a record for each external account so the agency can verify why access exists and who is responsible for it. Include:

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  • The VA’s name and the systems accessed
  • The permission level and approved duties
  • The internal approver and access owner
  • The date access was granted and the next review date
  • The person responsible for revocation

Review external-user access periodically and whenever the VA’s duties change. Remove permissions that are no longer needed. Microsoft’s guidance calls for minimizing and reviewing delegated access, while its Entra recommendations address reviewing external identities and keeping administrative access limited. CISA also recommends least privilege for cloud administrative functions, separation of duties, and strong authentication such as MFA. See CISA cloud security guidance.

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6. Revoke access cleanly when work ends

When the engagement ends—or when the VA no longer needs a system—disable or remove the relevant accounts and permissions promptly. Revoke active sessions where the system allows it, and check that recovery methods or delegated-access routes do not leave a way back in. Record who completed the revocation and when.

7. Check the agency’s actual legal and contract duties

Security practices do not establish whether a particular agency’s arrangement complies with law or contract. Requirements depend on the jurisdiction, the data involved, the VA’s relationship to the agency, and the applicable agreements. Have the agency’s compliance or legal lead identify the duties that apply before access is granted; do not treat this general guidance as a legal checklist.

How to compare access options

There is no single best access route without knowing which systems the agency uses. Ask the administrator to compare available options against these practical questions:

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  • Can the system create an individual account for an external VA?
  • Can permissions be limited to the particular records and actions the work requires?
  • Does the system support MFA and, for privileged access, a phishing-resistant method?
  • Can access be limited by device or connection path?
  • Can the agency log activity and review who has access?
  • Can the agency revoke the account, permissions, and active sessions promptly?

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access controlAccount Securityinsurance technologyMFAvirtual assistants

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