Our commitment to protecting your data

When you share personal information with Estrella Insurance — your name, your driver's license, your address — you're placing trust in us. As someone who has spent years working to build and protect this company's technology and operations, I want to talk honestly about how we handle that trust, what we've learned, and where we stand today.

Insurance is personal. It touches your home, your car, your health, your family's financial security. That means the data behind your policy isn't just information — it represents the most important parts of your life. We don't take that lightly.

What we've invested in

Over the past year, Estrella Insurance has made significant investments to ensure our security infrastructure meets the highest standards. These aren't vague promises — they're specific tools and practices now embedded in how we operate every day.

Endpoint detection and response (EDR). Every device and system in our environment is now monitored by advanced EDR tools. These work like a continuous security scan — detecting unusual activity, isolating potential threats, and enabling rapid response before any damage can occur. This is the same class of technology used by major financial institutions.

24/7 Security Operations Center. Our systems are watched around the clock by a dedicated security operations team. Whether it's 2 PM or 2 AM, any suspicious activity triggers an immediate response. This isn't a passive alarm system — it's active, human-led monitoring with the authority and tools to act in real time.

Multi-factor authentication. Every employee who accesses systems containing customer data must verify their identity through multiple factors — not just a password. This is one of the most effective defenses against unauthorized access, and we've rolled it out across the entire organization.

Enhanced encryption. All customer data is encrypted both when it's being transmitted (between your browser and our servers) and when it's stored in our systems. We've upgraded our encryption protocols to meet current industry best practices, ensuring your information is protected at every stage.

Employee training. Technology is only as strong as the people using it. Every Estrella Insurance employee participates in mandatory cybersecurity training that covers phishing recognition, secure data handling, password management, and incident reporting. This training is updated regularly as new threats emerge.

Learning from experience

In January 2025, we experienced a security incident that affected some of the personal information in our care. I'm not going to minimize what happened. We detected it quickly, responded immediately, and took responsibility — notifying affected individuals, providing credit monitoring, and cooperating fully with investigators.

But more importantly, we used that experience as a catalyst. Every security measure described above was either implemented or significantly strengthened as a direct result of what we learned. We brought in outside experts to audit our entire infrastructure. We invested in new tools. We changed processes. We raised the bar for everyone in the organization.

The reality is that cyber threats are a challenge facing every company that handles personal data — from the largest banks to local businesses. What matters is how an organization responds: whether it takes the easy path of doing the minimum, or whether it uses the experience to become genuinely stronger. We chose the latter.

How we protect your data day-to-day

Beyond the major investments, data protection at Estrella Insurance is woven into daily operations:

• Data minimization: We collect only the information necessary to serve your insurance needs. We don't gather data we don't need.
• Access controls: Customer data is accessible only to employees who need it to do their jobs. Access is logged and audited.
• Vendor oversight: Third-party partners who handle any customer data are held to strict security requirements and undergo regular review.
• Retention limits: We retain personal information only as long as necessary for your policy or as required by insurance regulations.
• Incident readiness: We maintain and regularly test an incident response plan so that if any threat is detected, our team can act within minutes.

A promise, not a platitude

I know that "we take your security seriously" has become a line that every company says. So instead of saying it, I'd rather show it — through the specific investments we've made, the practices we follow, and the transparency you'll find on our security page.

If you have questions about how we protect your information, our team is available at security@estrellainsurance.com or 305-443-2829. We're here to answer them.

Estrella Insurance has been serving families and businesses for over 40 years. We intend to be here for the next 40 — and earning your trust every day is how we'll get there.