Clarica is providing a Canadian insurance industry first by introducing two-way secure messaging as a feature on Customer Access, a secure area of Clarica’s Web site that allows customers to see all of their accounts, including personal investments and insurance plans, and group health, dental and savings plans for groups which have enrolled.

The secure messaging feature maintains the privacy of a customers’ financial and personal information while sending and receiving electronic messages to and from Clarica as well as its agents.

Barry Triller, executive vice president, Canadian Customers, said “Federal Privacy legislation to protect personal information will be extended to the insurance industry in 2004. We’re offering secure messaging now because we know our customers are concerned about privacy.”

A recent study by Ipsos-Reid Corporation found that two out of every three Canadians who do not make online purchases of goods or services are concerned about the privacy of their personal information while four out of five are concerned about security of credit card information. These factors are a heavy influence on the 59% of Canadians with Internet access who have yet to make an online purchase, the study showed.