Guide
Cyber Insurance Renewal: How to Get Ready
Insurers mostly ask about the same handful of controls. Check them before the questionnaire arrives, and answer honestly.
Why it matters
Insurers ask about the same handful of controls because they are what stop most claims: MFA, endpoint protection, backups and an incident plan. An answer that does not match reality can put a future claim at risk, so preparation matters more than the form.
Step by step
- Go through the readiness checklist and mark each control yes, partly or no.
- Fix the quick ones first: MFA on email and remote access, and a tested backup.
- Write a one page incident plan with the insurer hotline on it.
- For anything still in progress, note the date it will be done instead of answering yes.
- Keep a copy of your answers for next year.
Common mistakes
- Answering yes to a control that is only partly in place
- Waiting until the week the questionnaire is due
- Having backups that have never been restored
- No incident plan with the insurer hotline on it
Free tools for this
Cyber Insurance Readiness Checklist
The 24 controls insurers ask about most, so you can answer with confidence.
Incident Response Plan
Who to call and what to do in the first hour of a cyber incident.
Backup Restore Test Log
Prove your backups work with a quarterly restore test and a simple record.
Questions people ask
Our cyber insurance renewal is coming up. Where do we start?
Insurers usually ask about MFA, endpoint protection, backups and an incident plan. The cyber insurance readiness checklist lists the common controls. Answer honestly, and note dates for anything still in progress.
We are a small organization. Are we really a target?
Yes. Most attacks are automated and look for weak passwords and missing MFA, not for big names. Small organizations often have fewer defenses, which makes them easier targets.
Not sure where to start?
One conversation and a straight answer about where your organization stands. No cost, no commitment, no pitch.