CISOs Face a Tighter Insurance Market in 2026
Summary
The cyber-insurance market that softened in recent years is showing signs of stabilising and may tighten in 2026. Premium reductions have slowed, insurers and MGAs are demanding stronger evidence of security controls, and underwriting is shifting from questionnaire answers to verifiable telemetry. Boards increasingly view cyber insurance as a necessary complement to technical controls, and insurers are moving toward continuous assessment models that will change renewal and claims processes.
Key Points
- Market conditions remain buyer-friendly compared with 2023, but rate decreases have slowed and may stabilise or reverse in 2026.
- Insurers and MGAs are increasingly requiring proof of controls — not just checkbox answers — before issuing policies or paying claims.
- Security telemetry (scans, continuous feeds) is becoming central to underwriting and claims handling, replacing one-off questionnaires.
- Boards expect cyber insurance to sit alongside controls as part of a balanced risk-management programme.
- Continuous assessment and telemetry-sharing bring trade-offs: greater leverage with insurers but potential exposure of sensitive data to third parties.
- Policy language and coverages remain non-standardised; buyers must verify specific coverages (eg wrongful collection, contingent business interruption, worldwide regulatory costs) and the quality of claims teams.
- Companies with strong, provable security postures can use the current market to increase coverage economically while improving resilience.
Content Summary
The article explains that although cyber premiums softened as more carriers entered the space, insurers are cautious about underwriting leniency lasting if major losses occur. Forrester and Swiss Re analyses show slowing declines in rates and predict growth in premium volume. Industry voices cite a move from subjective questionnaire responses to objective telemetry and continuous monitoring as the next major change. CISOs should plan for renewed underwriting rigour by improving controls, collecting provable telemetry, reviewing policy wording carefully, and weighing the implications of sharing continuous visibility with insurers or third parties.
Context and Relevance
This is important for CISOs, CFOs and boards planning 2026 cyber risk road maps. With AI adoption and supply-chain exposures growing, a couple of large incidents could prompt insurers to tighten terms quickly. Decisions made now about telemetry, coverage levels and disclosure will affect renewals, pricing and claims outcomes. The piece ties to broader trends toward data-driven underwriting and the need for clearer policy standardisation in the cyber-insurance market.
Why should I read this?
Short version: don’t get comfy. If you’re responsible for cyber risk, this article tells you what insurers will start asking for — and what you should sort before renewal season. It’s a quick heads-up on why better telemetry, sharper policy checks and a clear board-level story will save pain (and money) next year.
Source
Source: https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint-security/cisos-face-tighter-insurance-market