Cyber insurance readiness
Approach your cyber insurance renewal with confidence.
Understand your security gaps, prioritize improvements and prepare accurate application responses with help from Cybersecurity Advisory Group.
Readiness work improves your position and supports your broker's pursuit of suitable coverage and competitive terms. Insurers determine availability, pricing and coverage.
Part I
Know where you stand
Your situation, what the application really asks and what we review.
Your situation
Is your business ready for the questions your insurer is asking?
Applying for the first time
You need help understanding the questions and gathering evidence.
Preparing for renewal
Your business, your systems or your insurer's application has changed.
Facing underwriting concerns
You've been asked to address controls or provide more information.
Applying after an incident
You need a documented account of improvements and remaining risks.
Where applications get hard
An accurate application starts with knowing what is in place.
Many application questions look like a simple yes or no. Answering them accurately usually takes input from more than one person.
Where is multifactor authentication enabled?
Which devices are covered by endpoint protection?
When was recovery from backup last tested?
Who responds when a security alert occurs?
Who contributes
You and your leadership
Business context and final review of what the application says.
Your IT team or MSP
Technical details on how systems are set up and protected.
Cybersecurity Advisory Group
Verification, documentation and a clear explanation of any gaps.
Your broker
What the insurer is asking and how answers will be read.
Verification builds on the work your team has already done. It isn't a test anyone passes or fails.
The assessment
What we review and why it matters.
Account protection
Who can access your systems, and how is that access secured?
Technical examples
- Multifactor authentication on email, remote access and administrator accounts
- How administrator rights are assigned and reviewed
- How access is removed when someone leaves
Email and payment safety
How do employees recognize suspicious requests and verify payment changes?
Technical examples
- Security awareness training and phishing exercises
- Email filtering and domain protections such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC
- Callback or second-person verification for payment and banking changes
Devices and systems
Are protections maintained, monitored and consistently deployed?
Technical examples
- Endpoint protection coverage across laptops, desktops and servers
- How and how often updates and patches are applied
- Who watches alerts and how quickly they respond
Backups and recovery
Can essential information and services be restored?
Technical examples
- Backup copies kept separate from everyday systems
- Separate credentials and protection for backup systems
- When a restore was last tested and how long it took
Incident readiness
Does everyone know who to contact and what to do?
Technical examples
- A written incident response plan with roles and contacts
- Your insurer's incident reporting instructions
- Practice exercises and lessons learned
Vendors and sensitive information
Where does your information go, and which outside services do you depend on?
Technical examples
- Where sensitive information is stored and who can access it
- Vendors with remote access or copies of your data
- Encryption of sensitive data and devices
The review is tailored to your business and to the questions your insurer is asking. Insurers publish security expectations, but requirements vary by carrier and by risk.
For example, see Coalition's five essential cyber insurance requirements
Part II
Build a practical plan
What you receive, who does what and how the process runs.
Deliverables
You leave with a clear picture and a practical plan.
Controls summary
A documented summary of the controls reviewed and the supporting evidence.
Prioritized gap list
Each gap explained in terms of business impact.
Remediation roadmap
Responsibilities and target dates for each improvement.
Reviewed application responses
Including open questions for your broker or underwriter.
What each part of the engagement includes
Assessment
Review of your controls and evidence, the gap list, the roadmap and a review of your application responses.
Remediation coordination
Working with your IT team on the agreed improvements and tracking progress. Your IT team or MSP does the technical implementation.
Follow-up verification
Confirming completed work and updating the documentation before you submit.
Who does what
One coordinated process with your IT team and broker.
Business owner or leadership
Provides business context, approves investment and reviews what the application says.
Cybersecurity Advisory Group
Assesses readiness, explains findings, coordinates priorities and supports evidence-based responses.
Internal IT or MSP
Supplies technical information and implements agreed improvements.
Insurance broker
Advises on coverage options and communicates with insurers.
Insurer
Evaluates the application and determines terms and coverage.
Coverage decisions belong in the conversation with your broker. The NAIC encourages businesses to discuss with their insurance agent which policy best fits their needs.
How it works
From uncertainty to an informed submission.
Discuss. Review the application, the deadline, how the business operates and your concerns.
Assess. Gather evidence and identify gaps or unclear answers.
Prioritize. Agree on improvements, responsibilities and realistic timing.
Verify. Review completed work and document remaining limitations.
Prepare. Support leadership and your broker with accurate information.
Optional: between renewals, I can keep your documentation current and review any significant changes before your next application.
Part III
Submit with confidence
Why work with me, how I work with brokers and the questions owners ask.
Why work with me
Practical guidance from someone who has run a business.
When I was a CEO, I made the calls on payroll, staffing, customer commitments and budgets. I know what it's like to weigh security spending against everything else the business needs.
The questions I help you answer
Which gaps deserve attention first?
What can your existing tools and providers already cover?
What work needs additional budget?
What can realistically be done before the deadline?
You work with me directly, and every recommendation comes in plain language.
For insurance brokers
A cybersecurity readiness partner for your clients.
I work alongside brokers whose clients need help getting ready for underwriting questions.
Clearer technical information from your clients.
Coordinated communication with your clients' IT providers.
Documented remediation progress.
Better preparation for underwriting questions.
I don't promise faster binding or successful placement. The goal is clearer, better-supported information for everyone involved.
FAQs
Questions to ask before you start.
What does a cyber insurance readiness assessment include?
A review of the six areas above against your business and the questions your insurer is asking. You get a documented controls summary with evidence, a prioritized gap list, a remediation roadmap and a review of your application responses.
Can you work with my existing MSP and broker?
Yes. Your IT provider supplies technical information and makes the agreed changes. Your broker advises on coverage and communicates with insurers. I coordinate readiness between them.
When should we start before renewal?
As early as you can. More lead time means more time to close gaps and verify the work. If your deadline is close, we focus on the questions that matter most for the application.
What if we cannot fix every gap before the deadline?
That's common. We document what's done, what's in progress and target dates for the rest, so leadership and your broker can decide how to address it. Application answers should reflect what is actually in place.
Can you help after a denial or security incident?
Yes. I help you document what changed, what has been improved and what risks remain, so your broker has an accurate account to work with.
Will this guarantee approval or reduce our premium?
No. Insurers decide availability, pricing and coverage. Readiness work improves your security and the accuracy of your application, and it supports your broker's pursuit of suitable coverage and competitive terms.
Do you sell insurance or determine coverage?
No. I don't sell insurance or determine coverage. Those decisions belong with your broker and the insurer.
What does the engagement cost?
It depends on scope, including the size of your environment and your deadline. After our first conversation you get a written proposal with the scope and fee before any work starts.
Next step
Know where you stand before you submit.
Bring your upcoming renewal, application or underwriting concern. In 30 minutes we'll confirm your deadline, identify the information you'll need and agree on a sensible scope.