Cyber insurance renewal in 2026 is tougher, more technical, and far more dependent on proving security maturity than in previous years.
The good news? For organisations with strong controls, pricing is finally stabilising. But those with gaps, especially in identity, endpoint security, and incident response should expect sharper scrutiny, higher deductibles, or restricted cover.
The market has shifted. Underwriters aren’t interested in surface-level questionnaires anymore. They want evidence.
They want to see how your controls operate day-to-day, and they want to know you can withstand a modern threats which are evolving by the month.
Here’s how the renewal process is changing and what you need to prepare for.
Pricing & Capacity: Stable for the Strong, Tough for the Weak
Pricing is finally settling for organisations with strong, well-documented security programs – but the calm is only on the surface. Underwriters have shifted their entire risk model, and identity security now sits at the centre of how pricing, coverage limits, and eligibility are determined.
More than 70% of organisations saw cost increases during their most recent application or renewal cycle, and the days of broad, across-the-board premium hikes are giving way to something far more precise: granular underwriting tied directly to control maturity.
Identity Security = Pricing Power
Our research shows insurers are using identity controls, privileged access management (PAM), MFA coverage, conditional access, and access governance, as primary indicators of cyber resilience.
In fact the majority listed authorization and access controls as mandatory components of their policy.
Put simply: mature identity security earns you stable pricing and available capacity; weak identity security pushes you toward higher premiums, reduced limits, or even non-renewal.
Hidden Pricing Pressure: Coverage Restrictions
Even when premiums remain flat, insurers are quietly controlling exposure by adjusting:
- Deductibles (especially for ransomware and business interruption)
- Sub-limits on high-risk cover
- Exclusions tied to identity, access failures, and AI-related weaknesses
The message is consistent across the market: If you cannot prove you can prevent, detect, and contain attacks, especially identity-based attacks, insurers will limit their financial exposure, one way or another.
Underwriting is Now Deeply Technical
Gone are the days when ticking the right boxes on a cyber questionnaire did the job. Underwriters are performing genuine due diligence across:
- Identity security
- Endpoint coverage
- Email security
- Backup and recovery architecture
- Vendor and supply chain controls
They’re no longer asking, “Do you have EDR?” They’re asking:
- How many endpoints are enrolled?
- Are you actively monitoring alerts 24/7?
- What is your mean time to detect/respond?
- How often do you test your containment playbooks?
This technical validation is now becoming the standard.
Controls Moving from Optional to Mandatory
Several once-optional controls have moved firmly into the “non-negotiable” category for 2026 renewals.
1. Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere
Not just email. Not just admins. Insurers now expect MFA across:
- Remote access
- Cloud apps
- Privileged accounts
If MFA isn’t universal, you’re considered a high-risk renewal.
2. Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) With 24/7 Monitoring
Anti-virus alone is uninsurable in 2026. Expect insurers to require:
- EDR on every workstation and server
- Active monitoring and automated response
- Clear evidence of alerting, triage, and closure
3. Mature Identity & Access Management
Identity is now the primary attack surface. Underwriters will dig into:
- Privileged Access Management
- Conditional Access
- Authorisation governance
- Just-in-time admin controls
Weak identity programs are becoming a deal-breaker.
4. Incident Response Testing
Having a plan isn’t enough. You must show:
- Annual tabletop exercises
- Documented lessons learned
- Evidence that processes were updated afterward
5. Resilient Backup & Recovery Architecture
Expect insurers to validate:
- Immutable or offline backup capability
- Ransomware-tolerant design
- Regular restore testing
- Recovery time and recovery point objectives (RTO/RPO)
6. Privacy & Consent Management (Emerging Area)
For digital-heavy companies, consent mechanisms for cookies, trackers, and data collection are increasingly included in cyber underwriting.
Insurers want to understand your regulatory exposure as part of the risk picture.
| Aspect | What We Saw in 2024–2025 | What we expect to see in 2026 |
| Premium Levels | Broad increases after heavy industry losses | Stabilising for strong businesses, targeted hikes for weak controls |
| Underwriting Style | High-level questionnaires | Technical validation, evidence review, real control testing |
| Control Expectations | MFA & Backups strongly encouraged | MFA, EDR, IR Testing, PAM effectively mandatory |
| Identity Focus | Basic access control questions | Identity-first underwriting (Pam, governance maturity) |
| Evidence | Limited required | Full evidence packs; audit-ready documentation |
| Non-security considerations | General compliance posture | Privacy, consent management, regulatory exposure |
How to Prepare for a 2026 Renewal
The organisations that secure favourable terms are the ones that prepare early and document everything. Here’s what advisors are recommending:
Start 90–120 Days Before Renewal
This gives time to gather evidence, close gaps, and engage vendors.
Close Gaps in the Big Five
If you’re weak in any of these, you’ll feel it in your renewal:
- MFA
- EDR
- Backups
- Incident response testing
- Identity governance
Assemble a Clean Evidence Pack
Make it easy for underwriters to say yes.
Run a Pre-Assessment Audit
Identify and resolve issues before they surface during underwriting.
Demonstrate Operational Maturity
Show how controls are monitored, maintained, and measured — not just deployed.
Engage with a Cyber Security Partner
A mature external partner like ITC Service can dramatically influence your renewal outcome, especially when it comes to documentation, identity hardening, and continuous monitoring.
The Bottom Line for 2026
Cyber insurance is no longer a passive renewal. Insurers expect resilience, maturity, and visibility into your operating environment.
Organisations that invest in identity-first security, strong detection capabilities, and well-practised response plans will be rewarded with stable pricing and broad coverage.
Those who don’t?
They’ll face exclusions, sub-limits, or, increasingly, the possibility of being declined altogether.
