Cyber insurers have dramatically tightened their underwriting requirements since 2021. Ontario businesses renewing or applying for cyber insurance in 2025 and 2026 face a detailed technical questionnaire covering security controls that many SMBs have not fully implemented. Businesses that cannot meet these requirements are either denied coverage or charged rates 3-5x the market average.
Insurers are increasingly asking about security awareness training completion rates and whether you have conducted a penetration test in the last 12 months. Board-level documentation of security oversight is also becoming a standard requirement at the commercial tier.
If you cannot demonstrate the required controls, insurers will either decline your application or issue coverage with significantly higher premiums and lower limits. Some carriers will issue coverage conditionally and require remediation within 90 days. Group 4 Networks provides a Cyber Insurance Readiness Assessment with a gap remediation plan.
Start at least 90 days before renewal. Review MFA coverage across all systems, verify EDR deployment, test your backup restoration, review and update your incident response plan, and document all security controls. Call us at (416) 623-9677 for a free readiness assessment.
Group 4 Networks | Cyber Insurance Readiness Toronto | 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M5C 1C4 | (416) 623-9677