Cyber Insurance Renewal Requirements for Manufacturers in 2026
From 2017 through 2024, the global cyber insurance market experienced rapid expansion, growing from approximately $2 billion in U.S. premiums to more than $15 billion globally. While growth has moderated compared to the market’s early years, cyber insurance premiums are still increasing as organizations seek coverage against evolving cyber threats and insurers continue to tighten underwriting requirements. Industry forecasts place the global cyber insurance market at roughly $16-17 billion in 2026, with continued growth expected through the end of the decade.
Today’s cyber insurance applications go beyond the usual questions about MFA requirements, backups, and incident response plans. Carriers also want to see you have the manufacturing cybersecurity controls in place to protect plants, vendors, and critical systems should a breach occur.
For many manufacturing IT teams, the increased scrutiny raises the bar. These days, it’s not enough to check “yes” or “no” on a cyber insurance renewal. Manufacturers also have to be ready to show underwriters how each control works, how it is maintained, and where it is enforced.
Cyber Insurance Renewal Trends Manufacturers Should Watch
The threat of ransomware still drives many cyber insurance requirements, thanks in part to a 45% year-over-year increase in these attacks from 2024 to 2025. But ransomware coverage isn’t the only cyber insurance requirement that’s becoming more complicated.
Business email compromise and other social engineering attacks are also on the rise and cyber insurers are taking these threats seriously. In addition to traditional controls like robust MFA requirements and antiphishing training, manufacturers may also ask applicants about their financial transaction controls.
The insurer The Hartford has detailed questions about wire transfer security on its cyber insurance application. Applicants may also be asked to show callback verification for payment changes and documented vendor payment verification processes.
Another area facing increased scrutiny is remote access controls like privileged access management, identity checks, and endpoint coverage.
These requirements point to a broader Zero Trust push in cyber insurance. Carriers don’t just want to know whether manufacturers can keep attackers out. They want to know whether access is limited, verified, and controlled enough to reduce the damage if an account, device, or vendor connection is compromised.
Manufacturers may also face added scrutiny around operational technology, industrial control systems, and supply chain security documentation. That can include questions about how production systems are assessed, how vendor risk is documented, and how the business would keep operating if a cyber incident affected plant operations.
The goal is to show that one compromised account, device, or vendor connection can’t easily turn into a plantwide disruption.
To learn more about how to prepare for your cyber insurance renewal, the insurance giant Travelers publishes cyber readiness guides that help manufacturers understand which controls matter, including MFA requirements, endpoint detection and response, data backups, system updates, and more.
Underwriters Can See More Than Your Application
The application is only part of the cyber insurance renewal process. Many carriers now use external scans and public security data to evaluate risk before offering manufacturers coverage. That means underwriters may be looking for exposed systems, weak email authentication, leaked credentials, expired certificates, open ports, and other gaps that point to a higher-risk environment.
For manufacturers, this makes cyber insurance preparation more than a paperwork exercise. If the renewal says remote access is controlled, backups are tested, and endpoints are protected, the outside view of the environment needs to support that story.
We suggest running a free vulnerability scan on your network before starting the cyber insurance renewal process.
Cybersecurity Budget Planning and Justification
With cyber insurance requirements rising, manufacturers have to budget their cybersecurity investments wisely and be ready to defend their needs to stakeholders. We suggest starting with the controls underwriters ask about most often. For most manufacturers, that includes MFA requirements, Zero Trust, and secure remote access. The budget should also include the evidence work. Account for the time your team needs to capture the documentation underwriters may ask for, including screenshots, access reports, backup test results, endpoint coverage, and more.
If you receive pushback about your cybersecurity budget needs, explain that the missing controls will make the cyber insurance renewal process harder. Coverage may change. Deductibles may increase. Certain losses may carry sublimits or exclusions.
CyberFOX SASE
CyberFOX SASE gives manufacturers a practical way to strengthen the access controls underwriters ask about during cyber insurance renewals. Instead of relying on traditional VPNs that can give users broad access once they connect, CyberFOX SASE uses always-on Zero Trust Network Access to evaluate every user, device, and connection before access is allowed. That helps manufacturers show underwriters that remote users and vendors are not getting open-ended access to the network.
It also gives IT teams the logs and reporting they need to document how access is controlled, how policies are enforced, and how one compromised connection is less likely to turn into a larger operational disruption.
If you’re ready to stop threats before they start, learn more about Timus SASE or start a 14-day free trial today.