Ransomware garnered many of the cybercrime headlines in 2021 and 2022. Insurance carriers honed in on its devastating impacts, inspiring many insureds to put proper controls in place to help fend off such attacks. Research indicates that ransomware attacks have declined significantly over the past 12 months compared to 2021, and fewer companies are now paying ransoms. A 2022 survey of 300 U.S.-based information technology (IT) decision-makers regarding the impact of ransomware attacks on their organizations found that 25% of companies were victims of ransomware attacks over the past 12 months, a 61% decline from the previous 12-month period (source 3).

The value of insurance and risk management often comes into sharp focus when a loss occurs. This is especially true of cyber risks such as data breaches.

There is no one perfect insurance policy for all clients, but retail agents can help their insureds find appropriate coverage forms by focusing on the exposure. This is especially true of cyber liability insurance.

In an increasingly connected world, many cyber insurers are reporting a significant increase in social engineering claims — particularly at organizations involved in real estate and other financial services. That means retail agents and their insureds can expect to see some changes in the marketplace. As social engineering scams increase, some insurers are reducing cybercrime limits, raising premiums for cybercrime coverage, requiring policyholders to take risk mitigation steps or withdrawing from covering cybercrime altogether.