What Cyber Insurance Carriers Now Expect from Manufacturing Firms

For small and medium manufacturers, insurance renewal is no longer a checkbox. Carriers now ask how you prevent incidents, how fast you can recover, and whether you can prove it. Many firms have pieces in place but struggle to show clear evidence, which slows renewals and can raise premiums. This article explains what carriers expect, how to close the gap between doing and documenting, how the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls fit in, and what outcomes manufacturers are seeing at renewal time. 

In this blog, we move from the why to the how. You will learn the specific proof carriers seek, how to organize your evidence so an underwriter can review it quickly, and where alignment to the CIS Controls makes the most significant difference.  

New insurer expectations 

Carriers look for proof that you can prevent problems and recover quickly when they occur. They want simple evidence that controls are active, measured, and used daily. Provide them with specifics, not promises, so an underwriter can review your packet quickly. The items below summarize what they expect to see. 

• Multi-factor sign-in for remote access and high-privilege accounts 

• Endpoint protection with alerting and response capabilities 

• Regularly update systems and applications with a rollback plan. 

• Backups that are verified and protected from attackers 

• Clear access approvals, prompt removal of outdated access, and vendor access controls. 

• Incident response and recovery procedures that are documented, assigned, and practiced. 

The documentation versus implementation gap 

Many teams have controls in place, but the evidence is scattered and difficult to review. Carriers and partners want clear, recent proof that is easy to verify. Use the items below to turn good work into simple, trusted documentation. 

• A one-page control summary detailing what is in place by site and by system. 

• Three recent screenshots or reports per control showing dates and success. 

• A brief recovery test report indicating that the system was restored, the recovery time, and signed off. 

• A contact list with names and roles for response, recovery, and vendor assistance. 

CIS alignment 

Underwriters often align questions with the Center for Internet Security Controls. You don’t need every control to be perfect—focus on those that minimize downtime. 

• Keep an inventory of hardware and software to confidently update, isolate, or restore systems
• Apply secure configurations for servers, workstations, and nearby plant computers
• Manage accounts with the least privilege and swiftly revoke outdated access
• Perform ongoing vulnerability assessments and maintain a consistent update schedule
• Protect data and ensure tested recovery for your most critical systems 

Real-world renewal outcomes 

Renewal outcomes usually follow specific common patterns. The main difference typically depends on how complete your controls are and how clearly you can demonstrate them. The points below outline what manufacturers are experiencing during renewal. 

• Strong controls with clear proof. Faster renewals and stable or improved premiums
• Mixed controls with inconsistent proof. Additional questionnaires, conditional terms, and higher premiums
• Significant gaps or no proof. Exclusions for certain losses, higher deductibles, or a declined renewal 

Downtime is still the core risk 

Lost production causes the biggest cost, even if no ransom is paid, so connect every control to the time saved on the floor. For example, multi-factor sign-in limits prevent stolen password attacks, which helps avoid line stoppages, and timed restore drills turn lengthy rebuilds into predictable recovery windows. Focus on proactive controls to accelerate recovery. Start here to protect production, manage risk, and demonstrate to insurers that you can recover quickly. 

• Asset and software inventory
  Know every server, workstation, controller gateway, and critical application version. You cannot update, isolate, or restore what you do not know exists. 

• Vulnerability and patch discipline
  Establish regular update schedules with a maintenance window and a tested fallback plan. 

• Identity hardening
  Require multi-factor sign-in for remote access and powerful accounts. Grant each role only the access it needs, and revoke access the same day someone changes roles or leaves. 

• Network segmentation: 

Separate office systems from plant systems and form smaller groups for higher-risk users. Restrict access to approved internet destinations and safeguard domain name lookups. 

• Backup you can prove
  Keep frequent application-aware backups, an extra copy that cannot be changed, and documented, timed restores for planning, production, and shipping systems. Practice until the recovery time is known. 

• Monitoring and runbooks: 

Alert on device health, backup status, and update success before the first shift. Pair alerts with clear, step-by-step recovery guides. 

Measure what operations care about 

Use the measures below to demonstrate real readiness at renewal. Track them monthly and include a simple summary in your renewal packet. 

• Time to detect a problem and time to recover for your most important production systems 

• Percentage of systems on current updates and percentage of successful backups by site 

• Log of users and high-access accounts using multi-step sign-in 

• Date and duration of the last successful timed restore for each critical system 

A practical roadmap for manufacturers 

Turn strategy into action with a short, repeatable plan. Start with steps that protect revenue and keep orders flowing. Use the checklist below to guide the next quarter’s work and demonstrate clear progress to leadership. 

1. Baseline your environment: list all assets, software, dependencies, and recovery points. 
2. Prioritize based on revenue impact: begin with production control, then focus on product release for quality, and finally shipping. 
3. Close gaps in account security and backups first, then separate networks and access to limit the spread. 
4. Modernize or isolate the worst legacy bottlenecks and document the workaround steps. 
5. Test restores every quarter and run a practice incident drill with operations, finance, and technology twice a year. 
6. Review with leadership and tie progress to fewer late orders, fewer rush shipments, and steadier line performance. 

Bottom line 

Renewals benefit manufacturers who can demonstrate adequate controls and real recovery. Gather straightforward evidence, align with the most critical CIS Controls, and practice recovery until it becomes predictable. With clear proof and consistent discipline, small and medium manufacturers can secure coverage, prevent exclusions, and safeguard production time. If you need assistance assembling a renewal packet or executing a timed restore, Secure Strategic Technology can guide a targeted effort with your operations, finance, and technology teams.