Cyber Insurance Readiness Checklist: MFA, EDR, 24/7 Monitoring
Cyber insurance is no longer a tickbox - in 2026 every carrier asks for evidence of specific controls before issuing a quote. This is the broker-aligned readiness checklist and the SMB-friendly tool category for each control.
The 6 controls underwriters check
- 1
Multi-Factor Authentication
What underwriters want: Enforced on email, remote access, admin accounts, and any system that touches money.
How SMBs satisfy it: Enable Security Defaults / 2-Step in your identity provider; add hardware keys for finance roles.
Browse Identity & MFA on marketplace - 2
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
What underwriters want: Modern EDR on every laptop and server, not just signature-based antivirus.
How SMBs satisfy it: Deploy a managed EDR (CrowdStrike Falcon Go, SentinelOne Singularity, or Microsoft Defender for Business).
Browse EDR & Endpoint on marketplace - 3
24x7 Monitoring
What underwriters want: Someone watching the alerts overnight - either an in-house SOC or a managed service.
How SMBs satisfy it: Most SMBs subscribe to an MDR or 24x7 SOC service rather than hire. Brokers accept both.
Browse MDR & 24x7 SOC on marketplace - 4
Tested Backups
What underwriters want: Immutable, offsite backups with a restore tested in the last 12 months.
How SMBs satisfy it: Use a 3-2-1 strategy with at least one immutable copy. Run a real restore test quarterly and document it.
Browse Backup & Recovery on marketplace - 5
Security Awareness Training
What underwriters want: Quarterly training plus phishing simulation, with completion records you can show.
How SMBs satisfy it: Pick a training platform that auto-tracks completion. Aim for >85% completion per quarter.
Browse Awareness Training on marketplace - 6
Incident Response Plan
What underwriters want: A written IR plan, named contacts, and a tabletop exercise in the last 12 months.
How SMBs satisfy it: Use a 1-page IR plan template and run a 60-minute tabletop. The proof of the exercise is what underwriters value.
Browse Incident Response on marketplace
Bring this to your broker meeting
Print this page and walk through each control with your broker before the renewal meeting. Carriers reward proactive evidence - a clean readiness packet often produces a better quote than the same controls discussed verbally.
Frequently asked questions
Does meeting this checklist guarantee a cyber insurance quote?
Meeting all six controls will get you quoted by most carriers. The price still depends on industry, revenue, and prior claims history. The checklist is what removes friction in the underwriting conversation.
What is the most common reason SMBs get declined?
MFA gaps and untested backups. Either no MFA on email, or backups that exist but have never been restore-tested. Both are inexpensive to fix and both are documented as decline reasons in 2026 underwriting reports.
Can I bundle these tools through one vendor?
Yes - several MSSPs offer SMB bundles that cover identity, EDR, MDR, backup, and training under a single contract. The Value Aligners marketplace lets you compare bundles versus point-tools side by side.
Pick the next step
Value Aligners matches SMBs to vetted security vendors for free. Pick the path that fits where you are today.