With the alarming increase in cyberattacks across the globe, it is becoming evident that no organization is immune to cyberthreats. As a result, there is a question pending in the minds of IT security leaders: What happens to their organization in case of a cyberattack?

In the past, purchasing cybersecurity insurance was considered a luxury rather than a necessity. However, as the number of cyber attacks continues to grow, many educational institutions have started to buy insurance policies to cover the damaging costs of malware and ransomware attacks. The education sector saw the most cyber attacks in 2021 and 2022 compared to every other industry, including healthcare and finance.

Cyberattacks are growing in prevalence and sophistication, and so are the damage costs associated with these events. According to a 2022 cost of data breach report, the average damage cost of a data breach has reached a record high of USD 4.35 million. Provoked by increased data breach damage costs, a growing number of US businesses are partnering with Cybersecurity Insurers, who, in turn, respond to this increased demand by inflating cyber insurance premiums.

Cyberattacks have become an unavoidable part of the technology landscape in recent years with attacks like ransomware, phishing, and whaling reaching an all-time high. According to IBM’s Cost of Data Breach Report 2022, the average cost of a ransomware attack is $4.54 million and the average cost of a breach in the US alone is $9.44 million. Cyber insurance is important in these instances, because it helps cover the financial losses incurred.

Cyber-attacks are becoming more sophisticated and devastating, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). With ransom demands rising and the cost of data breaches soaring, businesses are investing heavily in building their cyber defenses. However, cybersecurity is not bullet-proof. Buying a cyber risk insurance program can help outsource residual risk, and deploying multi-factor authentication is a prerequisite not only for getting coverage but also for lowering premiums.

Cyber insurance coverage? Through the roof these days. Also, coverage is not that easy to get. The many breaches and the dollar judgements handed down make cyber insurance another costly operating investment. A mid-sized client of mine, as an example, pays $1 million in annual cyber insurance costs just to do business with its commercial and government customers. The issue adds another twist to the topic of third-party risk.

Cyber insurance premiums are growing exponentially. It’s a dilemma that puts new financial pressures on organizations that are eager to protect their digital assets, but wary of increased spending. ‍Part I of this cyber insurance blog series explored six reasons why cyber insurance costs are increasing so rapidly.