Apple, Cisco partners Alianz on insurance for IT coy
Apple and Cisco Systems have teamed up with insurer Allianz to offer discounts on cyber insurance to businesses that primarily use equipment from both technology companies, they said on Monday.
The arrangement, which also includes insurance broker Aon, will help businesses fortify their cybersecurity defenses and make them eligible to score more favorable terms for cyber coverage, such as lower or no deductibles, along with support services in the event of attack, the companies said.
“The key here is a holistic approach to cyber,” Jason Hogg, chief executive officer of Aon Cyber Solutions, which helped develop the product, said in an interview.
The offering helps to streamline cybecybersecurity businesses, which Hogg said are often addressed in a “siloed manner,” with everyone from technology staff to legal departments playing separate roles.
Cyber coverage is a mounting concern for companies worldwide as hackers increasingly take aim at their technology systems.
Cybercrime insurance, once a little-known product, has gained traction as hacks involving large companies such as Equifax and Target have become more costly and commonplace.
U.S. cyber security premiums totaled $1.35 billion in 2016, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That is a sliver of the $244.9 billion in total premiums for U.S. commercial line insurers, but a growing market in which insurers are trying to distinguish themselves.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in June that his company and Cisco were collaborating to get cyber insurance discounts for businesses using their products. He said the combination of gear from the two companies was more secure than competing technology.
Long known for its consumer devices, Apple has embraced business users in recent years, adding additional security features to its iPhones and iPads. In 2015, Cook said Apple was generating at least $25 billion a year in sales to businesses.
The new offering begins with a cyber security evaluation by Aon, the companies said. Businesses using Cisco Ransomware Defense malware-blocking software and certain Apple devices can then apply for special cyberinsurance through the specialty lines unit of Allianz, the companies said.
