EDITION 2023
LU
CY
Light Upon
CYber insurance
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 2 -
Amrae publishes the 3
rd
edition of Lucy,
a study of the insurance coverage of cyber risk in France.
THE MARKET IS BECOMING MORE
MATURE BUT REMAINS VOLATILE
The years follow one another and are not alike on the cyber insurance front. In 2021, the
1st edition of the Lucy (LUmière sur la CYberassurance) study raised the question of the
insurability of cyber risk: after a heavily loss-making 2020, insurers then seemed to want
to withdraw from the market.
They finally decided to thoroughly review their portfolios and tighten underwriting
conditions by increasing premium rates, raising deductibles and reducing capacity. This
decision, taken in 2021 in the large company segment, will then be extended to the
entire market: to the Mid-cap company segment in 2022 and - we can already bet on
it - to the medium-sized, small and micro company segment in 2023-2024.
These forecasts can be taken seriously: because of its methodology and the historical
depth of its four years of data, Lucy has proven its robustness. To the point of becoming
a reference in the cyber risk market: regularly quoted by the various actors of the cyber
risk community, it has become a key element in the dialogue between risk managers,
brokers and insurers.
A study led by Philippe Cotelle,
Board Member of Amrae and chairman
of the Cyber Commission,
vice-president of Ferma and Risk
Manager of Airbus Defence & Space
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 3 -
KEY FIGURES
22.3%
A historically low loss ratio (LOSS RATIO)...
... which mainly reflects the results of large companies
l Large companies: 16%
l Mid-cap companies: 51%
l Medium-sized companies: 100%
The market continues to be driven by large companies, which alone account for 83% of the total
volume of premiums paid for cyber coverage.
+25%
After a decline in 2021, the number of insured companies
has returned to growth
l Large companies: +17%
l Mid-cap companies: +12%
l Medium-sized companies: +53%
€35million
The amount of available capacity is increasing again
in the large corporate segment only.
l €35M for large companies (+12.7% compared to 2021)
l €6M for Mid-cap companies (-8%)
l €2.3M for medium-sized companies (-13%)
2.70%
Premium rate growth slows in 2022
Evolution of the premium rate for large companies
l 2019: 0.93% l 2020: 1.03% l 2021: 2.02% l 2022: 2.70%
The cyber insurance market
still exists...
Cyber insurance rates have reached new heights but still
do not sufficiently value the “diamonds” of prevention.
With the benefit of a few years’ hindsight, insurers now have
a better understanding of cyber risk, but this is still limited to
a partial statistical analysis of the loss experience. Indeed, without
a global study, insurers only have a fragmented view of this risk.
Still too weak from a technical point of view, the insurers’
analysis does not sufficiently take into account the
increasing efforts of companies in terms of prevention and
the results obtained - the number of successful attacks is
decreasing and so are the extent of their consequences.
While we can be pleased to see a small revival in underwriting
by insurers in certain segments in 2022, market conditions
remain difficult. Increasingly high deductibles, still reduced
capacities, more stable but still high prices, increasingly limited
guarantees and, finally, an insurance offer that is not open to all.
Indeed, to access them, companies must be imaginative
and try to comply with standards not yet defined by
the insurance market and variable by player.
Although the growth of the cyber insurance market has
resumed, it is still insufficient. The volume of premiums
collected in France, all policyholders included, remains low
and corresponds to the equivalent of a single major claim.
EDITORIAL
OLIVER WILD
Chairman of Amrae
Risk and Insurance
Director of Veolia
EDITO EDITO
LUmière sur la CYberassurance / © Amrae
- 4 -
- 5 -
LUmière sur la CYberassurance / © Amrae
Small and medium-sized companies are following the lead of
large ones, despite a near-exit of their share of the market for this
insurance following the sudden increase in premiums in 2020. Is this
a choice of investment orientation, in a tense post-covid economic
context, or a simple rejection of a somewhat crazy market?
Overall, companies are investing in identifying their exposure,
protection and prevention actions, with a significant increase
in their cybersecurity budget, to deal with the legacy of a
race to digitalization with prevention in second place.
However, there are some limitations that can hinder these
efforts: a highly competitive market for talent and expertise to
strengthen cyber security teams and the lack of clearly defined
and shared quality and prevention standards, for example.
In this context, innovation is one of the keys to the solution.
In addition to forums and conferences, companies are getting
organized and coming together to share their practices and
develop strengthened risk management systems that enable them
to reassure themselves or create shared confidence outside the
traditional market. Capitalizing on collective intelligence has always
been a focus of Amrae’s work. This 3rd edition of the LUCY study
is a perfect illustration: initiated by risk managers, carried out with
brokers, shared with the community, it contributes to moving the
lines in the right direction, in France, but also beyond our borders.
I hope you enjoy reading it.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 6 -
Four years of data produced
by business risk brokers
The 3
rd
edition of the Lucy Study builds on a four-year history of objective,
comprehensive and robust data.
OBJECTIVE because they are produced by the best observers of corporate risk:
specialized brokers. This year, 10 brokers and one professional organization responded
to the questionnaire designed in a collaborative manner by Amrae.
Seven of them were present at the first edition of Lucy: AON, Diot-Siaci, Filhet Allard,
Marsh, Verlingue, Verspieren, WTW.
They were joined by SMABTP in 2022, Dattak and Howden in 2023.
In addition to these brokers, Planète CSCA, the insurance brokers’ union, provides a
better view of the small and medium-sized business segment.
GLOBAL because these brokers cover companies of all sizes and in all sectors of
activity throughout France. 9,672 insurance policies were analyzed:
l 281 large company policies (more than €1.5 billion in sales), i.e. 94% of the 300 large
companies listed by INSEE;
l 591 Mid-cap company policies (between €50 million and €1.5 billion in revenues),
i.e. 10% of the 5,900 TPEs listed by INSEE;
l 492 medium-sized company policies (between €10 and €50 million in sales), i.e. 3.2%
of the 153,000 medium-sized companies listed by INSEE;
l 624 small business policies (between 2 and 10 M€ in turnover) and 7,684 micro-
business policies (less than 2 M€ in turnover), i.e. 0.2% of the 3.9 million small and
micro-businesses listed by Insee.
Almost representative of the large company market, the study is also very representative
of the Mid-cap company segment. Over the years, the vision of medium-sized
companies has as well become clearer and more representative.
On the other hand, the study still lacks precision on the segment of small and micro
companies. The number of insured companies - and therefore analyzed - is not yet
sufficient in relation to the number of companies listed by INSEE. Moreover, SMEs
can take out cyber coverage directly with their insurer, via a general agent or within the
framework of a multi-risk Pro policy: this data is therefore not available to the brokers
who are partners in the Lucy study and is not, de facto, collected within the framework
of the study.
METHODOLOGY
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 7 -
Large companies represent only 3% of the panel analyzed, but their contributions
represent 83% of the volume of premiums collected in 2022. On the other hand, small
and micro companies are certainly numerous (82% of the panel) but their economic
contribution to the cyber insurance market remains marginal (1.9% of the global volume
of premiums in the Lucy study).
Therefore, despite its limitations in the small and micro business segment, the Lucy
study can be considered an accurate reflection of the cyber insurance market.
However, for the sake of consistency, we have decided to focus certain analyses on
the 1,363 companies (large, Mid-cap and medium-sized) with revenues of more than
€10 million: their contributions represent almost all (more than 98%) of the volume of
premiums collected in 2022 as identified by the study.
REPRESENTATIVE because this study is not a simple survey. It is based on the
aggregation of the portfolios of the main corporate risk intermediaries: the data analyzed
are neither estimates nor projections, but the actual amount of contributions paid by
companies and claims compensated by insurers. This makes it possible to study cyber
risk from two angles:
l cyber risk coverage: number of companies having taken out insurance, amount of the
gross premium, guarantees and level of coverage taken out;
l compensated claims: number of claims, amount of compensation, triggering event
ROBUST because the data collected perfectly reflected market trends. They have
thus made it possible to anticipate market movements:
“After very poor underwriting
results in the intermediate market in 2021, we thought that insurers would take corrective
measures similar to those taken in 2020 in the large corporate market,
explains Philippe
Cotelle. This is indeed what happened in 2022 with a sharp increase in premium rates
(+54%) and a reduction in capacity (-8%).”
The Lucy study has quickly become a tool for dialogue and negotiation between the
actors of the cyber risk community: risk managers, insurers and brokers. Its analyses are
regularly used by French and European public authorities and regulators, notably Anssi
(the French national agency for information systems security), the French Ministry of
the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and Eiopa (the European
insurance regulatory authority).
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 8 -
Today and tomorrow
The four-year history of the Lucy study not only allows us to understand the market but
also to anticipate its evolution. This is precisely what we propose to do in three chapters:
1. The state of the cyber insurance market in 2022
2. A look back at four years of maturation of the cyber insurance market
3. Outlook for 2023 and 2024
11
major players in
enterprise risk
9,672
cyber insurance
policies
177
claims
compensated
MAIN TERMS USED
l Premium: amount of the gross premium paid by the company. For the year 2022,
this corresponds to the investment between January 1, 2022 and December 31,
2022.
l Claims: number of claims and amount of compensation reported between
January 1 and December 31, 2022. The declarations for the years 2019, 2020 and
2021 could be re-evaluated afterwards in case of changes.
A COMMITMENT TO CONFIDENTIALITY
The Lucy study is only possible because of Amrae’s absolute commitment to
confidentiality with brokers, their clients and their insurance and reinsurance
partners. All data has been anonymized and consolidated at the level of each
broker’s portfolio, then re-consolidated globally.
Data collection and processing were carried out by Amrae in the strictest
confidence.
A draft of the results was shared with all contributors prior to official publication.
The study is free of charge and accessible to all.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 9 -
1. THE STATE OF THE MARKET
IN 2022
The market is regaining room to maneuver
Driven by large companies, the cyber insurance market is back in positive territory
in 2022. With overall premium volume up 72% (or €315 million) and a historically low
claims experience (€70.80 million, down 57% from 2021), insurers are regaining room for
maneuver thanks to a claims/premium ratio of 22.3%.
As a result, premium rates are stabilizing and the amount of available capacity is
increasing again. At least in the large enterprise segment, which clearly sets the tone for
the market.
The French cyber insurance market
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
-
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
-
87
73
2019 2020 2021 2022
130
217
183
316
71
84%
167%
89%
22%
€M %
n Premiums n Claims l Loss ratio
164
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 10 -
Large companies
Historically low loss ratio...
In 2022, large companies paid nearly €267 million in premiums for their cyber coverage,
an average premium of €950,000 for each of the 281 covered companies identified in
the Lucy study.
Over the same period, only 47 claims were compensated for a total of €43 million (an
average of €900,000 per claim). This resulted in a historically low loss ratio of 16.2%.
This result needs to be put into a market dynamic. In 2020, the claims/premiums ratio
literally exploded to 190%: that year, insurers paid out €201.50 million in claims while
collecting only €105.90 million in premiums.
Between 2019 and 2022, the LOSS RATIO of large companies has thus gone through
all extremes: from 190% in 2020 to 16% in 2022. Smoothed out over four years, large
companies’ results are more “normal”: with nearly €600M in premiums collected for
€365M in claims paid, insurers have a claims-to-premium ratio of 61%.
Large Companies: four years of loss ratio
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
-
200
160
120
80
40
-
73
32
2019 2020 2021 2022
106
202
89
267
43
190%
58%
16%
€M %
n Premium n Disaster l Loss ratio
152
43%
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 11 -
... thanks to a sharp drop in the number of claims
While premium volume for large companies increased steadily between 2019 and 2022,
claims experience more erratic movements, with an all-time peak in 2020 and a very
sharp decline in 2022.
The peak in 2020 is partly linked to an increase in frequency, with 86 claims indemnified
in 2020, compared to 73 the previous year. But it is mainly due to the intensity
of these claims: four of them totaled €131 million in compensation (an average of
nearly €33 million per claim). In addition to these four XXL claims, 6 XL claims were
compensated for a total of €49.40 million (or €8.20 million per claim).
We can therefore say that the year 2022 was rather quiet with only one XXL claim (€15M)
and four claims totaling €9.40M in compensation (for an average of €2.30M each).
Is it just luck? Or have the investments made by companies in prevention and protection
paid off? Probably a bit of both. Indeed, the French National Agency for Information
Systems Security (Anssi) believes that the cyber threat has not changed in 2022:
“Despite the war in Ukraine, the trends identified in 2021 have been confirmed in 2022
with the threat maintained at a high level.”
But companies are probably a little better
prepared to deal with them, as Mylène Jarossay, CISO of LVMH Group and president
of Cesin (Club des experts de la sécurité de l’information et du numérique) explains in
page 17.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 12 -
Large companies: distribution of claims by size
XXL
€10-40M
0 0
2019 2020
XXL
€10-40M
XL
€3-10M
4
16.6
XL
€3-10M
M & L
€0.3-3M
7
11.5
M & L
€0.3-3M
XS & S
€0-0.3M
140
105
70
35
-
3.7
XS & S
€0-0.3M
62 63
4.31
13
16.55
6
49.38
4
131.27
n Number n Amount of claims
2021 2022
XL
€3-10M
11.7
4
M & L
€0,3-3M
14.1
16
80
60
40
20
-
0.8
XS & S
€0-0.3M
33
XS & S
€0-0.3M
20
0.1
M & L
€0,3-3M
22
18.7
XL
€3-10M
4
9.4
XXL
€10-40M
1
15
XXL
€10-40M
4
62.1
reduction
of frequency
reduction
of severity
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 13 -
Mid-cap companies
The market is regaining room to maneuver
After a 44% increase in 2020 and a 20% increase in 2021, the rate of growth in the
number of Mid-cap companies insured against cyber risk has slowed slightly to 12%
in 2022.
The 591 Mid-cap companies covered by a cyber policy represent 10% of the national
workforce of companies with revenues of between €50 million and €1.5 billion. They
paid a total of €38.20 million in insurance premiums for cyber coverage: a total volume
that is up 58% compared to 2021. The average premium is therefore nearly €65,000 per
company in this segment.
Thanks to a very contained loss experience (€19.40 million in claims), the Mid-cap
market has returned to profitability with an LOSS RATIO of 50.7% in 2022. This is a relief
for insurers after a year 2021 marked by an LOSS RATIO of 260%: that year, the €24.20
million in premiums collected were far from covering the €63.10 million in claims paid.
These losses were reminiscent of the painful year of 2019, when the LOSS RATIO of the
Mid-cap market reached a record high of 480%. The amount of compensation paid out
had then been nearly 5 times higher than the amount of premiums collected. It must be
said that the cyber insurance market was still very young. We will see in chapter II how
this market has matured since then.
Mid-cap companies: falling claims experience improves S/P
85%
261%
51%
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
-
300
200
100
-
2020 2021 2022
€M %
n Premium n Disaster l Loss ratio
15
13
24
63
38
19
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 14 -
Claims: a decrease in frequency and intensity
Mid-cap companies did not experience any very large claims in 2022, in contrast to
2021: two claims at more than €10M and five claims compensated between €3M and
€10M, whose total cost reached €53M, had then largely contributed to the deterioration
of the LOSS RATIO.
While the intensity of claims is lower, the frequency of claims has also decreased:
the total number of claims has dropped from 110 in 2021 to 72 in 2022, for an average
compensation of €266,000 per claim.
Mid-cap companies: distribution of claims
2019 2020
XL
€3-10M
23
3
M & L
€0.3-3M
0.8
XS & S
€0-0.3M
XS & S
€0-0.3M
67
4.77
M & L
€0.3-3M
75.76
XL
€3-10M
1
4.5
XXL
€10-40M
0
0
XXL
€10-40M
0
0
100
80
60
40
20
-
56
16
17.5
reduction
of frequency
n Number n Amount of claims
2021 2022
XL
€3-10M
24.6
5
M & L
€0.3-3M
7.3
10
2.4
XS & S
€0-0.3M
93
XS & S
€0-0.3M
62
1.1
M & L
€0.3-3M
98.8
XL
€3-10M
2
9.5
XXL
€10-40M
0
0
XXL
€10-40M
2
28.8
100
80
60
40
20
-
reduction
of severity
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 15 -
Medium-sized companies
Degradation of the Loss Ratio
Largely positive since 2019, the results of medium-sized companies deteriorated in 2022
to reach the symbolic threshold of 100% LOSS RATIO. This deterioration is mainly due to
the explosion of claims, the cost of which almost doubled between 2021 (€2.40M) and
2022 (€4.50M).
The growth in the number of insured companies (+53% in 2022) combined with the
growth in the overall volume of premiums (+84%) has not been able to absorb this drift
in the claims experience.
We can therefore expect to see insurers cleaning up their portfolio by tightening
the conditions of access to cyber insurance, as they have already done in the large
corporate market in 2020 and in the Mid-cap corporate market in 2021. This has allowed
them, in both cases, to return to positive results.
The average premium for the 492 insured companies is just under €9,200, up 27%
from 2021.
Medium-sized companies: claims deteriorate in S/P
36%
100%
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
-
120
90
60
30
-
2020 2021 2022
€M %
n Premium n Disaster l Loss ratio
5
2 2
1
5 5
45%
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 16 -
High-intensity losses in relation to their size
In 2022, only 10 claims were indemnified in the medium-sized segment. But they cost
insurers more than €4.50 million: the average cost of each of these claims (€450,000) is
almost twice as high as the average cost of claims paid over the same period in the SMB
segment (€266,000 in 2022).
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 17 -
The Lucy study shows a particularly sharp drop in claims for large and Mid-cap
companies. Has the cyber threat decreased?
The 8
th
edition of the Cesin Barometer
1
shows a steady decline in the number of companies
that have experienced at least one significant attack: from 71% in 2020, it has dropped to 54%
in 2021 and 45% in 2022. But that doesn’t mean the threat is decreasing. In fact, it is defense
that is improving: many attacks are blocked or contained before they produce significant
damage, and that is what the barometer seeks to measure. Companies have invested to
strengthen their capabilities: they have an average of 14.9 security solutions, the core of which
is very often (in 81% of cases) the combination of EDR (Endpoint Detection Response) and
MFA (multi-factor authentication).
Are SMEs in the same boat?
No. Unfortunately, these companies are still in trouble. The investments required to secure
an information system cannot be strictly proportional to the size of a company. There is a
minimum threshold of defenses below which it is risky to go. It is necessary, for example, to
have a minimum of cyber resources with a professional in charge of the subject.
Which elements seem to you the most threatening in the short and medium term?
We need to be alert to so-called “supply chain” cyberattacks, such as Solarwinds in 2020 or
C3X recently. This voice over IP telephony solution is installed on a few hundred thousand
workstations worldwide. At the beginning of 2023, C3X realized that its latest version had
been compromised by malware, which, through a rebound effect, infected a large number of
customers. The risk is that this software will be considered legitimate by enterprise customers:
if a EDR alerts on suspicious behavior, it may fall under the radar because the enterprise will
think it is a false positive, not questioning the integrity of a widely distributed software. On the
corporate side, it is difficult to detect and counter these attacks. Because of their multiplier
effect on all customers of a product, they can cause significant damage. It is to be hoped that
they do not increase significantly.
More than the war in Ukraine?
This war has produced many cyber events, but rather regional, without any real international
escalation. But a resumption of attacks cannot be excluded. The conflict is still there and
both sides have developed very sophisticated cyber skills.
“The number of attacks does not seem
to have decreased, but it is likely that the
defenders have made progress!”
MYLÈNE JAROSSAY
CISO of LVMH Group and President of Cesin
(Club of Information and Digital Security Experts)
INTERVIEW
1. https://www.cesin.fr/articles-slug/?slug=8ème édition of the CESIN annual barometer
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 18 -
2. FOUR-YEAR REVIEW
OF CYBER RISK COVERAGE
Cyber insurance is spreading to all strata
of the economy
“The results of the third edition of the Lucy study show a growing maturity of the cyber
insurance market,
explains Philippe Cotelle, board member of Amrae and chairman of
its cyber commission, vice-president of Ferma and Risk Manager of Airbus Defence &
Space.
The experience gained in the large enterprise market is gradually spreading to
Mid-cap companies, before infusing the small business segment.”
This experience curve can be seen clearly in the diagram below: the movement starts
with large companies, spreads one year later to medium-sized companies and then, the
following year, to Mid-cap companies.
The strong underwriting of large companies is reflected in the claims experience
n Evolution of insured companies compared to previous year (%) n Loss Ratio (Claims/Premium) (%)
Large companies Mid-cap companies Medium-sized companies
25
20
15
10
5
-
-5
202220212020
21%
17%
-4%
%
60
50
40
30
20
10
-
-10
202220212020
16%
53%
-11%
%
25
20
15
10
5
-
202220212020
12%
20%
%
200
150
100
50
-
202220212020
190%
16%
58%
%
100
80
60
40
20
-
202220212020
45%
100%
36%
%
300
250
200
150
100
50
-
202220212020
85%
51%
261%
%
the following year same phenomenon for Mid Cap companiesthe following year same phenomenon for Medium sized companies
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 19 -
Large companies: 2020, the year of change
In 2020, the number of large companies covered by cyber insurance increased by 21%.
The loss experience then exploded from €31M in 2019 to €205.10M in 2020.
Faced with a very deteriorated loss ratio (190%), insurers reacted by increasing premium
rates and lowering the level of available capacity.
The premium rate for large companies has thus increased from 0.93% in 2019 to 2.70%
in 2022. It has thus increased threefold.
“This upward movement stopped during 2022,
observes Philippe Cotelle.
Premium rates would have begun to stabilize or even decline
during the second half of the year.”
To mitigate the very sharp increase in premium rates, insurers and companies have used
the lever of the deductible, the average amount of which has also risen sharply: from €4
million in 2021 to €6.40 million in 2022.
At the same time, available capacities fell in 2021 (from €41 million to €31.20 million). It
has returned to growth in 2022, but at €35.20 million, it has not yet returned to the level
of 2019 (when it was €38 million).
The year 2020 was therefore a tipping point for the large corporate market: the very
sharp deterioration in LOSS RATIO led to a very vigorous reaction by insurers, who
cleaned up their portfolios by tightening underwriting conditions.
This correction seems to have allowed the market to find its balance. However, this
balance remains dependent on the loss ratio: let’s not forget that the volume of
premiums collected on the large corporate market (€267 million in 2022) is lower than
the cost of a very large attack...
Although still precarious, this balance gives insurers appetite, who are returning to the
cyber risk market, and confidence to companies: the coverage rate of large companies
has risen sharply in 2022. Today, according to the Lucy study, 281 out of 287 large
groups are insured: their coverage rate reaches 98%.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 20 -
Large companies: tightening of underwriting requirements in 2021
2020 2021 2022
%
n Evolution of the average premium rate n Evolution of the average subscribed capacity
11%
8%
33%
13%
-24%
97%
100
75
50
25
-
-25
THE PRICE OF A CYBER INSURANCE
This average cost is calculated from the results of the cyber study. It is only
indicative: the actual amount of contributions depends not only on the size of
a company but also on its activity, its exposure to cyber risk, its investments in
prevention, its claims history…
l Large companies (over €1.5 billion in sales): €950,000 annual premium for a
capacity of €35 million with a €6.50 million deductible.
l Mid-cap companies (€50M to €1.5Bn in sales): €65,000 annual premium for a
capacity of €6M with a €450,000 deductible.
l Medium-sized companies (10 to 50 M€ of turnover): 9 100 € of annual premium
for a capacity of 2.30 M€ with a deductible of 48 000 €.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 21 -
Mid-cap companies: everything changes in 2021
The correction movement in 2020 in the large business market took place a year later in
the mid-market segment.
In 2020, the number of Mid-cap companies covered increased by 43%. This
improvement in the coverage rate was reflected the following year in a deterioration of
the risk: the loss ratio exploded from €12.70M in 2020 to €63.10M in 2021. The loss ratio
then slipped from 85% in 2020 to 260% in 2021.
The reaction of insurers was swift: premium rates were increased (from 0.45% in 2020 to
0.70% in 2021), deductibles were raised (from €227,000 in 2021) and the level of available
capacity was lowered (from €7.50 million in 2020 to €6.50 million in 2021). This is the
price at which the market returns to equilibrium, with an LOSS RATIO of 50.7% in 2022.
It has thus regained the confidence of insurers and should make companies more
attractive. To date, only 10% of Mid-cap companies are covered by cyber insurance.
The number of companies covered has only slightly increased (+12%) in 2022:
considering the potential of this market, we cannot really talk about growth. We will
probably have to wait until 2023 or 2024 to see a real increase in the rate of coverage for
small and medium-sized companies.
Mid-cap companies: changes in the conditions of subscription
2020 2021 2022
%
n Evolution of the average premium rate n Evolution of the average subscribed capacity
38%
-7%
54%
-8%
-13%
56%
60
45
30
15
-
-15
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 22 -
Medium-sized companies: the time has come
For medium-sized companies, the big shift is still to come: in 2022, the number of
companies covered increased by 53%, deteriorating the quality of the risk. The LOSS
RATIO ratio has reached the symbolic threshold of 100%, with €4.50 million in claims
paid for €4.50 million in premiums collected.
We can therefore expect a less severe correction than in the Mid-cap market. However,
the level of available capacity (€2.30 million) is likely to be squeezed and the premium
rate increased (0.40% in 2022). Unless the increase in deductibles, already implemented
in 2022 (their average amount has risen from €32,200 to €47,300), continues to cushion
the blow.
Medium-sized companies: changes in underwriting conditions
n Evolution of the average premium rate n Evolution of the average subscribed capacity
%
60
40
20
-
-20
-40
-60
2020 2021 2022
45%
-54%
-1 %
7%
13%
22%
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 23 -
3. PROSPECTS FOR 2023 AND 2024
Towards a new market balance
Large and Mid-cap companies appear to have found a market equilibrium: premium
rates are expected to stabilize and available capacity to increase in 2023 and 2024.
On the other hand, medium-sized firms as well as small and micro firms are expected
to undergo the market adjustment that larger firms have experienced. It is already
underway for medium-sized firms and is expected to occur in 2024 for smaller firms.
Increased pooling to reduce volatility
The balance found in the large company and Mid-cap market is largely linked to
the decline in claims. Is it cyclical or structural? Have the prevention and protection
measures taken by companies really borne fruit? Will the war in Ukraine cause the
number of attacks to explode? It is still too early to answer...
But one certainty remains: cyber risk remains volatile. In 2017, the NotPetya malware
attacks cost Merck Laboratories $620M, FedEx $300M, Maersk $300M, and Saint-
Gobain $250M respectively. The cumulative cost of these four losses represents nearly
five times the overall volume of premiums collected in 2022 by insurers in the French
market (€315.7M).
“This amount is still too low to absorb very large claims, comments
Philippe Cotelle.
This volatility is perceived by insurers as a risk factor. This is why Lloyds’ of London
announced in August 2022 that it would no longer cover losses resulting from state-
sponsored cyber attacks.
“For the moment, this position is not being followed by French
reinsurers and insurers,
observes Philippe Cotelle. But it shows a certain nervousness
about cyber risk, the future of which remains difficult to decipher.”
A massive increase in the number of insured companies, and therefore in the volume of
premiums collected, would allow better absorption of extreme losses. From this point
of view, the results for the year 2022 - very positive for insurers - are a good signal:
“Insurers are regaining their appetite for cyber risk”, Philippe Cotelle is pleased to say.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 24 -
Tailor the underwriting process to the size
of the company
Increasing the coverage rate of companies certainly requires a sustainable market
balance. But it also depends on simplifying underwriting procedures. Or, at the very
least, adapting the underwriting questionnaire to the size of the company: SMEs are
simply not equipped to answer a questionnaire of several dozen pages.
In June 2021, the French Treasury Department set up a working group to develop an
insurance offer for cyber risks. This group has clearly identified the simplification of
underwriting procedures as an important issue.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 25 -
WHAT TO REMEMBER
l The cyber insurance market has returned to positive territory. This risk, which seemed
uninsurable not long ago, has again attracted insurers in 2022.
l After falling sharply in 2020 and 2021, the level of underwritten capacity has returned
to growth. It has not yet returned to the 2019 level, but this should not be long in
coming given the renewed interest of insurers in cyber risk.
l After three years of increases, premium rates appeared to stall at the end of 2022,
prompting companies to insure up to their exposure.
l SMEs are following the same learning curve as large companies and smid sized
companies. Cyber insurance is gradually penetrating all strata of our economy.
l The cyber insurance market seems to have found a form of balance. The increase
in the rate of coverage for companies and the decrease in the number of claims are
positive signals, which should accelerate the growth of the market.
l But this balance is still fragile: the total volume of premiums collected in France for
cyber coverage is equivalent to the cost of a very large cyber loss. A large-scale attack
would be enough to call this balance into question.
l The war in Ukraine has not resulted in an increase in the number of cyber attacks in
France. But nothing says that this will still be the case in the months or years to come.
l Another element of uncertainty in the claims experience is that artificial intelligence
could increase the frequency and intensity of cyber attacks.
l Insurers remain cautious about a still volatile risk. As a sign of this caution, Lloyd’s of
London has decided to modify its coverage of cyber warfare.
l These new underwriting requirements could reduce companies’ appetite for cyber
insurance.
l To improve the attractiveness of cyber coverage, insurers should simplify the
underwriting process and adapt it to the size of the company.
Light Upon CYber insurance / ? Amrae - 26 -
APPENDIX
The cyber insurance market at a glance
Number of
companies insured
Change from 2021
Volume of premiums
collected in 2022
Change from 2021
Premium rate (in %
of covered revenues)
Change compared
to 2021
Number of claims
compensated
Evolution
compared to 2021
Volume of
compensation
paid in 2022
Evolution
compared to 2021Loss ratio
Average
deductible in 2022
Evolution
compared to 2021
Average capacity
in 2022
Evolution
compared to 2021
Large companies
(>€1.5bn in sales)
281
+17%
€266,978,513
+76%
2.70%
+33.27%
47
-18%
€43,153,262
-51%
16%
€6,443,876
+61%
€35,230,285
+12,7%
Mid-cap companies
(€50M to €1.500M)
591
+12%
€38,178,541
+58%
1.07%
+54.07%
73
-34%
€19,419,283
-69%
51%
€436,030
+91%
€6,017,885
-8%
Medium-sized
companies
(€10M to €50M)
492
+53%
€4,508,378
+84%
0.40%
+21.78%
30
+15%
€4,509,888
+405%
100%
€47,269
+47%
€2,301,632
-1,3%
Small companies
(€2M to €10M)
624
+24%
€2,150,050
-36%
0,57 %
-12.74%
10
-97%
€1,401,200
-87%
65%
€8,721
+14%
€599,895
-41%
Micro-companies
(less than €2M)
7,684
Not significant
€3,888,890
+208 %
0.16%
-50.72%
17
+143%
€2,336,200
+6,158%
60%
€307,028
-65%
35,230,285
+12,7%
TOTAL
9,672
Not significant
€315,704,371
+72%
Not significant
177
-66%
71
-57%
22%
Not significantNot significant
36 boulevard Sébastopol - 75004 Paris France
Tel.: 01 42 89 33 16 - www.amrae.fr
Press contact:
SEITOSEI - Olivier Coppermann
olivier.coppermann@seitosei.fr - 06 07 25 04 48
LUCY – Light Upon Cyber Insurance - June 2023
LUCY : Light Upon CYber insurance 2023
The market is becoming more mature but remains volatile.
The years follow one another and are not alike on the cyber insurance front. In 2021, the 1st edition of the Lucy (LUmière sur la CYberassurance) study raised the question of the
insurability of cyber risk: after a heavily loss-making 2020, insurers then seemed to want to withdraw from the market.
A study led by Philippe Cotelle,
Board Member of Amrae and chairman
of the Cyber Commission, vice-president of Ferma and Risk Manager of Airbus Defence & Space