Willis (WTW) expands cyber insurance facility for EMEA SMEs

Willis, the risk advisory and broking arm of WTW, has expanded its CyMax cyber insurance facility for small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-market businesses across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The updated product brings in a panel of four insurers – AXA XL, Beazley, HDI Global and Markel – replacing the previous single-insurer structure. Willis said the change gives clients broader access to capacity, higher limits, and a faster placement process.

Eligibility now extends to businesses with annual turnover up to EUR/CHF 500 million. While organisations with established security controls remain the primary target, Willis noted that companies with partially implemented measures may also qualify. The application process has been streamlined to a single-page form with six to eight underwriting questions, cutting down on administration.

Pre-agreed pricing grids reduce the need for extended negotiations between brokers and insurers. Willis said this lets policy terms come together more quickly. The facility uses Willis's EMEA CyCore policy wordings, which align with GDPR, NIS2 and DORA regulations. Coverage includes incident response, business interruption, contingent business interruption, and regulatory investigations. It also covers social engineering fraud and invoice manipulation, along with cyber theft and reputational damage.

Clients gain access to crisis management and incident response specialists after a breach. Pre-breach services such as ransomware alerts, threat intelligence reports, and crisis simulation exercises are also available.

Brian Vosloh, Head of Cyber EMEA at Willis, said the expansion addresses the growing complexity of cyber risks for SMEs and mid-market companies. "We are giving clients broader access to capacity, higher limits, innovative proprietary coverages and a faster, simpler route to cyber insurance," he said. The single vulnerability-scan subjectivity and pre-agreed pricing help reduce friction, he added.

The panel approach spreads risk across multiple carriers. That reduces exposure for any one insurer and gives policyholders more flexibility. For Willis, the expanded facility strengthens its position in the EMEA cyber market against competitors such as Aon and Marsh.

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The updated CyMax facility is available immediately for eligible businesses across EMEA, Willis confirmed.