Aon vs 
Heffernan Insurance Brokers: How Do They Compare for Cyber Insurance?
What Is Aon?
Aon’s U.S. Commercial Risk terms describe brokerage for certain insurance programs, while its Middle Market page describes a dedicated practice for mid-sized organizations across North America. The public materials reviewed do not identify the licensed producer or insurer for a particular placement. Ask which entity will produce each line and which insurer will issue the policy; request jurisdiction details for the proposed placement and ask how compensation and claim notice work for your account. 1,2
What Is Heffernan Insurance Brokers?
Heffernan’s technology practice targets mid- and late-stage, venture-funded and pre-IPO companies; early-stage firms seeking a direct online quote should compare digital providers. It also offers claims consulting and workers’ compensation support. 4,5,6
What Is Cyber Insurance?
Cyber insurance can help pay covered response costs and claims against your business after a cyber incident. If your business relies on data, software or outside providers, compare response limits, vendor outages and approval rules. 8,9
Key Differences in Cyber Insurance
Policy costs and response support
Aon describes cyber as a placement with varying terms and says its advisors review policy offerings. Heffernan Insurance Brokers says policies it arranges can address data recovery, legal fees, notification expenses and business interruption, and may give access to IT forensics and public-relations specialists. Buyers should determine which services are policy benefits, what costs erode limits and whether experts must be selected from an approved panel. 3 7
Assessment before a quote
Aon describes claims preparation and advocacy with third-party response relationships, noting that contracts are separate. Heffernan Insurance Brokers says its cyber team assesses exposure and helps select coverage before binding, then brokers compare quotes from multiple providers. That gives Heffernan buyers a stated pre-bind assessment step; Aon buyers should ask which service is account-specific and whether response-provider fees are separate. 3 7
What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes
Review Scores
These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.
Aon
Review Score
3 rated sources
Public ratings for Aon are low: Trustpilot shows 1.2 out of 5 from 782 reviews, and BBB shows 1.6 from five. Aon is a global firm, so those pages mostly reflect other parts of the business, not large U.S. commercial accounts.[4][6][7]
Read Aon reviewsHeffernan Insurance Brokers
Review Score
1 rated source
Heffernan’s available review sample is small and local, with a low Google rating for one office. Check the team that would actually serve your business.[6][7][8]
Read Heffernan Insurance Brokers reviewsOffering Details
Aon vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Aon Cyber brokerage and risk-advisory offering | Heffernan Cyber Security Insurance Brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Aon describes cyber insurance brokerage and risk-advisory services. It is not identified as the risk-bearing insurer, and the global page does not name the carrier for a particular placement. 3Company-reported. Aon’s official global product/capability page. The statement is limited to Aon’s marketing of brokerage or advisory services, not policy issuance. | Heffernan says it maintains a cyber risk team with expertise in determining a client's cyber exposure, shopping the market, presenting options and guiding the selection of coverage. It arranges the policy with insurance carriers rather than underwriting cyber coverage itself. 7Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's description of the cyber risk team. |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed page does not identify the insurer or the legal producing entity for a specific placement. Ask Aon to identify both for the quoted risk. 3Not found in reviewed sources. Aon’s global product/capability page reviewed 2026-09-30; no buyer quote, binder or policy was reviewed. This does not establish that no insurer or producing entity is available. | The cyber page does not name the insurer that would issue a cyber policy arranged through Heffernan. 7Not publicly disclosed. Checked the Cyber Security Insurance page on 2026-09-23. The issuing insurer would appear on the quote and declarations. |
| Who It’s For | Aon describes cyber services for organizations managing cyber risk. Its global practice page does not publish a complete industry, revenue, security-control or state-by-state eligibility schedule. 3Company-reported. Audience stated by Aon on its global capability page; this does not establish a specific applicant’s eligibility or placement availability by U.S. state. | Heffernan says cyber insurance is for any business handling sensitive customer information, relying on digital operations or storing data electronically, and names healthcare, finance, retail and technology among the industries it serves, alongside small businesses and large corporations. 7Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's FAQ answer on who needs cyber insurance; this is general educational content on Heffernan's own page rather than a stated underwriting appetite. |
| Coverage Features | Aon describes cyber insurance as one part of cyber risk financing and says it reviews policy offerings because terms and conditions vary. For professional-services firms, it discusses coordinating cyber and professional-liability coverage. This is brokerage guidance and does not establish the terms of any cyber policy. 3Company-reported. Aon’s broker-authored explanation of the insurance line. It does not establish an individual insured’s policy entitlement; the insurer’s form, endorsements and declarations control. | Heffernan describes cyber policies it arranges as covering costs from a cyber incident, such as data recovery, legal fees, notification expenses and business interruption, and says a policy can also provide access to incident-response experts, including IT forensics specialists and public relations advisors. 7Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's coverage description and FAQ; specific insuring agreements, sublimits and exclusions depend on the policy form selected. |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed page does not state a standard buyer-specific limit, retention or deductible for this placement. Confirm amounts, sublimits and conditions in the quote and issued policy. 3Not publicly disclosed. Aon’s global product/capability page reviewed 2026-09-30; no buyer quote or policy form was reviewed. | The cyber page does not publish specific limits or retentions for a Heffernan-arranged cyber policy; its FAQ gives only a general premium range of a few hundred to several thousand dollars annually across the market. 7Not publicly disclosed. Checked the Cyber Security Insurance page on 2026-09-23. |
| Risk Services | Aon describes cyber claims advocacy and preparation and relationships with third-party incident-response providers. The retained official source notes that provider contracts are separate, no performance guarantee is made, and referral remuneration may occur; confirm the providers, scope and compensation applicable to a client. 3Company-reported. Company-reported brokerage and advisory services. Account-specific service terms are not stated. | Beyond claim payment, Heffernan says a cyber policy can give access to incident-response experts such as IT forensics specialists and public relations advisors, and that its cyber risk team helps with exposure assessment and coverage selection before a policy is bound. 7Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's services description. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | Heffernan's FAQ says getting cyber insurance starts with assessing your business's data types and cybersecurity measures, then working with an experienced broker to obtain and compare quotes from multiple providers. 7Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's 'How Do I Get Cyber Insurance?' FAQ answer. |
Full Comparison
More Aon vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Comparisons
Other Cyber Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Aon
- Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. Brokerage Terms of Service. Aon; Lines 120–127: certain-program broker-of-record scope, consultation, application assistance, client signature and bind instruction, and account administration; lines 140–147: variable and contingent compensation, potential placement incentive, and client request route; lines 206–213: no price guarantee and surplus-lines limitations; lines 229–231: client insurer-notice duty unless separately agreed. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Middle Market Clients. Aon; Lines 125–132: mid-sized organizations and middle-market framing; lines 165–173: dedicated practice and North America statement; lines 188–224: Commercial Risk capabilities. No numeric company-size cutoff or U.S.-only eligibility rule is stated on the reviewed page. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Cyber Risk. Aon; Global cyber risk financing/insurance overview and brokerage practice; claims preparation and advocacy, incident response providers and referral remuneration disclosures, lines 194–230 as retained in Aon’s official source record; Professional Services Practice cyber cross-reference, lines 151–156. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
- Our Story. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Headquartered in Walnut Creek; nationwide presence; founded 1988; employee owned; niche practices including technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology Company Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Pre-IPO and venture-funded heading; mid to late stage specialization; global expansion copy; self-insurance strategies; Key Markets list; Why Heffernan broker history; Joseph Talmadge practice leader; FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Forward-Thinking Business Insurance: basic coverages (general liability, commercial property and auto, workers’ compensation); corporate and executive protection (EPL, D&O, fiduciary responsibility, cyber, kidnap and ransom); alternative risk capabilities; claims, loss control and risk-management services; industry practice links including Technology and Claims Advocacy. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Cyber Security Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Make Cyber Liability Insurance Part of Your Cyber Risk Management Plan: cyber risk team determines exposure, shops the market, presents options and guides coverage selection; incident-response access; Frequently Asked Questions on what cyber insurance covers, who needs it, cost and how to get it. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Cyber Insurance Guide
- Cyber Insurance. Federal Trade Commission; Opening; First-Party and Third-Party Coverage; First-Party Coverage; Third-Party Coverage; What Should Your Cyber Insurance Policy Cover. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- CyberEdge specimen policy. AIG; General Terms §§4–6, PDF pp.3–6; Security and Privacy §1 p.11, §2(l)/(p) p.14, §3 pp.15–18, exclusions p.18; Event Management §1 and §2(h), PDF pp.19–20. Accessed 2026-09-16.
