Aon vs The Hartford: How Do They Compare for Cyber Insurance?

The Hartford details endorsement and standalone cyber routes with 24/7 incident support; Aon describes broker review and response coordination. 3,7

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

Read the Aon profile

Read the Aon Cyber Insurance page

What Is The Hartford?

The Hartford suits SaaS and software small businesses seeking a BOP and an online quote; buyers needing commercial auto through self-service or built-in California EPL coverage should use another route. Eligible small-business quotes can start online in minutes. 4,5,6

Read the The Hartford profile

Read the The Hartford Cyber Insurance page

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

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Cyber Insurance

Product Form and Covered Costs

The Hartford offers cyber as a Business Owner’s Policy endorsement, CyberChoice First Response for complex non-technology risks, or FailSafe for technology businesses. It lists forensic, legal, restoration, interruption and notification expenses, while noting it does not offer separate third-party cyber coverage. Aon describes brokerage across policies whose terms vary, so ask which form and liability grant its carrier will provide. 7 7

Policyholder Services During an Incident

The Hartford provides policyholders a 24/7 Cyber Center and a response hotline for active incidents. Aon describes claims advocacy and outside responders, whose contracts are separate and whose performance is not guaranteed. Ask whether the quoted service is available immediately through the policy or requires another contract. 3 7

What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes

  • Ask The Hartford whether the quote is an endorsement, CyberChoice or FailSafe and where third-party liability sits; ask Aon to name the carrier and response vendors. 7

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

6.1/ 10

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 reviews

The Hartford

4.9/ 10

Review Score

5 rated sources

The Hartford’s service record is mixed: NerdWallet rates it 4.5/5 but reports below-average small-business satisfaction. Low Trustpilot ratings add a service concern, although they mix policy types.[1][2][4][5][6][7]

Read The Hartford reviews

Offering Details

Aon vs The Hartford: Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaAon Cyber brokerage and risk-advisory offeringThe Hartford Cyber Insurance
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.

The Hartford sells cyber coverage three ways depending on complexity: as an endorsement (Data Breach and Cyber Virus and Malware) added to a Business Owner's Policy, as stand-alone CyberChoice First Response for non-technology businesses with more complex risk, or as FailSafe Technology Errors and Omissions for technology businesses. 7Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23.

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.

Confirm in your quote.

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.

The Hartford says cyber coverage is relevant to businesses that use the internet in operations, maintain a website, store private client data, or accept digital payments. 7Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23.

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.

The Hartford lists covered expenses after a cyber event: incident response (legal, forensic investigation, public relations), cyber extortion/ransom payments and negotiation, data recovery, system/network restoration, lost income from business interruption, customer notification and credit monitoring, and regulatory-inquiry defense and fines. The Hartford does not offer separate third-party cyber coverage; that risk may instead fall within its general liability grant. 7Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls.

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 Hartford reports customers pay about $320 a year on average for data breach coverage; the page does not publish standard coverage limits or retentions, which it says depend on business operations, size and chosen coverage options. 7Company-reported. Company-reported average as of 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford March 10, 2026); not a specific quote.

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.

The Hartford gives cyber policyholders 24/7 access to a Cyber Center with security awareness training, data privacy and cybersecurity attorney consultation, third-party vendor contract review, cyber advisories and webinars. 7Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23.

Claims Support

Confirm in your quote.

The Hartford's Cyber Response Team is available 24/7 through a FirstResponse hotline (800-370-0605) or email (firstresponse@thehartford.com) to help policyholders respond to an active cyber incident. 7Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23.

Full Comparison

More Aon vs The Hartford Comparisons

Other Cyber Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Aon

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

The Hartford

  1. SaaS Insurance for Your Business. The Hartford; Audience list (software startups, SaaS, IT consulting); Get a Business Owner’s Policy; What Is Business Owner’s Policy Insurance?; general liability introduction and Get a Quote; Get Commercial Property Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance for Your Business; Benefits of The Hartford’s WC Insurance for Employers and Employees; cyber insurance and data breach descriptions; Get a quote for cyber insurance; EPLI introduction and Private Choice Premier; add-ons (workers’ compensation, data breach, commercial auto); technology professional liability mention; small-business availability banner; industry-average premium footnote; footnote 2 state restrictions; footer product-availability disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Find a Local Insurance Agent. The Hartford; Small-business and midsize agent locators; FAQ that buyers can purchase without an agent by calling or quoting online; statement that agents may charge fees. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Cyber Insurance for Small Businesses. The Hartford; What Is Business Cyber Insurance?; Does My Business Need Cyber Insurance?; What Does Cyber Insurance Usually Cover?; What Is Not Covered; How Much Does Cyber Insurance Cost; The Hartford's Small Business Cyber Insurance Solutions (BOP add-on, CyberChoice First Response, FailSafe Technology E&O). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Cyber Insurance Guide

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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