At-Bay vs
Heffernan Insurance Brokers Cyber Insurance
Heffernan shops multiple carriers before presenting cyber options; At-Bay is a single carrier-and-producer combination.
What Is At-Bay Insurance?
At-Bay offers Cyber, Tech E&O, and miscellaneous professional liability insurance through its disclosed insurance agency and surplus lines broker. Its Stance security services have policy eligibility conditions, with managed detection and response sold separately. 1,2
What Is Heffernan Insurance Brokers?
Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, Walnut Creek–headquartered retail brokerage that arranges business insurance, employee benefits, and related services. Its technology practice markets to mid- and late-stage companies, including venture-funded and pre-IPO firms. 7,8,9
What Is Cyber Insurance?
Cyber insurance can help a business respond to cyber incidents and address covered liability claims arising from them. 11
Key Differences in Cyber Insurance
Shopping the Market vs Producer Plus Own Paper
Heffernan says its cyber risk team determines a client's exposure, shops the market, presents options and guides coverage selection across carriers. 10 At-Bay is licensed as an insurance producer in all 50 states and has separately said eligible new excess-and-surplus cyber business is issued on its own carrier paper, At-Bay Specialty Insurance Company. 4 5
A Published Premium Range vs No Price Figures
Heffernan's FAQ gives a general premium range for cyber coverage of a few hundred to several thousand dollars annually across the market. 10 At-Bay's page does not publish premium figures; it instead publishes revenue and limit appetite ceilings, up to $5 billion in revenue and $10 million in limits. 3
Comparison Shopping vs a Direct Submission
Heffernan's process starts with assessing your data types and security measures, then working with a broker to compare quotes from multiple providers. 10 At-Bay instead requires an emailed submission to its underwriting team or an automated Broker Platform quote, without describing a multi-carrier comparison step. 3
What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes
- Ask Heffernan which carriers it actually shopped your account to and why it recommends the option presented. 10
- Ask At-Bay whether your account would be issued on At-Bay Specialty Insurance Company paper or placed with another carrier. 3 5
- Get the actual limit and retention on each quote; neither publishes standard figures beyond Heffernan's general premium range. 10 3
- Ask Heffernan whether incident-response access, such as IT forensics or PR advisors, is included on your specific policy. 10
Offering Details
At-Bay vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | At-Bay Cyber Insurance | Heffernan Cyber Security Insurance Brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | At-Bay places cyber insurance through its disclosed producer, At-Bay Insurance Services LLC, which is licensed as an insurance producer in all 50 states. At-Bay says eligible new excess-and-surplus (E&S) cyber business has been written on its own carrier paper, At-Bay Specialty Insurance Company, since August 2023. 4,5Company-reported. Producer role from the current license page; carrier role from a 2023 transition announcement, not confirmed for every current cyber quote. | 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. 10Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's description of the cyber risk team. |
| Issuing Insurer | The current cyber product page does not name an issuing insurer. At-Bay's 2023 announcement says new E&S cyber business is quoted on At-Bay Specialty Insurance Company paper, but that is a historical statement, not a per-quote disclosure. 3,5Company-reported. Cyber product page checked today names no insurer; the carrier-transition release is dated August 2023 and does not cover every current state or account. | The cyber page does not name the insurer that would issue a cyber policy arranged through Heffernan. 10Not 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 | Not described in the reviewed sources. | 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. 10Company-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 | At-Bay lists direct and contingent business interruption and system failure coverage, social engineering and invoice manipulation coverage for all classes of business, full limits for cryptojacking and bricking, broad cyber extortion coverage including cryptocurrency payment, and reputational-harm coverage for PR costs from adverse publicity. 3Company-reported. Product-page coverage highlights; the issued policy and endorsements control actual terms. At-Bay sells cyber insurance with optional InsurSec security tiers: Core includes vulnerability monitoring and a fraud-defense sub-limit; Advanced adds a reduced ransomware retention and a zero-hour ransomware waiting period; Complete adds a $0 financial-fraud retention and a $1 million financial-fraud sub-limit. Each higher tier requires a separately purchased managed detection and response (MDR) subscription. 3Company-reported. Product-page InsurSec package descriptions and footnotes; availability depends on the business's risk profile and qualifying conditions. | 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. 10Company-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 | At-Bay says it writes primary and excess cyber insurance for businesses with revenue up to $5 billion and limits up to $10 million. Through its Broker Platform, brokers can get automated quotes only for businesses up to $100 million in revenue and $3 million in limits. 3Company-reported. Published appetite ceilings, not guaranteed offers; underwriting and the appetite guide control individual accounts. | 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. 10Not publicly disclosed. Checked the Cyber Security Insurance page on 2026-09-23. |
| Risk Services | Every At-Bay cyber policy includes access to At-Bay Stance, a security platform with vulnerability monitoring, vCISO advisory and tabletop exercises, and security awareness training. Managed detection and response (MDR) for endpoints or email costs extra, $16 or $25 per user per month respectively, and is sold separately by At-Bay Security, LLC. 3Company-reported. Product-page InsurSec and footnote descriptions; MDR pricing is described as estimated and subject to change. | 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. 10Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's services description. |
| How to Apply | You apply for At-Bay cyber coverage by emailing a submission to underwriting@at-bay.com or by requesting an automated quote through At-Bay's Broker Platform. 3Company-reported. Product-page submission instructions; the Broker Platform route is limited to accounts within its lower appetite ceilings. | 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. 10Company-reported. Cyber Security Insurance page's 'How Do I Get Cyber Insurance?' FAQ answer. |
| Claims Support | At-Bay describes an in-house claims team and a named breach-coach phone line for active ransomware or system-interruption incidents, alongside a published cyber incident roadmap that assembles response partners after a claim is reported. 6Company-reported. Claims-handling page process description; does not establish claim outcomes or payment speed. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
Full Comparison
More At-Bay vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Comparisons
Other Cyber Insurance Comparisons
Sources
At-Bay
- Cyber, Tech E&O & Professional Liability Insurance. At-Bay; Product cards and agency disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- At-Bay Stance. At-Bay; Real Protection Against Real Threats; Endpoint, Email, MXDR; footnotes 1 and 3–6. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Cyber Insurance Coverage & Policy Highlights. At-Bay; Cyber Coverage Highlights; Primary & Excess Appetite; InsurSec Packages (Core, Advanced, Complete); footnotes 1–7. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Licenses. At-Bay; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC producer introduction and 50-state P&C/surplus-lines license table. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- At-Bay Begins Issuing Policies on its own E&S Paper. At-Bay; August 9, 2023 release: "At-Bay ... has begun issuing Cyber and Tech E&O policies under its Delaware-based Excess and Surplus (E&S) carrier, At-Bay Specialty Insurance Company"; "All E&S Cyber and Tech E&O new business in eligible states and territories is now being quoted on At-Bay Specialty Insurance Company paper, as of August 7, 2023". Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Claims Handling. At-Bay; At-Bay Cyber Incident Roadmap; Call an At-Bay Breach Coach; The At-Bay Claims Team. Accessed 2026-09-23.
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.





