Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Cowbell: How Do They Compare for Cyber Insurance?

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance offers standalone or blended forms; Cowbell segments Prime products by revenue and describes AI and quantum incident cover in Prime One. 5,6,10,13

What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?

BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. 1,2,3,4

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cyber Insurance page

What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell suits small and midsize businesses seeking cyber options by company size, with technology E&O and Zurich management-liability options also available; firms needing broad commercial coverage should compare a full-service broker. Some security services cost extra. 7,8,9

Read the Cowbell profile

Read the Cowbell 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. 15,16

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Cyber Insurance

Product Structure and Incident Costs

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance separates Network Security & Privacy from blended E&O/Cyber forms. Cowbell’s Prime 100 includes breach liability, social engineering, business income, extortion, computer and funds-transfer fraud; Prime One adds affirmative AI- and quantum-computing-incident coverage. Cowbell’s product-specific structure makes the company’s revenue and digital exposure central to the comparison. 5 10

Eligibility, Services, and Buying Process

Cowbell lists limits up to $3 million for Prime 100 Pro endorsements and up to $10 million for select Prime One risks; other base limits are not published in the reviewed materials. BHSI also does not publish limits in the cited claims. Compare quoted limits and insurer carefully: Cowbell’s carrier varies by Prime product, while BHSI’s actual quote must identify its issuing entity. 5 10

What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Cowbell which Prime form and insurer apply, and whether AI or quantum incidents are included or need additional terms.
  • Ask Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance for the primary limit, retention, and insurer for the standalone or blended proposal.

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.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

-/ 10

Review Score

No reviews found

The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.[5][7]

Read Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance reviews

Cowbell

2.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Cowbell has one public rating we could find: 1.0 out of 5 on SourceForge from three reviews in 2023. That's too few and too old to say much.[8]

Read Cowbell reviews

Offering Details

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Cowbell: Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaProfessional First Network Security & PrivacyCowbell Prime Cyber Insurance (Prime 100, Prime 100 Pro, Prime 250, Prime One, Prime Plus)
Role in This Line

BHSI describes both a stand-alone Network Security & Privacy policy and blended E&O/Cyber forms in Professional First. 5,6Company-reported. Form selection depends on the risk and proposal; the overview does not establish issuance for an individual applicant.

Cowbell operates as an insurance agency that markets its own named 'Prime' cyber product line, rather than distributing another carrier's off-the-shelf policy under its own brand. 10,12,13Company-reported. Product overview PDFs for Prime 100, Prime 100 Pro, Prime 250, Prime One and Prime Plus.

Issuing Insurer

Confirm in your quote.

Cowbell says Prime 100 and Prime 100 Pro paper is provided by Palomar Specialty Insurance Company (AM Best A rating), Prime 250 by Palomar Specialty Insurance Company and Chaucer Insurance Company, and Prime One by Chaucer Specialty Insurance Company; the insurer therefore varies by which Prime product is placed. 10,12,13Company-reported. Footer/underwriting statements in each product PDF.

Who It’s For

The Network Security & Privacy page names professional-services firms among its targets; the overview separately lists technology, telecom and financial-sector customers in targeted or selective categories. 5,6Company-reported. The overview’s class lists have different appetite labels; neither is a blanket eligibility rule.

Cowbell markets Prime 100 (admitted) to SMEs with up to $100M in revenue, Prime 100 Pro (admitted, available in 47 states) to a similar SME band with broader endorsements, Prime 250 (non-admitted) to businesses up to $1B in revenue, and Prime One (non-admitted) to organizations with more advanced digital exposure, typically $250M+ in annual revenue. 10,11,12,13Company-reported. Risk Appetite sections of each PDF.

Coverage Features

BHSI markets third-party breach exposures, direct breach-response and extortion expenses, and business interruption from a network-security failure. 5Company-reported. The product page is a coverage summary; conditions, sublimits and exclusions require the policy and endorsements.

Base Prime 100 coverages include security breach liability, social engineering, hardware replacement, business income and extra expense, extortion threats, computer and funds transfer fraud, and restoration of electronic data; Prime One adds affirmative AI-incident and quantum-computing-incident coverage for more advanced digital exposures. 10,13Company-reported. Prime 100 Coverages and Prime One 'Emerging risk coverage' sections; illustrative, subject to the issued policy's terms.

Limits and Retentions

Confirm in your quote.

Cowbell states Prime 100 Pro adds endorsements with limits up to $3M, Prime One offers limits up to $10M for select risks, and Prime Plus is an excess layer offering up to $5M above a primary cyber policy; base Prime 100 and Prime 250 limit figures are not published in the reviewed PDFs. 11,13,14Company-reported. Product overview PDFs; actual issued limits depend on underwriting.

Risk Services

BHSI lists eRiskHub as a resource with its Network Security & Privacy product. 5Company-reported. The product-page listing does not define the resource’s service scope or confirm availability on an individual policy.

Cowbell says every Prime policy includes Cowbell Factors risk ratings, Cowbell Resiliency Services, Cowbell Insights guidance, Cowbell Connectors integrations with cloud/security providers, and complimentary Wizer cybersecurity-awareness training with unlimited seats in the first policy year. 10,12Company-reported. 'The Cowbell Advantage' section, repeated across the reviewed product PDFs.

How to Apply

Confirm in your quote.

Cowbell says agents can quote, bind and issue Prime 100 policies in less than five minutes, and that Prime 100 Pro requires only six underwriting questions for accounts under $50M in revenue; Prime products are distributed through appointed agents rather than direct to consumers. 10,11Company-reported. Prime 100 and Prime 100 Pro overview PDFs; speed figures are company-reported, not independently timed.

Claims Support

Confirm in your quote.

Cowbell says its in-house cyber claims team has over 80 years of combined claims-handling experience and provides 24/7 in-house claims support from initial triage through resolution. 13,10Company-reported. Prime One 'When an incident occurs' section and 'Expert Claims Support' feature repeated across the product PDFs.

Full Comparison

More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Cowbell Comparisons

Other Cyber Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  1. At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Professional First Network Security & Privacy Policy. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights, lines 6–19: third-party breach exposures, regulatory investigations, direct response/extortion expense, electronic-content media liability and network-security business interruption; target professional services. Retained canonical source record accessed 2026-09-28; direct re-open failed in this session. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Professional First Professional Liability Overview. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; PDF pp. 1–2: separately named Professional First Media Liability and Network Security & Privacy; targeted customer categories; in-house claims handling; product portfolio descriptions. Version 2026-06-03-A; re-opened 2026-09-30. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Cowbell

  1. Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Prime Tech Product Overview. Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Small And Midsize Business Management Liability. Zurich North America; Zurich Select Plus collaboration; admitted paper and Zurich Claims; modular suite: D&O, Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability, Fiduciary Liability and Crime modules; access for appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers; target under 250 employees and $50 million assets; access and target-account FAQs. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Prime 100 Product Overview. Cowbell; Product Overview; Risk Appetite; The Cowbell Advantage; Prime 100 Coverages; 'Paper provided by Palomar Specialty Insurance Company' footer. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  5. Prime 100 Pro Product Overview. Cowbell; Product Overview; Expanded coverage options; Streamlined process for agents; Confidence that resonates; Available In 47 U.S. States list. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  6. Prime 250 Product Overview. Cowbell; Product Overview; Confidence at scale; Available in 50 states and D.C. on surplus papers; Prime 250 Coverages. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  7. Prime One Product Overview. Cowbell; Risk appetite: organizations with more advanced digital exposures, typically $250M+ in annual revenue; core and additional coverage elements; 'written on a non-admitted basis by Chaucer Specialty Insurance Company' footer. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  8. Prime Plus Product Overview. Cowbell; Product Overview; Why Prime Plus; 'offered on a non-admitted basis with paper provided by AM Best A (Excellent) rated carriers' footer. 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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