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

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance names response, extortion, and interruption exposures; The Hartford describes training, technical assistance, and a dedicated breach hotline. 5,10

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 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. 7,8,9

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. 11,12

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Cyber Insurance

What support follows a breach

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists direct response and extortion expenses, third-party breach exposure, and interruption following a network failure. The Hartford describes cyber support that includes employee training, technical assistance, a breach hotline, and help with recovery planning. One description focuses on covered losses, the other on operational support; buyers should verify both service access and which expenses the policy reimburses. 5 10

Price context and product fit

The Hartford publishes an average monthly cyber premium of $145 and describes cyber coverage as an option in its small-business insurance range. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance describes standalone Network Security & Privacy as well as blended E&O/Cyber forms, aimed in part at professional services and selected technology and financial sectors. Compare the Hartford’s price context with the limits and scope of a BHSI proposal for your specific business. 10 5 5

What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes

  • Ask The Hartford which hotline and technical services are included, whether they require an approved response vendor, and what policy costs are reimbursed; request BHSI’s response and extortion sublimits. 10 5
  • Confirm whether The Hartford’s average premium is relevant to your size and industry, then compare the exact BHSI form and eligibility category offered. 10 5

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

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

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs The Hartford: Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaProfessional First Network Security & PrivacyThe Hartford Cyber Insurance
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.

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. 10Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23.

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.

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. 10Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23.

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.

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. 10Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls.

Limits and Retentions

Confirm in your quote.

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. 10Company-reported. Company-reported average as of 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford March 10, 2026); not a specific quote.

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.

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. 10Company-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. 10Company-reported. Cyber insurance product page as read 2026-09-23.

Full Comparison

More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs The Hartford 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.

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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