Cowbell vs Lockton Cyber Insurance

Cowbell binds a named policy in minutes through agents, while Lockton runs a three-step advisory process before placement.

What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell is a specialty-insurance platform and agency focused on cyber risk for small and midsize businesses. Its U.S. catalogue also includes combined Technology E&O and cyber products and a Zurich management-liability offering distributed through appointed wholesalers. 1,2,3

Read the Cowbell profile

What Is Lockton?

Lockton is a privately held insurance brokerage that arranges commercial risk, employee benefits and retirement programs. US pages describe a technology practice and intermediary placement with insurers, not Lockton as the policy’s insurer. 9,10,11

Read the Lockton profile

What Is Cyber Insurance?

Cyber insurance can help a business respond to cyber incidents and address covered liability claims arising from them. 13

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Cyber Insurance

A Fast Bind Versus an Advisory Process

Cowbell says its appointed agents can quote, bind and issue a Prime 100 policy in under five minutes, with Prime 100 Pro needing only six underwriting questions for accounts under $50 million in revenue. 4 5 Lockton instead brokers cyber coverage through a named three-step approach: quantifying cyber financial exposure, recommending security improvements, then negotiating coverage terms with insurers. 12

Services Bundled Versus Services Delivered by a Named Team

Cowbell bundles Cowbell Factors risk ratings, Resiliency Services and free Wizer security-awareness training into every Prime policy regardless of tier. 4 Lockton describes services delivered by a named team of more than 100 associates specializing in cyber risk: reviewing a client's cybersecurity posture, running incident-response exercises, and helping design security governance frameworks. 12

Who Each Offering Is Built For

Cowbell sorts eligibility by revenue band, from Prime 100 for SMEs up to $100 million to Prime One for larger, more digitally exposed organizations. 4 7 Lockton's technology practice instead names industry fit — electronic hardware, information technology, internet, medical equipment, semiconductors, software and telecommunications — without publishing a revenue threshold. 10

What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Lockton which carrier it's negotiating with, since the cyber page doesn't name one. 12
  • Ask which Cowbell Prime tier and underwriter fits your revenue band. 4
  • Ask Lockton for limit and premium figures, since its cyber page doesn't publish them. 12
  • Ask Cowbell for base Prime 100 and Prime 250 limit figures, which aren't published for those two tiers. 4

Offering Details

Cowbell vs Lockton Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCowbell Prime Cyber Insurance (Prime 100, Prime 100 Pro, Prime 250, Prime One, Prime Plus)Lockton Cyber & Technology Insurance Brokerage
Role in This Line

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. 4,6,7Company-reported. Product overview PDFs for Prime 100, Prime 100 Pro, Prime 250, Prime One and Prime Plus.

Lockton brokers cyber insurance and pairs placement with its own risk-management advice under a three-step Inform, Improve, Insure approach: quantifying cyber financial exposure, recommending security improvements, then negotiating coverage terms with insurers. 12Company-reported. Cyber & Technology product page as read 2026-09-23.

Issuing Insurer

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. 4,6,7Company-reported. Footer/underwriting statements in each product PDF.

Lockton says it has built alliances with cybersecurity firms and insurer partners, but the reviewed pages do not name specific cyber insurers or which carrier would issue a given client's policy. 12Not publicly disclosed. Cyber & Technology page checked 2026-09-23.

Who It’s For

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. 4,5,6,7Company-reported. Risk Appetite sections of each PDF.

Lockton's technology practice says it works with clients in electronic hardware, information technology, internet, medical equipment, semiconductors, software and telecommunications, and highlights cyber liability as a core exposure for those industries. 10Company-reported. Technology industry page as read 2026-09-23. No minimum company size or revenue threshold was published.

Coverage Features

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. 4,7Company-reported. Prime 100 Coverages and Prime One 'Emerging risk coverage' sections; illustrative, subject to the issued policy's terms.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Limits and Retentions

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. 5,7,8Company-reported. Product overview PDFs; actual issued limits depend on underwriting.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Risk Services

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. 4,6Company-reported. 'The Cowbell Advantage' section, repeated across the reviewed product PDFs.

Lockton describes services beyond placement: reviewing a client's cybersecurity posture, running incident-response exercises, and helping design security governance frameworks and cyber-hygiene policies, delivered by a team it says has over 100 Associates specializing in cyber risk. 12Company-reported. Cyber & Technology product page as read 2026-09-23.

How to Apply

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. 4,5Company-reported. Prime 100 and Prime 100 Pro overview PDFs; speed figures are company-reported, not independently timed.

The Cyber & Technology page lists a named contact (its EVP, U.S. Cyber & Technology Leader) and the email cyber@lockton.com as the way to reach the team, rather than a self-serve online quote tool. 12Company-reported. Cyber & Technology page as read 2026-09-23.

Claims Support

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. 7,4Company-reported. Prime One 'When an incident occurs' section and 'Expert Claims Support' feature repeated across the product PDFs.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Full Comparison

More Cowbell vs Lockton Comparisons

Other Cyber Insurance Comparisons

Sources

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.

Lockton

  1. Lockton United States. Lockton; Opening description of independent insurance brokerage for risk, benefits and retirement; Ask an Expert link to contact-us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Technology. Lockton; Unique expertise in Cyber Liability; industries served (electronic hardware, information technology, internet, medical equipment, semiconductors, software, telecommunications). Accessed 2026-09-23.
  3. US Terms of Business. Lockton; Opening entity definition; Surplus Lines; Use of a Particular Insurer; Compensation Disclosure; servicing, claims handling and renewal language in Confidentiality section; Intermediaries. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Cyber & Technology. Lockton; A Custom Approach; The Lockton Difference; Inform, Improve, and Insure three-step approach; team of over 100 Associates; contact cyber@lockton.com. 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.

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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