Hiscox vs 
Markel Insurance: How Do They Compare for Cyber Insurance?
What Is Hiscox?
Hiscox suits eligible small businesses that want online GL, professional liability, cyber or BOP quotes; businesses needing other specialty products should compare brokers. Core Hiscox NOW policies are usually issued by its own insurer, while some products use partners. 1,2,3
Markel Insurance: Specialty Business and Products
Markel Insurance is Markel Group's specialty and small-business insurance business, with offerings across packages, workers' compensation, cyber, professional and management liability, property, marine, and surety. Products use different insurers and distribution routes, so compare the issuer and terms shown on the specific quote. 7,8
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. 10,11
Key Differences in Cyber Insurance
Online Small-Business Policy and Issuer
Hiscox sells standalone cyber directly online for small businesses, separate from its BOP cyber add-on, and identifies Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. as underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW cyber policies. Markel’s overview invites prospective customers or brokers to contact its underwriting team and does not establish a self-serve route or universal issuing insurer. Hiscox provides a clearer direct path for eligible small businesses; confirm Markel’s placement and issuing company for the specific quote. 4 3 9
Coverage Description and Sector Focus
Hiscox describes coverage for data breaches and cyberattacks, highlighting notification and related response costs in an illustrative IT-consultant example. Markel lists Cyber 360 options including interruption, eCrime, privacy/security, PCI, media, and technology professional liability, targeting sectors such as finance, retail, manufacturing, technology, and healthcare. Markel names more optional coverage categories, while Hiscox emphasizes small-business access; compare the actual forms and limits. 5 9
Limits and Monitoring
Hiscox publishes no standard limits or retentions and does not describe ongoing cyber monitoring in the reviewed product record. Markel also sets no universal limits in its overview. Request actual limits, retentions, and any security services from both providers rather than using illustrative examples as policy terms. 4 9
What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes
- Ask Hiscox whether the quote is standalone or a BOP add-on and request the limit, retention, and issuing company. 4
- Ask Markel which Cyber 360 options are included, who issues the policy, and what limits apply. 9
- Compare breach-notification costs, eCrime, interruption, and any monitoring services using the policy wording. 5 9
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.
Hiscox
Review Score
4 rated sources
Hiscox’s review results are sharply divided: low Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs scores contrast with strong Feefo feedback. Service quality deserves closer scrutiny before purchase.[1][4][5][6][7]
Read Hiscox reviewsMarkel Insurance
Review Score
2 rated sources
There is little public customer feedback on Markel. Trustpilot shows 2.5 out of 5 from just 5 reviews, and BBB lists 12 complaints closed in the last three years.[4][3]
Read Markel Insurance reviewsOffering Details
Hiscox vs Markel Insurance: Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Hiscox Cyber Security Insurance | Markel cyber (official overview) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Hiscox Inc. sells cyber insurance directly online as a standalone product for small businesses, separate from its business owner's policy, which also offers an optional cyber add-on. 4Company-reported. Company-stated standalone small-business cyber product; the BOP cyber add-on is a distinct package option described on a different page. | Markel describes offering cyber for the audience stated on the cited product page. 9Company-reported. cyber marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Issuing Insurer | Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW cyber policies. 6,3Company-reported. Admitted small-business cyber coverage as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Who It’s For | Hiscox markets cyber insurance to small businesses broadly and specifically to IT and technology consultants, describing itself as customizing coverage for the technology sector's data-handling and security exposures. 4,5Company-reported. Company-stated audience across the standalone cyber page and the IT-insurance page. | Businesses with strong security controls; listed sectors include financial and professional services, retail, manufacturing, technology, and healthcare. 9Company-reported. cyber marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Coverage Features | Hiscox describes cyber coverage as responding to data breaches, cyberattacks and related losses, and its IT-insurance page shows an illustrative breach-response example describing notification and related costs after a data incident. 4,5Company-reported. Product-page description; the illustrative example is explicitly a hypothetical scenario, not a specific limit or claim outcome, and actual coverage terms are set by the issued policy. | The cited product page describes Cyber 360 options including business interruption, dependent business interruption, eCrime, privacy/security liability, PCI DSS liability, media liability, and technology professional liability. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 9Company-reported. cyber marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Limits and Retentions | The cyber product page does not publish standard limit, retention or deductible amounts; figures shown elsewhere on the site are illustrative examples rather than quotes. 4Not publicly disclosed. Public product page as previously reviewed. | The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. 9Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. |
| Risk Services | The reviewed cyber product page does not describe ongoing security-monitoring or risk-prevention services made available to policyholders; it describes post-incident breach-response coverage rather than a monitoring service. 4Not found in reviewed sources. Standalone cyber product page as previously reviewed. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Hiscox says eligible buyers can get a cyber insurance quote online, with a licensed-agent phone line available for questions during the process. 4Company-reported. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application. | The page invites prospective customers or brokers to contact Markel or the named underwriting team. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 9Company-reported. cyber marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
Full Comparison
More Hiscox vs Markel Insurance Comparisons
Other Cyber Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Hiscox
- Website Terms & Conditions of Use. Hiscox; Last modified May 28, 2024; Hiscox Inc. as Delaware corporation headquartered in Atlanta, d/b/a Hiscox Insurance Agency in CA, licensed intermediary for admitted and surplus-lines business with Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., other domestic insurers, and Lloyd’s syndicates; small-business online path distinguished from broker-only site sections. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get A Small Business Insurance Quote. Hiscox; States that Hiscox offers general liability, professional liability, cyber security and business owner’s policies online; zip-code quote field; licensed-agent hours Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–10 p.m. ET and Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Cyber Insurance for Small Businesses. Hiscox; Standalone cyber security/cyber liability product with online quote; data-breach, cyberattack and related-loss descriptions; licensed-agent phone number. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- IT Professional & General Liability Insurance. Hiscox; IT/technology professional audience; illustrative cyber breach-response example. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Hiscox US Agent Appetite Guide. Hiscox; Hiscox NOW admitted GL, PL, cyber and BOP underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Markel Insurance
- About us. Markel; Markel at a glance; description of Markel Insurance within Markel Group Inc. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Markel Group Inc. 2025 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; filed by Markel Group Inc.; Cover page; Part I, Item 1 Business—Markel Insurance, U.S. Wholesale and Specialty, Programs and Solutions; Part II, Item 7/8 for group and segment risks. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Cyber Insurance Coverage. Markel; Markel Cyber 360; coverages available; business disruption; fraud; privacy/security liability; technology professional liability. Accessed 2026-09-30.
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.
- 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.
