Markel Insurance vs Simply Business: How Do They Compare for Cyber Insurance?

Simply Business describes cyber as an add-on available to select buyers purchasing another business policy and offers phone and online quote routes, subject to state and insurer approval. Markel lists Cyber 360 options including eCrime, interruption, and liability. 3,6

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. 1,2

Read the Markel Insurance profile

Read the Markel Insurance Cyber Insurance page

Simply Business: Online Small-Business Insurance Marketplace

Simply Business describes a digital marketplace and licensed-producer service for small businesses. The policy and selected insurer determine coverage, fees, servicing and claims responsibilities. 4,5

Read the Simply Business profile

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. 7,8

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Cyber Insurance

Add-On Availability and Product Menu

Simply Business says cyber is available as an added coverage for select customers buying another business policy, such as general liability, professional liability, or workers’ compensation. Markel lists Cyber 360 options including eCrime, business interruption, privacy/security liability, PCI, media, and technology professional liability. Simply Business’s add-on condition affects who can access the line through its route; Markel’s overview gives a broader menu of named options. Ask whether cyber is available with your existing or proposed Simply Business policy and which Markel parts are selected. 6 3

Quote and Binding Process

Simply Business describes phone and online quote routes, while its terms say availability varies by state, insurer, and business details and binding requires panel-member approval. Markel invites buyers or brokers to contact its team but does not state a quote or binding timeline. The online route does not itself confirm coverage; request written approval and a binder from Simply Business and Markel’s binding steps for the proposed policy. 5 3

Coverage Terms and Limits

Simply Business describes security-event and privacy-regulation claim types as risks that may be covered, leaving limits and triggers to the policy. Markel names Cyber 360 coverage parts but also leaves exact terms to the issued policy. Compare the actual forms for security-event triggers, privacy-regulatory defense, eCrime, and interruption rather than relying on category names. 6 3

What to Confirm in Cyber Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Simply Business whether cyber is available with your selected base policy in your state and which insurer must approve binding. 5
  • Ask Markel for the selected Cyber 360 coverages, limits, retentions, and binding timeline. 3
  • Compare the forms’ security-event trigger, privacy costs, eCrime, and interruption wording. 6 3

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.

Markel Insurance

7.5/ 10

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 reviews

Simply Business

5.7/ 10

Review Score

4 rated sources

Customers disagree about Simply Business. Trustpilot shows 4.3 out of 5 from 1,901 reviews, but BBB customers give it 1.95 from 20 reviews and ConsumerAffairs shows 1.0.[6][10][7]

Read Simply Business reviews

Offering Details

Markel Insurance vs Simply Business: Cyber Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaMarkel cyber (official overview)Cyber liability coverage as an add-on through Simply Business
Role in This Line

Markel describes offering cyber for the audience stated on the cited product page. 3Company-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.

Confirm in your quote.

Who It’s For

Businesses with strong security controls; listed sectors include financial and professional services, retail, manufacturing, technology, and healthcare. 3Company-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.

Simply Business says cyber is available as an added coverage for select businesses purchasing another business policy, with general liability, professional liability and workers’ compensation given as examples. This is not a universal availability promise. 6Company-reported. Company-published cyber information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer.

Coverage Features

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. 3Company-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.

The cyber page describes security-event and privacy-regulation claim types as risks that may be covered. This is company education; the policy determines coverage, limits, triggers and exclusions. 6Company-reported. Company-published cyber information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer.

Limits and Retentions

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. 3Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

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. 3Company-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.

The page lists a phone quote route for cyber and also describes an online quote tool. Its Terms say availability varies by state, insurer and business details and binding requires panel-member approval. 6,5Company-reported. Company-published cyber information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer.

Full Comparison

More Markel Insurance vs Simply Business Comparisons

Other Cyber Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Markel Insurance

  1. About us. Markel; Markel at a glance; description of Markel Insurance within Markel Group Inc. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. 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.
  3. Cyber Insurance Coverage. Markel; Markel Cyber 360; coverages available; business disruption; fraud; privacy/security liability; technology professional liability. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Simply Business

  1. Our Small Business Insurance Story. Simply Business; Opening description and audience; digital marketplace, business types and U.S. service. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Terms of Service. Simply Business; Dated June 30, 2026; §1 lines 22–28; §8 lines 87–113; §10 lines 143–149; §19 line 211. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Cyber Insurance. Simply Business; Claim types lines 88–105; select-buyer add-on/phone quote lines 171–175; route and last-updated lines 389–395. Accessed 2026-09-29.

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.

Get Help With Insurance Buying and Renewals.

Get help buying coverage and managing renewals, with less paperwork for your team. Start with a free consultation.

Talk to Spot