Manufacturers face tougher cyber insurance underwriting

By AI, Created 5:29 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The Michigan Manufacturers Association will host a free webinar May 20 with STACK Cybersecurity and Lakeside Insurance on why manufacturers are getting denied cyber coverage and how they can improve insurability. The session comes as insurers tighten requirements around MFA, backups, incident response and OT security.

Why it matters: - Manufacturers are increasingly being denied cyber insurance, facing higher premiums or policy exclusions. - The shift matters because insurers now treat manufacturing as one of the highest-risk sectors for ransomware and operational disruption. - Coverage decisions can affect a manufacturer’s ability to recover from a cyber incident and keep operations running.

What happened: - The Michigan Manufacturers Association will host a free webinar at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 20, featuring STACK Cybersecurity and Lakeside Insurance. - The session will explain how manufacturers can qualify for cyber insurance and become more recoverable after an incident. - The webinar is open to the public, and MMA membership is not required.

The details: - Cyber insurance underwriting for manufacturers now includes a review of operational resilience, identity security, backup integrity and incident response readiness. - Insurers are also evaluating multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection and response, secure and tested backups, vulnerability management, network segmentation, incident response planning and OT security visibility. - Legacy systems, industrial automation, robotics, operational technology and interconnected supply chains have expanded the attack surface for manufacturers. - Many manufacturers only find security gaps during renewal or after a cyber incident. - The webinar will cover why underwriting is tightening, common reasons manufacturers lose coverage, how automation and OT environments affect risk, what insurers evaluate today and steps companies can take before renewal season. - STACK Cybersecurity said manufacturers can improve both cybersecurity posture and insurability through proactive planning, risk assessments and security modernization. - The announcement also points manufacturers to the STACK Manufacturers Resource Hub for additional cybersecurity and compliance resources. - The release includes contact information for Tracey Birkenhauer at STACK Cybersecurity, along with social media links on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. - More information and registration are available through the company’s announcement.

Between the lines: - The underwriting shift signals that cyber insurance is becoming less of a paperwork exercise and more of a proof-of-control review. - Manufacturers with older technology or weaker OT visibility may be under more pressure because insurers are focusing on the exact systems that connect production and business continuity. - The webinar is positioned as a practical checkpoint before renewal season, when coverage gaps tend to surface.

What’s next: - Manufacturers attending the webinar will get guidance on how to strengthen controls before policy renewal. - The industry will likely continue facing tougher cyber insurance reviews as insurers raise expectations for baseline security. - Companies seeking more information can register through the company’s announcement.