cyber risk

Global reinsurance firm Hannover Re has successfully sponsored a renewal of its landmark parametric cloud outage catastrophe bond, securing $20 million in retrocessional cyber reinsurance protection covering cloud outage events from a new Cumulus Re (Series 2025-1) issuance, with the support of Parametrix.

Lockton Re, the reinsurance arm of the independent broking group, has now confirmed the role former Gallagher Re executive Theo Norris has taken at the firm, appointing him UK Capital Markets Structuring and Cyber ILS Leader.

The global IT outage caused by a defective software update from CrowdStrike has highlighted the “persistent uncertainty” in the cyber catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) asset class, rating agency AM Best said, also highlighting that there is uncertainty surrounding the tail and potential for loss development, which it seems is misunderstood.

With Beazley reporting nine-month results today, CEO Adrian Cox explained during an analyst call that the company saw an opportunity this summer to bulk-up its cyber protection through industry-loss warranty (ILW) arrangements and PoleStar Re catastrophe bonds.

While it has been growing its cyber underwriting business, specialist insurer Beazley has also implemented a robust hedging strategy to control the tail, recently securing a $290 million cyber industry loss warranty (ILW) cover and securing its third PoleStar Re cyber catastrophe bond.

The US cyber insurance industry loss index launched in 2023 by PERILS AG and CyberAcuView has now been expanded to also include reporting on unintentional, or accidental, cyber insurance industry loss events.

Analysis from broking group Aon and Parametrix, a specialist in parametric cloud downtime cyber risk transfer, shows that it is possible to gain diversification within cyber portfolios that have cloud outage risk concentrations, with geography one way to achieve that.

Beazley has now secured its latest cyber catastrophe bond and further upsized the transaction to provide even more in reinsurance, with the PoleStar Re Ltd. (Series 2024-3) issuance set to price at $210 million in size for the company, Artemis has learned.

Beazley is aiming to more than double the size of its latest cyber catastrophe bond, with the PoleStar Re Ltd. (Series 2024-3) issuance now targeted to secure $200 million in reinsurance protection, Artemis has learned.

Beazley is back in the 144A catastrophe bond market and looking to extend its cyber reinsurance tower with the support of the capital markets, seeking a $75 million or larger PoleStar Re Ltd. (Series 2024-3) cyber catastrophe bond issuance, Artemis has learned.