By fusing certified cybersecurity practices with smarter underwriting, the two startups aim to close the insurance gap for SMBs—no more endless questionnaires required.
Cyber insurance has long promised peace of mind—but in practice, it’s often anything but. For small and midsize businesses (SMBs), navigating the underwriting process means wrestling with vague risk assessments, exhaustive security questionnaires, and fine-print exclusions that only show up after the breach.
Todyl, a rising force in unified cybersecurity platforms, is partnering with insurance disruptor SPECTRA to fix that. Revealed today at Todyl’s first-ever Partner Summit, the collaboration reimagines cyber insurance as a streamlined, data-driven experience—certified, validated, and tied directly to how security is actually implemented.
“Traditional approaches to assessing cyber risk rely heavily on questionnaires or external scans that lack necessary context,” said John Nellen, Founder and CEO of Todyl. “SPECTRA’s certification-based approach benefits the entire ecosystem by providing insurers with validated data about security implementations… We’re proud to partner with SPECTRA to help MSPs demonstrate the effectiveness of their security services.”
In short: No more insurance based on vague promises. This is cyber coverage earned through real controls.
A New Cyber Insurance Workflow: Certify, Quote, Cover
At the core of the partnership is SPECTRA’s three-step certification process, which flips the current model on its head. Instead of bombarding SMBs with lengthy risk assessments, SPECTRA starts by validating the security platform (Todyl), then the MSP, and finally the customer’s implementation.
This layered approach gives insurers visibility into real-world security posture—down to how policies are enforced and technologies are deployed. It also helps MSPs demonstrate their value beyond buzzwords, showing clients they can both reduce cyber risk and lower insurance costs.
“The cyber insurance industry has been operating with a fundamental data gap,” said Edouard von Herberstein, Founder and CEO of SPECTRA. “By partnering with Todyl, we’re creating trust between the insurance industry and MSPs… while helping businesses secure the protection they need.”
And the results? Real, measurable impact:
-
One U.S. MSP serving high-risk clients secured a 36% premium reduction after previously being denied coverage.
-
A global research organization, once rejected by leading carriers, gained comprehensive coverage through SPECTRA.
-
A UK-based MSP with over $100M in revenue saw 98% client uptake on Todyl’s warranty-backed services—with 90% citing it as a key reason for signing.
From “No Coverage” to “Preferred Coverage”
Beyond better underwriting, the Todyl–SPECTRA program grants access to preferred insurance programs backed by top-tier underwriters, including Lloyd’s of London syndicates. These policies feature simplified language, fewer exclusions, and clearer guarantees—especially valuable in an era when even sophisticated businesses struggle to parse what their cyber policy actually covers.
MSPs participating in the program can also offer service warranty protection backed by SPECTRA, giving customers an added financial safety net in the event of a qualifying breach. This isn’t theoretical: it’s a cash-backed guarantee that can be a deciding factor in competitive deals.
Security Stack + Insurance Stack = Competitive Edge
The certification is only available to MSPs using Todyl’s full-stack platform, which integrates Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), SIEM, endpoint protection, managed detection and response (MXDR), GRC tools, and more—all through a single-agent architecture. The platform also supports backup, email security, and compliance automation, making it one of the most comprehensive MSP-friendly ecosystems on the market.
By anchoring certification in this level of visibility and control, Todyl and SPECTRA can offer insurance that actually reflects risk—something both vendors argue the market has sorely lacked.
For Todyl, it’s a clear value-add. For SPECTRA, it’s a validation loop that insurers can trust.
A Blueprint for the Future of Cyber Risk
This partnership arrives at a crucial moment. As ransomware payouts skyrocket and regulatory expectations mount, cyber insurance is both more important and harder to get.
SMBs, often left out of enterprise-grade risk modeling, are especially vulnerable.
Todyl and SPECTRA are betting that risk transparency, not just premium pricing, is the real missing link—and that MSPs, armed with the right tools, can finally take control of the cyber insurance conversation.
It’s not just about covering loss after the fact. It’s about building a system where good security gets rewarded upfront.
