Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
CyberCube predicts that in 2026, organizations with poorly managed AI programs will face negative consequences, while those adopting AI responsibly, particularly in cyber insurance, will benefit. These conclusions are detailed in its Cyber Predictions Report 2026.
In its press release, CyberCube described AI as a boardroom obsession and a market disruptor. The company said AI will “reveal who has embraced disciplined adoption and who risks falling behind.” The report uses this theme to map risks in underwriting, claims, regulation, broking, analytics, portfolios, innovation, and quantum.
Speed And Clarity Become The Market’s New Currency
Yvette Essen, CyberCube’s head of communications and market engagement, opens with a warning. She says winners “anticipate change rather than react to it.”
Essen expects 2026 to “test assumptions” and “redefine what ‘good’ looks like” in cyber risk work. She also highlights regulation as a challenge, noting that age-restriction laws may “undermine security and privacy for all users.”
She notes that insurers and reinsurers are seeking insights that are clearer, faster, and more actionable, particularly during crises. Brokers also experience pressure, with Essen stating that differentiation will depend on digital scale, specialization, and quantification.
CEO Pascal Millaire: AI Hype Fades, Discipline Wins
Millaire anticipates a division in 2026: the ‘disciplined’ will progress, while the ‘disillusioned’ lag. Despite 82% of leaders naming AI a top goal, few have implemented it at scale. The key takeaway is that execution, not ambition, drives results.
Millaire anticipates a period of “AI disillusionment” as legacy systems and data silos inhibit progress, a phenomenon he describes as typical of the technology hype cycle.
He also offers a playbook. Leaders should run controlled experiments and build sandboxes. They should target real pain points that deliver value now. CyberCube highlights “internet-scale data collection” and LLM-driven structuring for insurance data augmentation.
Millaire cites futurist Roy Amara: “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short term and underestimate the effect in the long term.”
Board Member Bob Petrie: Claims Teams Automate The Grind
Bob Petrie, CEO of Origami Risk and a CyberCube board member, forecasts major changes in major claims. He says AI will bring “radical efficiency gains” in claims handling.
He describes claims as workflows. Intake, reserves, assignment, settlement, compliance, and payments all take time. Petrie expects automation to shrink repetitive work, cut errors, and speed processing.
His core line lands cleanly: “AI will reduce repetitive manual tasks and deliver relevant insights, while humans will make all the critical decisions in a claim.”
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Richard Ford: Age Gates Create New Attack Surfaces
Richard Ford, CyberCube’s VP of engineering, focuses on regulation and privacy tools, carrying forward concerns highlighted by Essen. He expects more identity-based coercion and insider compromise. He links that risk to age-restriction legislation and limits on personal VPNs.
Ford argues identity verification creates a “high-value data set” for attackers. Leaks can fuel blackmail that forces employees to grant access. That can trigger major corporate breaches, he warns.
He predicts pressure on VPN providers. Lawmakers may push KYC checks and weaken “no-logs” policies. Ford calls this trend a possible “security disaster.”
Nate Brink: Brokers Sell Insight, Not Premium Talk
Nate Brink, head of broker partnerships, describes a soft market with abundant capacity. Building upon previous insights on market dynamics, he says brokers must shift from transactions to advice.
He argues that an SMB business cannot run profitably through manual workflows. Digital quote-to-bind is now table stakes. Brink wants brokers to optimize the whole distribution chain.
He advocates for vertical expertise, specifically highlighting manufacturing and healthcare as sectors with elevated exposure. Brink also recommends using financial terminology rather than security jargon, modeling loss scenarios, and demonstrating balance sheet impact.
His headline requirement reads like a mandate: “Brokers will need to provide advisory-driven differentiation through digital scale, specialization, and quantification.”
Ross Wirth And John Anderson: Analytics Moves Into The Workflow
Ross Wirth predicts rising demand for embedded analytics and automation. He expects platforms to become “systems of insight,” powered by APIs and workflow tools. He says winning tools will “disappear into the background.” They will surface only what decisions are needed next.
John Anderson targets underwriting and portfolio discipline. He says portfolio health data will matter more in 2026. He expects efficient processes to be crucial in a tough pricing environment. Disciplined teams will see bottom-line growth.
Brittany Baker: Product Innovation Accelerates Under Pressure
Brittany Baker points to pricing pressure and ransomware-driven claims. She says innovation rose in 2025 and continues in 2026.
She lists examples. Aon launched Surge Stop Loss, a cyber reinsurance product for abnormal loss surges. Beazley launched a Bermuda-based ILS fund for cyber strategy. CyberCube launched Exposure Manager, a security hygiene data solution for reinsurance workflows.
Baker calls for growth in the cyber insurance sector in Asia and better education for smaller buyers. The main takeaway: continued adaptation and innovation are essential for industry success.
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William Altman: Quantum Risk Enters Underwriting Conversations
William Altman says quantum computing will gain “real traction” in cyber insurance thinking. Moving from innovation themes, he does not predict dramatic breakthroughs. He expects steady signals from hardware providers.
Altman flags “harvest now, decrypt later” collection. He says underwriters may ask about crypto dependencies and post-quantum transition plans. He expects early stress scenarios for long-tail confidentiality losses.
His caution remains clear. Quantum is unlikely to drive measurable insured losses in 2026. Still, he says insurers should form views on timelines and multi-year horizons.
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