Amazon Web Services Inc. today launched a new program at its re:Invent conference aimed at making it easier for customers, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, to find affordable policies from insurers.

Called the AWS Cyber Insurance Competency, the program includes a new, simplified experience with the AWS Security Hub and partners that work with AWS to digitally transform their assessment and onboarding process. The program also rewards customers who present a security posture following AWS best practices, similar to “safe-driver” discounts.

The program leverages AWS Security Hub assessments that scan against the AWS Foundational Best Practices Framework for customers to provide results to insurance providers to present a price for coverage and steps to proactively lower their rate. The model is designed to benefit customers who work at adopting security best practices with lower rates.

To improve their security, customers received expert guidance needed to make them more secure. Advice includes assistance in enabling an AWS security service like Amazon GuardDuty to monitor for malicious activity and unauthorized behavior and deploying a third-party security offering in AWS Marketplace to protect their devices.

“For organizations with fewer resources, such as small and medium businesses, getting comprehensive cyber insurance can be challenging as they struggle to navigate different plans and coverage options, gather the information requested, and answer a myriad of questions,” Stephanie Rice, Joanne Moore and Thierno Diallo from AWS wrote in a blog post. “Businesses can also get lost in the pages of attestations and how they apply to their Amazon Web Services environments.”

The AWS Competency Program launches with five partners — At-Bay Cyber Insurance Inc., Cowbell Cyber Inc., Marsh Cyber Cos. Inc., Measured Insurance Agency Inc. and Resilience Insurance Services Inc.

As part of the program, the AWS Cyber Insurance Competency Partners offer no-cost security checkups and standard and tailored cyber insurance policies to support customers in case of a security event. With AWS Cyber Insurance Competency Partners, customers can find all-new cyber insurance processes with automated quoting and onboarding steps, beginning with security scans conducted online as a service.

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