Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Also called: endpoint protection, next-gen antivirus
In one sentence
Security software that watches computers for attacker behavior and can stop an attack in progress. A step beyond traditional antivirus.
EDR runs on your computers and servers ('endpoints'), watching for the suspicious activity that precedes ransomware, not just known virus signatures. It can isolate a compromised machine automatically and gives someone a console to see and respond to alerts.
Why it's on your cyber insurance application
Many 2026 applications ask for EDR by name and may list acceptable products. Unmanaged antivirus usually doesn't count.
What this looks like in practice
Check what you actually have before you answer. The built-in Microsoft Defender on a Windows laptop is not the same product as Defender for Business, which is managed from a console and is what the question is asking about. The three details a form wants: the product name, how many machines it covers out of how many you own, and who reads the alerts.
How the Readiness Check scores it
The free Check asks the same question a carrier will. Here it is, why it's asked, and the fix if today's honest answer is no. The full application question list has the rest.
Endpoint protection
What protects your computers and servers from malware?
Why carriers ask: EDR (endpoint detection and response) is what stops ransomware mid-attack. Many carriers price policies differently, or decline outright, based on this answer alone.
If the answer is no: Deploy EDR to every computer and server this week. This is the single fastest insurability improvement after MFA.
The written evidence carriers accept
A “yes” on the application needs a document behind it. In the Readiness Pack, that document is:
Guides that cover this
Cybersecurity 101: the basic precautions insurers actually notice
A plain-English guide to the cybersecurity basics that move the needle on a cyber insurance application, and which of them you can fix in an afternoon.
The 7 controls every cyber insurance application asks about in 2026
Cyber insurance applications in 2026 ask about seven controls. Here's each one, why carriers ask, and the evidence you need before signing the attestation.
Related terms
Would you pass this question today?
The free Readiness Check scores you across the ten control domains carriers probe, in five minutes, no email required for the score.