To get and keep cyber insurance, a travel agency now needs a baseline of controls insurers ask about directly: multi-factor authentication everywhere, managed endpoint protection, tested and isolated backups, managed email security, prompt patching, staff training and a written incident plan, ideally confirmed with Cyber Essentials. Insurers will decline, load the premium or challenge a claim if these are missing. Meeting them is part of managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month.
Because travel agencies move money and are heavily targeted, they are exactly the kind of business insurers scrutinise, and the kind that suffers the claims insurers worry about. Being genuinely well protected, and able to prove it, is now part of being insurable. Here is what they look for.
Multi-factor authentication, everywhere
MFA is the control insurers ask about most, especially on email and remote access, because it stops the stolen-password attacks behind most claims. Many simply will not offer cover without it across the business, including overseas offices, so it is the first thing to have in place.
Endpoint protection, patching and backups
Insurers expect modern, managed endpoint protection, prompt patching, and backups that are isolated and test-restored. These reduce both the chance and the impact of an incident, and they are increasingly itemised on proposal forms, so being able to answer yes honestly matters.
Email security, training and an incident plan
Given how much travel-sector loss comes through email, managed email security, regular staff awareness training and a written incident-response plan all feature on modern applications. Together they show the insurer you reduce the chance of an incident and could respond properly to one.
Cyber Essentials helps
Working towards Cyber Essentials covers much of what insurers ask for and gives you a recognised certificate that can simplify applications and, with some insurers, improve terms. It is a practical way to demonstrate the fundamentals are genuinely in place.
Answer the proposal form honestly
It is vital that what you declare is actually true, because a claim can be refused if a stated control was not really working. This is where a managed partner matters: the controls are genuinely implemented and maintained, so you can complete the form accurately and rely on the cover when you need it, rather than discovering a gap at the worst moment.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for travel agencies should be able to answer:
- Have you supported travel agencies, hosted desktops and systems like Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert or TRAMS before?
- How do you give office, remote and overseas staff secure, reliable access in any time zone?
- How do you protect us from invoice, supplier and crew payment fraud, and help with PCI DSS?
- What is your response time when a booking or payment is at risk, out of hours?
- Is the price clear and per user, with security included rather than charged separately?
Where to start
If you are not sure where your agency stands, a short review is the quickest way to find out: confirm multi-factor authentication is on for every account including overseas machines, check that booking systems and backups are managed and test-restored, confirm a strict bank-detail verification process is followed every time, and make sure only approved software can run. Those few steps remove most of the risk and show where a travel-aware managed setup pays off.
The bottom line
When a travel agency’s IT and security are right, the business simply runs: people in every office and time zone reach the same fast systems, payments go where they should, threats are caught early, and travellers get answers whatever the hour. The technology fades into the background and the team gets on with looking after clients and crew.
That dependability comes from a setup designed, secured and actively managed for how travel actually works, not a generic contract. For a business that runs long hours, handles money and depends on a few specialist systems, a predictable per-user cost for that protection is far cheaper than the downtime, fraud or data loss an unmanaged setup eventually invites.
Why travel agencies choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including travel agencies and travel management companies, and we understand the systems a travel desk runs on: Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert and TRAMS, delivered securely over hosted desktops, alongside Microsoft 365. We support travel businesses based in Essex, Hertfordshire and London with teams working worldwide. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including teams working internationally.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want your team and your cover in good shape? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.