2026 Insurance Agency
Cybersecurity Reality Check
What matters now. What to do next. How to prepare for 2027.
The final months of 2026 may be the most important of the year for your insurance agency's cybersecurity program.
Compliance deadlines are approaching. 2027 budgets are being built. AI adoption is accelerating. Threats continue to change. And many agencies are still trying to determine what they actually need, what can wait, and where their biggest gaps really are.
This is packed full of tips and resources designed to help you cut through the noise and make those decisions with confidence.
Over the next 90+ minutes, you'll hear from cybersecurity and breach response experts, an AI risk consultant, and experienced insurance IT professionals who have already been down this road.
Learn what's happening right now, what it means for your agency, and what deserves your attention next.
Watch, today!
Special Insurance Agency Event
Get immediate access to the recording and resources will be sent out after the event.
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Who it's for:
This event was created specifically for insurance agencies that are working on cybersecurity and compliance initiatives in 2027 or that are still working on meeting requirements for 2026.
In our experience working with the insurance industry, we have seen how busy the end of the year gets and hear first-hand how difficult it can be to put a plan together in time for October budget meetings.
We also find that many agencies do not have access to information about their threats, compliance changes, and other factors that often get covered in October's cybersecurity awareness month.
To get your agency ready to plan ahead, and while there's still time to meet 2026 requirements, join us and get up to speed on everything you need to know!
What we cover:
- Today's threats, compliance requirements and real-world breaches: What's changing, where agencies are getting caught off guard, and the security gaps that can exist even when you have good IT support
- AI adoption and readiness: What to consider before rolling out AI tools and how the right safeguards can enable adoption rather than stand in its way
- Culture and the human side of cybersecurity: Why traditional awareness training often falls short and what actually helps people make better security decisions
- Lessons from insurance IT leaders who've already done the work: What they learned building stronger cybersecurity programs inside real agencies, what made the biggest difference, and what advice they'd give agencies tackling it now
- Your 2027 budget and strategy: What agencies should be planning for across compliance, security, AI and culture, and where those priorities belong in next year's budget
Finally, we'll bring it all together into a practical look at what to prioritize over the next 90 days and what a real 2027 cybersecurity strategy can look like for your agency.
Stick around for our open Q&A session at the end of the webinar!
If you're responsible for your agency's cybersecurity, compliance, IT strategy or 2027 budget, you'll leave with a clearer picture of where things stand, what deserves attention now, and how to move into 2027 with a plan.
Attendees Receive Access to Free Resources & Tools
Cyber Month Training Kit
Access our 4-part video content to run your own internal cyber awareness month campaign to train staff and strengthen your cyber-culture this October.
Insurance Data Security Law Database
Insurance data security laws are in 28 states today, in addition to general laws around security, breach notifications, and data disposal. We've pulled the information together you need to start uncovering your requirements.
2026 Cyber Strategy Program
Unlock our library of resources and monthly series designed to help you learn, follow and implement a cyber security strategy. Follow along in live events and watch all recorded events in our library.
Cybersecurity Playbook
Read our guide and unlock our resources library with a wealth of content to help you learn everything you need to be successful with cybersecurity in your business.
Staff Security Survey
Collect and analyze information from your staff to get insights on the quality of your security culture.
Cyber Readiness Assessment
Better understand your cybersecurity posture, identify areas of risk, and get recommendations to help you build a more resilient business.
Third-Party Risk Management Guide
Third parties are the source of some of the longest, most damaging types of cyber attacks. Learn more about what is important to consider and how to approach practices that help you start to analyze and assess your third-party risk.
Special Guest Speakers and Panelists
Dustin S. Mooney
Dustin brings a wide range of experience to cybersecurity, having worn many hats across audit, incident response, and security operations. With a background in audit, he understands how to build effective cybersecurity programs, and through incident response has seen the impact when best practices are not followed.
Currently, Dustin runs TechX Cybersecurity offering vSOC and cybersecurity compliance services that include activities like analyzing security alerts, delivering security awareness training, and providing customers with actionable insights to reduce risk and strengthen defenses.
Rick Manelius, PhD
Rick is a Forward Deployed Executive: technical enough to build the thing, senior enough to get it approved. He embeds with leadership teams to unblock AI adoption, with a focus on cycle time, kill-criteria, and the human side of rolling tools into real operations.
MIT BS and PhD. 6x startup founder across five C-seats. Techstars All-Star Mentor across five cohorts. Author of Save Your Startup. Former AI Training Fellow at Every. He still ships production code weekly and works with operators who need AI to land without creating new risk.
Rochelle Yoder
Rochelle is the I.T. Director at Hummel Group, where she has spent the past nine years helping drive technology and security initiatives across the organization. With 16 years of experience in the IT field, Rochelle has built a career focused on solving complex challenges and enabling businesses to operate securely and efficiently.
Over the last eight years at Hummel Group, Rochelle led the development of the company’s cybersecurity program from the ground up, establishing the processes, technologies, and culture needed to protect the organization in an evolving threat landscape.
While building a cybersecurity program from scratch is a significant professional achievement, Rochelle’s favorite personal accomplishment is a little closer to home: successfully convincing her dad to use a password manager.
Jeff Shiflett
Jeff is Director of Technology at McConkey Insurance & Benefits, where he leads technology strategy, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance across the firm. With more than 30 years in IT -spanning government, financial services, and technology leadership roles before joining the insurance industry in 2019 - Jeff brings a practitioner's view of managing cyber risk and business continuity. He's built McConkey's internal vendor risk and security program from the ground up and leads the firm's technology team, with a focus on keeping the organization ahead of evolving cyber threats and compliance demands.
Who Is ReadyState Cybersecurity?
Where ReadyState Started
ReadyState Cybersecurity grew out of RLS Consulting, founded in 2018 to help businesses navigate the increasingly complex world of cybersecurity and technology decisions. From the beginning, the mission was to make cybersecurity understandable, accessible, and actionable for all businesses.
Over the years, we built relationships across the independent insurance industry, worked with hundreds of agencies nationwide, and developed a framework-driven approach to helping businesses understand and act on their actual risk. Along the way, we grew into a partner network that can serve businesses of any size.
In 2026, the business evolved into ReadyState Cybersecurity to reflect what we had become. We are not just a consulting practice, but a guide that helps businesses reach a ready-state, where they know their risk, have a plan, and are prepared for whatever comes next.
20
YEARS EXPERIENCE IN CYBERSECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY
18
TOP 100 AGENCIES SUPPORTED
1,000+
BUSINESSES HELPED
Meet Ryan Smith
Founder, ReadyState Cybersecurity
Ryan's career spans over 20 years across cybersecurity, insurance technology, sales, mathematics, and education. That combination is what makes his approach different. He does not just understand the technical side of cybersecurity, but how businesses operate, how decisions get made, and what it takes to turn a complex topic into something a business leader can act on.
His work in cybersecurity spans businesses of all sizes, with a specialization in security and compliance for insurance agencies built on years of experience in agency technology. He has worked with hundreds of businesses across the country, from small offices to some of the largest agencies and brokers in the US. That track record has led to speaking engagements and industry contributions where he helps audiences break down cyber risk into something practical and actionable.
Ryan built ReadyState around a simple belief: every business that reaches out should walk away with something useful. Whether that is a free playbook, a strategy session, or a long-term engagement, the goal is always to help people understand their risk, see their options clearly, and make informed decisions without pressure.
