Incident Response Retainer

An incident response retainer provides organizations with a structured form of expertise and support through a security partner, enabling them to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a cyber incident. Having an incident response retainer in place allows you to benefit from proactive support with protecting your operations, reputation and bottom line. Timely response and notification for cyber incidents is mandated by many privacy and consumer protection laws. Having a retainer in place also reduces the challenges of identifying expert support in the event of a major event which affects many organizations at the same time.

The specific nature and structure of an incident response retainer will vary according to the provider and your organization’s requirements. This is why it is essential to take time to assess which provider to work with. A good incident response retainer should be robust but flexible, providing proven support through specialists to successfully contain and remediate an incident. The retainer should include a wide range of services and be configurable to your needs and environment, regardless of the technologies you use. A good retainer will ensure rapid response services to provide peace of mind in the event of an emergency.

An incident response retainer offers some key advantages in helping to enhance your organization’s cybersecurity. It allows organizations to become better prepared so that they can act fast in the event of a cyber incident. A cyber incident retainer helps companies to manage their cybersecurity costs more effectively as it offers a structured way for them to pay, ensuring that they gain the best value for money from their budget. Having a retainer in place also means that organizations benefit from fast response and expert advice as and when they need it.

A key first step in organizing an incident response retainer service is to identify a high quality security partner. Assess the company’s security experience and approach and what they offer through the retainer. Check that the company’s services are flexible and responsive, with the breadth to support your organizations in different locations. When considering a retained incident response service, you should also consider aspects such as payment options, if there are any minimum hourly usage requirements and whether the company’s services are technology-agnostic so that they can align with your security stack.

An incident response retainer works by setting clear parameters and expectations for the provision of services relating to incident response. As well as specific actions around dealing with an incident, the retainer can also include more strategic support to help enhance an organization’s long-term planning. It is important to be aware that the quality and scope of support varies widely between providers. At Kroll, we offer more than a typical incident response retainer, providing a combination of elite digital forensics and incident response capabilities and maximum flexibility for proactive and notification services.

It is essential to consider a number of key elements when choosing a retained incident response service. Look at whether the provider offers the level of scope of services you require, from proactive incident response to more strategic advice and support. You should also assess the provider’s capacity to offer 24/7 support in a wide range of locations, depending on your needs, and the breadth of the provider’s technical expertise. Another key aspect to consider is the speed and flexibility with which a provider is able to support you in the event of a security incident.

An incident response retainer works by providing a structured agreement between an organization and a security services provider. One type of option is a no-cost retainer in which a service provider outlines how they will help the organization respond to an incident, in the event of one occurring. Another type is a prepaid retainer where the organization pays in advance for an agreed number of hours, which can be used to respond to cyber incidents. At Kroll, we provide incident response retainers that allow companies to achieve the greatest impact with highest level of flexibility.

Preparing for and dealing with a cyber incident is fraught with unknowns and potential risks. Having assured support in place allows organizations to respond more effectively to cyber security incidents with the right external support and expertise on hand as and when it’s required, instead of having to search for it when an incident does take place. An incident response incident retainer can include more strategic support with planning and strategy which can significantly enhance security and provide peace of mind. A Kroll incident response retainer guarantees expedited response as well as high quality notification and proactive services.