Incident Response Retainers: Why Every Company Needs One

Shaunda Caldwell, PMO Manager & IR Project Manager

Key Takeaways

• Companies of all sizes are tagets of cybersecurity incidents. There is no such thing as being too small to be hit.
• Opt for familiarization to get the most out of an Incident Response Retainer.
• Save money by being proactive.

Cybersecurity threats are evolving faster than ever, making incident response a critical part of every organization’s defense strategy. The soaring number of connected devices, remote work, and cloud adoption are just a few of the contributing factors to the increasing risks.

Furthermore, threat actors are turning to automation and focusing on opportunistic vulnerabilities rather than specific targets. In many cases, they don’t care who they hit as long as they do. In fact, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025, “1 in 6 breaches involved AI-driven attacks.”

This leaves small and medium-sized businesses in the crosshairs. Especially those who lack AI governance policies as AI is becoming an increasingly attractive target for threat actors. Let’s face it, most small businesses don’t have the budget for a cybersecurity team to help guide or protect them.

There are many costs to being hit with a cybersecurity incident unprepared – and we’re not just talking about the high ransom amounts. The global average cost of a data breach in 2025 hit $4.44 million dollars (IBM, 2025). Depending on how long a threat actor has access to your data can determine how hard your company is hit. Downtime, loss of data, loss of reputation, the list goes on. The quicker you can respond, the better off you are.

This is where an Incident Response Retainer becomes essential for improving cybersecurity preparedness and reducing the impact of a breach.

What Is an Incident Response Retainer (IRR)?

An Incident Response Retainer (IRR) is a pre-arranged agreement between an organization and an incident response team. It provides direct and immediate access to an expert-led team that can jump in at a moment’s notice to investigate, contain, and eradicate an incident before it escalates.

There are a few different types of IRRs. They can be proactive or reactive, subscription or hourly, or include a block of time. Whatever option your company chooses, ideally, it’s whatever gets the IR team in the door the fastest.

The biggest value having an IRR brings is the rapid response and pre-established relationship. With ad-hoc or emergency-only IR support, it automatically takes more time before an actual investigation can begin, which leads to soaring costs.

The Hidden Costs of Not Having a Retainer

In a scenario where every second matters, you want to avoid delays as much as possible. You need a pre-established relationship with a team that already understands your environment and can step in immediately.

Because time is not on your side, anything that slows down your response to an incident should be eliminated. Even things like creating and testing the proper access, knowing who should (or should not) be included in the communication plan, a kick-off call, the IR team trying to navigate a new-to-them environment all add up. All of which can be determined at the beginning of a retainer rather than while in a panic-induced state.

With an IRR you can avoid:

• Contract negotiation delays: When you are in crisis mode, you want less paperwork and more immediate action.
• Access delays: If access is available before an incident occurs, there is no lost time due to troubleshooting the appropriate type of access.
• Lost evidence: Without immediate action, evidence is more likely to be overwritten and lost, leading to a more difficult investigation and slower recovery time.
• Higher hourly rates: Without a pre-negotiated deal, emergency rates are significantly higher. Though it is industry standard, it is not very comforting to get hit with an even higher bill when you need help the most.
• Increased operational downtime & trust erosion: If you are unable to respond quickly, the damage can spread and compound, leaving your reputation in the mud.

Key Benefits of an Incident Response Retainer

Having an Incident Response Retainer is a value-add. Simply put, it is a cost-effective way to strengthen your security posture.

Benefits include:

• Immediate Access to Experts: Experts who are well-versed in the current attack scene are available to jump in immediately
• Proactive Preparation & Familiarization: Your IR team is already familiar with your environment and has prepared for potential incidents.
• Rapid Response Times:  Eliminating the paperwork allows the team to respond quickly to your cyber incidents.
• Predictable Cost: You know what you’re getting into from the get-go, instead of being stuck with a crushing expense.
• Strategic Partnership: Leads to long-term business resilience and risk management.

How to Get the Most Out of Your IRR: Familiarization

A familiarization exercise is a pre-emptive health check where the IR team is provided with access to your environment before an incident occurs. It allows the IR team to threat hunt, establish a baseline, and become ‘familiar’ overall with your environment. This is where we can ask questions like “Is this instance of ‘AnyDesk’ normal?” or “Do you usually have people logging in from foreign countries?” Think of it as a wellness check that makes life easier for both your company and the IR team.

During this time, the team will confirm there is no hidden threat actor currently in your environment and will share the recommendations they naturally found to help strengthen your defenses.

Another huge benefit that can occur is in the case where you (or the IR team) become aware of a threat actor before they announce themselves. Having pre-existing access allows the IR team to do their work without alerting the threat actor that they are about to be kicked out. This can prevent them from going ‘nuclear’ before being kicked out and keep a molehill from growing into a mountain.

Familiarization turns the retainer into a true proactive service rather than a reactive one. It saves valuable time during the early stages of an investigation when clarity and speed are critical.

If you do not opt for familiarization, you are not taking full advantage of having an IRR.

How to Choose the Right Incident Response Provider

Knowing who to choose is half the battle. Having the right kinds of questions to ask and the red flags to watch out for may help.

Key Questions to Ask Before Signing:

• What’s included in the scope?
• Are proactive services, like familiarization, a part of the package?
• How do we reach out in case of an incident? Does the IR team have an established communication plan?
• Does the IR provider have DFIR-specific experience?

Red Flags to Look Out For:

• Poor communication plans: You want your provider to have a secure and out-of-band means to communicate, like Signal. There is nothing worse than a threat actor reading the investigation updates alongside you.
• Hidden or extra costs: The provider should be clear in what the contract amount actually covers and what it does not.
• Overly vague contracts: Do they make promises that sound too good to be true?
• Lack of reporting options: Will they work with you to provide a report type that best fits your needs?

Let Preparation Bring You Peace of Mind

An IRR does not require you to be perfect or have a robust cybersecurity team. It is a small low-risk step that helps protect your company in a big way. It enhances your security posture and increases your chances of surviving a cybersecurity incident.

As with most things in life, a predictable and cost-effective fee is better than an unpredictable and often crushing emergency expense.

And when an organization already knows who to call and how much it’ll cost, the focus can remain where it belongs: containing the threat, understanding what happened, and restoring operations.

Are you ready for expert-driven incident readiness? Let’s talk. 

Citation

IBM. (2025) Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025.