Should we sign an IR retainer with an external party?

An IR retainer is not a subscription to security checks, it is an SLA that an experienced team starts on your incident within four hours. For SMBs with customer data or regulation, often worth it. For small and simple, cyber insurance usually suffices.

Try this first

1. 1Pin down the real question: do you want someone who responds within 4 hours on ransomware (retainer), or someone who does an annual audit (consultancy)? Two different contracts.
2. 2Get quotes from at least three parties with SLA: response time, availability (24x7?), hours per year included, rates beyond that, and how unused hours expire.
3. 3Check the retainer firm has experience with your stack: Microsoft 365, Defender, your ERP, the cloud provider. A Linux on-prem IR team is fine but useless if you live in M365.
4. 4Combine with cyber insurance. Some insurers accept your own retainer as a preferred partner, others route you to their fixed party. Ask before signing.
5. 5Onboard the retainer for real: they should have a name, face, and an existing technical overview before things break. A retainer logging in for the first time during ransomware loses the first four hours to introductions.

None of the above fits?

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