Valuing the Importance of Pre-arranged Incident Response Contracts

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, incident response (IR) retainers have emerged as a crucial security measure for organizations worldwide. These service agreements between companies and cybersecurity vendors, consultants, or service providers ensure rapid response and remediation in the event of a cyber incident.

An IR retainer, such as Arctic Wolf's Incident360 Retainer, offers continuous, end-to-end incident response management. Unlike other IR retainers that provide more limited or ad-hoc services, Incident360 Retainer focuses on rapid containment and remediation, seamlessly integrating with existing security operations.

The benefits of IR retainers are manifold. They provide cost efficiency and certainty through pre-determined terms and hourly rates. Organizations can prepurchase "hours" of promised IR service, usually over a defined time, or opt for no-cost retainers that offer a set scope of services without the need to purchase blocks of hours.

IR retainers also grant access to IR planning activities, documents, and procedures. This access to security experts for consultations on security posture hardening measures can help organizations comply with certain regulations, depending on their industry or location.

Moreover, having an IR retainer can increase insurability as a data point for insurers to validate insurability. In fact, 32% of cyber insurance carriers require an IR plan or IR retainer for coverage. According to The State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, 88% of organizations have purchased an active IR retainer.

One of the key advantages of IR retainers is the facilitation of a faster response time. This can provide more extensive IR services, offer IR process certainty, and assist in managing the cost of an incident. IR retainers can also help organizations comply with certain regulations and increase their insurability.

It is essential to note that IR retainers are not the same as cyber insurance. While cyber insurance generally offsets the financial burden of responding to an incident, IR retainers are there to obtain a fast response to an incident at a pre-determined price. Both types of retainers often offer "add-ons" to their coverage for more robust services, swifter response times, and access to more hours or IR planning and readiness activities, often at an increased cost.

The Arctic Wolf Incident360 Retainer, for instance, offers end-to-end incident coverage, a discounted, flat hourly rate, access to an insurance-approved IR firm, and IR planning and readiness tools. Furthermore, it guarantees rapid incident analysis and containment based on a predefined approach.

In conclusion, IR retainers have become an indispensable part of modern cybersecurity strategies. They provide organizations with a proactive approach to incident response, ensuring a swift and efficient response to cyber incidents, and helping businesses maintain their operations with minimal disruption.