WHAT IS BLACKPANDA’S ‘IR-1’ SOLUTION?

LAST EDITED:
PUBLISHED:
3/10/2024

What if only the wealthy could afford emergency services like police or firefighters? For most businesses, this is the reality when faced with a cyberattack.

In the physical world, we take for granted that emergency services will be there when we need them most. We agree that everyone should have universal access to emergency responders when life or property is threatened. But in the digital world, where cyber attacks can be just as devastating to your business, this same level of protection has long been out of reach for most.

We believe the status quo is unacceptable.

At Blackpanda, we’re creating a new status quo where emergency cybersupport is as universally accessible and affordable as public emergency services.

Our philosophy is simple. In an age where a single cyber attack can cripple a company in minutes, access to rapid, expert incident response services should be a basic right, not a luxury.

This is the vision behind our flagship IR-1 solution: to provide the most fundamental cybersecurity services every business needs, at a price point accessible to all.


What is ‘IR-1’?

IR-1 is Blackpanda's fixed-cost incident response (IR) subscription solution. It is our answer to the prohibitively high prices and limited accessibility of traditional IR retainer models.

This innovative solution is designed to make premium and comprehensive cyber emergency response services accessible to businesses of all sizes without compromising on quality.

But IR-1 is more than just incident response. With an IR-1 subscription, you get:

  1. Response
        One annual credit for comprehensive incident response
  2. Readiness
        Continuous vulnerability scanning and dark web monitoring
  3. Recovery
       
    Automated access to comprehensive cyber insurance

…all for an annual fee that's about 90% less than traditional IR retainers (more below on how).

Why these three ‘R’s?
Because IR-1 has been carefully curated to address the three most fundamental aspects of cybersecurity that every business needs:

Response
Not every business needs state-of-the-art fire alarm and extinguishing systems on-site, but none would go without firefighters on call. The same principle applies to cyber emergencies. Incident Response (IR) is the most essential cybersecurity service a business needs, as the firefighters of the digital world. Learn More: “What is Incident Response (IR)?”

Readiness
While ‘Response’ is reactive, ‘Readiness’ is proactive. Our Attack Surface Management (ASM) tool helps you identify and close the most common gaps that are exploited in 99% of cyber attacks. By continuously scanning your digital perimeter for vulnerabilities, you can prevent attacks before they happen. Learn More: “What is Attack Surface Management (ASM)?”

Recovery
Despite best efforts, no defense is perfect. That’s why access to cyberinsurance is the final piece of the puzzle, providing the financial recovery you need to get back on your feet as soon as possible after an attack. Without it, a single cyber incident could be enough to bankrupt a business. Learn More: “What is Cyber Insurance (and Who Really Needs It)?”

IR-1 provides everything your business needs to respond the moment a cyber attack hits—from rapid incident response to financial recovery support—plus proactive vulnerability scanning, all to minimize the likelihood and impact of a breach.

IR-1 is designed not only as a primary incident response solution butalso as a complementary and supplementary option for businesses with existing IR providers. Even if you already have an IR team on call, IR-1 offers unmatched affordability and value, being just 10% the cost of traditional retainers. It serves as an essential backup plan, ensuring your organization is protected in the event your primary provider is unavailable or delayed. Additionally, the proactive ASM features included with IR-1 provide continuous vulnerability assessments, aiding your primary IR efforts and accelerating root cause analysis during incidents. Furthermore, IR-1 can act as a second opinion or audit, validating the primary team's work for added assurance.

So, how does it all work?

 

Response:
Fixed-Cost IR Subscription

As the foundation of cyber emergency response, incident response is naturally at the heart of IR-1.Our fixed-cost subscription gives you access to Asia's premier cyber emergency responders at the click of a button – and at a price any business can afford.

Innovative Pricing Model

One of the most significant advantages of IR-1 is its innovative fixed-cost subscription model. Traditional incident response retainers can costa fortune, with prices starting at a minimum of US$25,000. But with IR-1, you receive one annual credit for comprehensive cyber emergency response services at a fixed, cost-optimized price – about 10x less than traditional IR.

No more worrying about unpredictable hourly billing in a crisis when you're already stressed and vulnerable.

How do we achieve this?

We are uniquely positioned as a leading cyber incident response firm, a licensed cyber insurance entity, and a tech company with proprietary vulnerability scanning technology.

As an incident response firm, we bring unparalleled expertise in managing cyber emergencies. As an insurance company, we deeply understand cyberrisk and have a vested interest

in keeping our clients safe. And as a tech company, our proprietary ASM tool provides valuable data to intelligently manage risk and modulate pricing.

This powerful combination allows us to offer a truly innovative pricing model.

Unlike traditional incident response firms, we don't profit from your misfortune. We're incentivised to help you prevent incidents in the first place. That's why our vulnerability scanning service comes complimentary with IR-1. The data it generates helps close security gaps and optimize IR-1 pricing over time.

By leveraging our tech data and insurance expertise, we can manage risk intelligently and set fairer prices without sacrificing the quality of incident response.

Because we’re not just some budget IR firm…

Backed by Asia's Premier Cyber Emergency Responders

Your IR-1 subscription is backed by Blackpanda's elite team of incident responders – Asia's premier cyberemergency response specialists. In a world full of generalists, we are a hyper-specialized team who have dedicated ourselves exclusively to mastering the art and science of IR.

“It’s not just part of what we do—it's the only thing we do.”

With 14 full-time Level 3 responders (the highest level of IRexpertise), we have one of the largest dedicated IR teams in Asia, stationed in key cities across the region. And with over 100+ cases managed in Asia, our battle-tested experts bring deep, real-world knowledge of the regional threat landscape. We are also equipped with and extensively trained on all the most advanced IR tools on the market, guaranteeing proficiency and seamless integration with your existing cybersecurity ecosystem.

A side from our technical expertise, what sets us apart is our deep understanding of Asia. Our team is native to the region—fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, and Tagalog—and intimately familiar with the cultural nuances of each market.

In a crisis where every second counts, trust us to provide a tailored, effective service that addresses your unique needs, ensuring nothing gets lost in translation.

Available at the Click of a Button

And activating the Blackpanda team is as simple as clicking a button. Our online platform allows you to directly and instantly engage our experts the moment a cyber attack hits. No more precious time wasted trying to get hold of someone – with just a click, we’ll be on the case within 4 hours or less.

 

Readiness:
Continuous Vulnerability Scanning

IR-1 isn't just about responding to attacks; it's also about preventing them from happening in the first place. That's where our continuous vulnerability scanning service comes in. It's a fundamental component of the IR-1 offering because it proactively identifiesthe security gaps that are exploited in 99% of cyber incidents.

The best part? We provide this service 100% complimentary, as part of your IR-1subscription.

By proactively identifying and closing security gaps, we can keep you safer—and that keeps costs low for everyone in the long run.

Here’s what the service includes:

Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tool

Imagine your digital infrastructure as a physical building, with countless doors and windows that could be potential entry points for thieves. Our proprietary Attack Surface Management (ASM) tool is like a vigilant, unblinking security camera, constantly monitoring these access points from the outside-in, just like a hacker would.

It conducts weekly scans of your entire digital perimeter – networks, systems, apps, websites, and more – for over 80,000+ known vulnerabilities. If the ASM tool finds any unlocked or broken doors or windows, it alerts you immediately, allowing

you to fix these gaps before an attacker can slip through. (Learn More: What is Attack Surface Management (ASM)?)

Dark Web Monitoring

But we don't stop there. Our Dark Web Monitoring service keeps awatchful eye on the shadowy corners of the internet’s black market for anyone sharing heist plans or stolen keys to those digital doors and windows – looking for leaked credentials, sensitive data, or signs of botnet activity targeting your business.

If we find anything suspicious, we’ll alert you immediately so you can take action before an attack occurs.

On-Demand and Historic Reports

The results of these scans are combined into a comprehensive dashboard of on-demand and historic reports, providing a centralized view of your top security risks by severity. This allows you to prioritize vulnerabilities for corrective action and take immediate steps to protect your business from cyberattacks.

Armed with this information, you can make data-driven decisions to strengthen your defenses and stay one step ahead of potential threats.

Recovery:
Continuous Vulnerability Scanning

Despite best efforts, no defense will ever be 100% secure: cyber threats evolve, insider threats lurk within, and accidents happen. That's why IR-1 also includes automated access to cyber insurance underwritten by Blackpanda Underwriting—Asia's first and only pure cyber insurance Lloyd's of London coverholder.

The costs of a cyber incident can be staggering: from business interruption and data recovery to legal services, third-party liabilities, and reputational damage. Without adequate coverage, a single attack could be enough to bankrupt your business.

Cyber insurance is designed to help you get back on your feet after an attack by minimizing the financial impact and helping you pay for the services you need to recover quickly. (Learn More: What is Cyber Insurance (and Who Really Needs It)?)

Comprehensive Insurance Coverage

Your IR-1 subscription includes access to up to US$5 million incomprehensive cyber insurance coverage, protecting your business from a wide range of cyber-related losses, including:

Financial Loss & Operational Recovery: Covers lost profits and the costs of getting back up and running, from business interruption losses to data recovery costs.

Legal & Compliance Support: Covers third-party liability claims and relevant legal costs to minimize the risk of regulatory fines, including top-shelf legal counsel and compliance guidance.

Crisis & ReputationManagement: Covers expert crisis management and public relations services to help you effectively manage the narrative, restore publictrust, and maintain customer confidence following an attack.

Streamlined Access, Powered by Technology your business

But what really sets our cyber insurance offering apart is how simple it is to access with instant, one-click insurance estimates. There are no lengthy questionnaires, no brokers, and no complex underwriting processes. You get direct access to our underwriting team, who can provide personalized advice and quotes based on your unique riskprofile.

This streamlined access is made possible by our proprietary ASM technology. The data generated by our continuous vulnerability scanning not only helps you proactively manage your cyber risk, but also feeds into our insurance pricing models. By leveraging this data, along with our deep expertise as an incident response firm, we're able to more accurately assess risk and offer more competitive premiums.

Integrated Services, Lowering Costs

As an incident response leader, cyber insurance provider, and technology innovator, we put our money where our mouth is. We tie our pricing directly to the insights from our ASM tool and the risk reduction achieved by having Blackpanda's incident response services on your side, helping to limit potential claims.

It's a testament to our confidence in our services and our commitment to your cyber resilience. By bundling automated insurance access with rapid incident response and proactive vulnerability management—all backed by deep pools of international insurance capital—we're providing businesses with a more comprehensive, robust, and affordable solution for protecting themselves in the digital world.

What if I Already Have an IR Team on Retainer?

Many businesses have learned the hard way that relying on a single IR provider can leave them vulnerable to delays and gaps in response.

It's not uncommon for companies to have two or even three incident response firms on retainer to ensure they’re never left unprotected.

This approach not only mitigates the risk of delays but also provides a secondary layer of expertise, regional coverage, and the added benefit of a second opinion or audit of the primary team’s work.

IR-1 was designed not only as a primary incident response solution but also as complementary and supplementary support. At just 10% the cost of traditional retainers, IR-1 offers unmatched affordability and value:

Reliable Backup: Having IR-1 as a backup ensures your organization is protected if your primary provider is unavailable or delayed.

Regional Coverage: Our on-the-ground presence in APAC also offers localized response for Asia-based operations or global firms requiring 24/7 “follow-the-sun” IR coverage.

Secondary Audit & Validation: Our responders can also act as a second opinion or audit of your primary IR team's work, ensuring thorough investigation and validation of findings.

Enhanced Investigation: Lastly, the inclusion of ASM with your IR-1 subscription supports your primary IR efforts by identifying security gaps and accelerating the investigation.

By integrating IR-1 into your existing cybersecurity strategy, you gain an additional layer of protection and assurance, knowing that your organization is prepared to handle any cyber incident effectively and efficiently.

Don't Wait Until It's
Too Late

Take control of your cyber risk today. In thedigital age, it's not a question of if your business will face a cyber attack, but when. And when those digital flames start flickering at your door, every second counts.

That's why we created IR-1, to make comprehensive cyber resilience accessible and affordable for businesses of all sizes. By combining rapid incident response, proactive vulnerability management, and seamless recovery through automated cyber insurance access, IR-1 offers a fundamentally new approach to managing cyber risk.

And all made affordable, at a cost-optimized price.

Contact Blackpanda to learn more and secure your IR-1 subscription today.

Get In Touch

Curious about our other incident response plans? Get in touch to determine which plan is best for your business.

 

 

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