Introduction

Imagine a bustling city without a fire department. When a blaze breaks out, there's no one to call, no one to stop the flames from spreading. A single uncontrolled fire could devastate an entire community, leaving businesses in ruins and families without homes. It's a terrifying thought, isn't it?

Now, picture your own bustling business in the digital world. Cyberattacks are the fires of the 21st century, and they're burning hotter and more frequently than ever before. And in Asia, businesses like yours are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs of cyber criminals, with devastating consequences for those caught unprepared.

Honestly, what would you do if your business was attacked right now?

Who would you call?

Just like a city needs a fire department, your business needs a "Cyber Fire Department" – a dedicated team of experts ready to respond at a moment's notice when digital flames start to spread, threatening to engulf everything you've worked so hard to build.

That's where incident response come in.

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What is Incident Response?

Incident Response (or "IR") is the technical term for cyber emergency services. When acyber attack hits, incident responders are the firefighters who rush in to extinguish the digital blaze. Their work involves three critical steps: investigate, contain, and neutralize.

In the critical first moments of an attack, incident responders race against the clock to investigate the breach, urgently hunting down the affected systems and data to assess the scope of the damage. Every second counts as they work to identify the nexus of the attack, knowing that the longer the attackers remain undetected, the more harm they can cause.

This rapid investigation lays the groundwork for the crucial next step: containment. Just like firefighterswork to prevent a blaze from spreading to neighboring rooms or buildings, incident responders act quickly to isolate affected systems, stopping the attack from causing more damage internally, and preventing it from spreading to your partners, customers, and the wider market. (Remember, when you'reattacked, it's not just you in the line of fire – the spread can directly harmothers, ruin your reputation, and potentially lead to third-party legalaction.)

Finally, they work to neutralize the threat, removing any malware or backdoors left behind by the attackers.This step is essential to ensure that the attackers cannot regain access andthat your systems are once again stable and secure.

And don't let the word"incident" fool you – these aren't minor accidents or random glitches.

Behind every cyber attack is a real person: a sniveling, greedycriminal taking advantage of your pain and misery; a cowardly low-life hidingbehind a keyboard, plotting ways to steal your data and rob you blind.

You might be targeted just because you seem like an easy mark. Butwhat's even scarier is the randomness – these attackers often launch their assaults indiscriminately and at scale. Don’t think you're safe just becauseyou don’t see yourself as a target; in their eyes, everyone is fair game.

So in a world where cyber arsonists lurk around every corner ready to burn down your business for profit, having a reliable "Cyber Fire Department" on call isessential.

If You’re Reading This, Your Business is At Risk

Here's the problem:
Most Asian businesses don't have access to effective IR services (or even knowthat they exist!).

You're left to fend for yourself in the face of an attack, often without the resources or expertise needed to mount an effective defense. It's like trying to fight a raging inferno with a garden hose – it's just not enough.

The consequences of this lack of preparedness can be catastrophic. Cyber attacks can paralyze your business, ruin your reputation, and drain your financial resources. And the damage doesn't stop there. A cyber attack on your business can quickly spread to your customers, partners, and employees. Not only can it compromise any data you hold on them, but it can also directly infect their systems, causing widespread damage and disruption.

Think about the 2017 “NotPetya” cyber attack. What started as atargeted military cyber strike from the Russians against the Ukrainians quicklyspiraled out of control, hitting businesses of all sizes and industries worldwide and causing an estimated $10 billion in collateral damage. It's aprime example of how quickly things can escalate and why containment is socritical.

This can lead to devastating consequences for all involved, from stolen identities and financial losses to operational downtime and reputational harm, not to mention the potential third-party legal and financial liabilities you could face. For small and medium-size denterprises (SMEs) in Asia, which often operate on tight margins and have limited resources, a single cyber incident could even be the difference between survival and shutting down for good.

And the emotional toll can be just as devastating as the financial impact. Imagine the stress of not knowing if your business will recover, the heartbreak of laying off loyal staff, or the shame of facing angry customers whose data has been stolen. It's a nightmare no business owner should have toface.

So what options do you have?

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The Problem with Traditional IR Services

Well, contacting an IR firm after an attack has already occurred can lead to costly delays as you negotiate rates and terms under pressure. It's like haggling with the fire department while your business burns to the ground.

Proactive businesses often secure IR services through an Incident Response Retainer (IRR). This contractual arrangement streamlines the response process and locks in favorable rates, ensuring rapid assistance when needed.However, these retainers can be prohibitively expensive, with base costs typically starting at a minimum of US$25,000.‍

But it doesn't have to be this way.

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Blackpanda: Making Top-Tier IR Services Affordable and Accessible

At Blackpanda, we're on a mission to make top-tier incident response services affordable and accessible to all businesses. We believe that every company, regardless of size or sector, deserves access to world-class cyber emergency services, and we're making it happen with our revolutionary IR-1 solution.

IR-1 is our subscription-based offering that provides businesses like yours with an annual credit for comprehensive incident response services at a fixed, affordable price – for about 90% less than traditional IR retainers.

No haggling. No more variable hourly rates in a crisis.

As a Lloyd’s of London cybersecurity insurance underwriting company, we’re able to leverage our proprietary vulnerability scanning technology and insurtech data at scale. This allows us to offer top-tier services at afraction of the cost of traditional IR retainers, putting effective incidentresponse within reach for businesses of all sizes.

But IR-1 is more than just acost-effective solution; it's a holistic approach to protecting your business from cyber attacks.

In addition to rapid incident response, IR-1 subscribers gain access to Blackpanda's cutting-edge SaaS platform, which includes continuous vulnerability scanning, dark web monitoring, and seamless access to comprehensive cyber insurance coverage from Blackpanda Underwriting.

It's like having afully-equipped Blackpanda fire station right next door, ready to protect your business around the clock and cover any financial damages from the attack – all backed by deep international pools of insurance capital.

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Final Point:

The Importance of Redundancy in Incident Response

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 common 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 ofexpertise, regional coverage, and the added benefit of a second opinion oraudit of the primary team’s work.

IR-1 was designed not only as a primary incident response solution butalso as complementary and supplementary support.

At just 10% the cost of traditional retainers, IR-1 offers unmatchedaffordability and value. It ensures your organization is protected if your primary provider is unavailable or delayed, provides localized response in APACfor global firms needing 24/7 coverage, and can act as a second opinion oraudit for your primary IR team's work. Additionally, ASM included with IR-1supports your primary IR efforts by identifying security gaps and accelerating investigations.

By integrating IR-1into your existing cybersecurity plan, you gain an additional layer of protection and assurance that you’re ready to handle any cyber incident effectively—with minimal cost to your IT budget.

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The Bottom Line:
Premium Incident Response is Essential

The world is digital, and cyber attacks are no longer a matter of if –but when.

You can't afford to wait until the flames are at your doorstep to start thinking about incident response. Take action now to protect your company with affordable, world-class incident response services. Get in touch with us to learn more about Blackpanda's IR-1 subscription or our other incident response plans, and rest easy knowing you have a dedicated Cyber Fire Department ready to protect your business whenit matters most.

Learn more about IR-1at Blackpanda.com

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