Data Breach Response & Incident Response Services
Expert-led breach response that contains threats fast, preserves digital evidence for legal proceedings, and restores operations. Led by Craig Petronella, author of How to Avoid Data Breaches, with 24+ years of hands-on experience.
Containment and Recovery Under One Roof
We handle every phase of incident response -- from forensic evidence preservation to regulatory notification -- so nothing falls through the cracks.
Rapid Containment
- Isolate compromised systems and block attacker access within hours of engagement
- Capture forensic images in parallel with containment to preserve evidence integrity
- Eradicate every backdoor, persistence mechanism, and compromised credential
- Validate cleanup with penetration testing to confirm no re-entry paths remain
Recovery and Compliance
- Restore from verified clean backups in priority order
- Manage HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, and NC state breach notification deadlines
- Produce forensic reports for insurance carriers, regulators, and legal counsel
- Conduct lessons-learned review and update your incident response plan
The 6-Phase Incident Response Plan
Every effective response follows this proven framework. We customize each phase based on your industry and regulatory requirements.
1. Preparation
Build your IRT roster, deploy EDR and SIEM tools, create communication templates, and run quarterly tabletop exercises before an incident occurs.
2. Identification
Correlate alerts across detection systems to classify the incident type, severity, and scope. Reduce dwell time with managed security monitoring.
3. Containment
Isolate affected systems, block attacker IPs, disable compromised accounts, and preserve forensic evidence -- all in parallel to protect both operations and legal standing.
4. Eradication
Remove all malware, backdoor accounts, and persistence mechanisms. Patch the original vulnerability and scan the full environment for additional indicators of compromise.
5. Recovery
Restore systems from verified backups in priority order, reconnect to the network in controlled stages, and implement enhanced monitoring for 30-90 days.
6. Lessons Learned
Document root cause, update playbooks, implement improved controls, and train staff on gaps identified during the response.
With vs. Without a Tested Plan
277 Days to Contain
Organizations without a tested response plan take an average of 277 days to identify and contain a breach.
3-6 Weeks Downtime
Ad-hoc responses lead to extended operational outages and significantly higher recovery costs.
Missed Notification Deadlines
Without mapped regulatory requirements, organizations miss HIPAA, GDPR, and state notification windows -- triggering penalties.
54 Days Faster Containment
A documented, rehearsed plan reduces breach containment timeline by 54 days and saves an average of $2.66M per incident.
Days, Not Weeks
Prepared organizations with immutable backups and pre-established IR relationships recover in days, not weeks.
Every Deadline Tracked
We map every applicable regulation (HIPAA 60-day, GDPR 72-hour, CMMC 72-hour) and manage notifications end-to-end.
Cybersecurity Risk Assessment
Our risk assessment follows NIST SP 800-30 across eight critical domains.
Asset Inventory and Classification
Threat Landscape Analysis
Access Control Review
Network Architecture Review
Incident Response Readiness
Industries We Protect
Data Breach Response Questions
What is the difference between a data breach and a cybersecurity incident?
Every data breach is a cybersecurity incident, but not every incident is a breach. A ransomware attack that encrypts files without exfiltrating data is an incident. A phishing attack that harvests credentials and downloads customer records is a breach. The regulatory obligations differ substantially between the two.
How quickly can you respond to an active breach?
Our incident response team is available 24/7 for emergency engagements. For Triangle-area organizations, we can have forensic examiners connected remotely within minutes and on-site within hours. Call 919-348-4912 to report an active incident.
Do you help with regulatory breach notifications?
Yes. We track every applicable notification deadline -- HIPAA (60 days), GDPR (72 hours), PCI DSS (72 hours), CMMC/DFARS (72 hours), state laws, and SEC rules -- and manage the notification process end-to-end with your legal counsel. Visit our compliance services page for framework-specific guidance.
Does cyber insurance cover incident response costs?
Most cyber insurance policies cover forensic investigation and incident response costs for covered incidents. Petronella produces documentation that satisfies carrier requirements for claims processing. We work with major carriers regularly.
What should we do right now if we do not have a response plan?
Organizations without a tested plan take 54 days longer to contain a breach and spend an average of $2.66M more per incident. Contact us to build a customized incident response plan tailored to your regulatory requirements and technology environment.
What related services complement incident response?
Most organizations pair breach response with digital forensics, security awareness training, managed security services, and HIPAA or CMMC compliance consulting for a comprehensive security posture.
Strengthen Your Security Posture
Experiencing a Breach Right Now?
Our incident response team is available 24/7 for emergency engagements. Contact us immediately for rapid containment, forensic investigation, and recovery support.