Why a Cisco Talos Incident Response Retainer is a game-changer

Why a Cisco Talos Incident Response Retainer is a game-changer

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 06:00

In today’s hyper-connected world, cyber attacks are not a matter of if but when. Ransomware, phishing and data breaches dominate headlines. For any organization, the stakes are high and the impact can be wide. A cybersecurity breach can impact your organization’s ability to conduct normal business, damaging its reputation, reducing revenue, and disrupting operations.

A Cisco Talos Incident Response (Talos IR) Retainer is a strategic investment that empowers your entire organization to stay resilient and ahead of tomorrow’s threats. Here’s how a Talos IR Retainer can strengthen your organization’s security and ensure peace of mind.

**What is a Cisco Talos IR Retainer? **

A Talos IR Retainer offers a direct line to Cisco’s top cybersecurity specialists, ensuring both proactive protection and swift response to cyber threats. Backed by Cisco Talos global threat intelligence and hundreds of threat intelligence researchers, it equips organizations to prevent, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents efficiently. From tailored incident response plans to 24/7 emergency support, the retainer is a lifeline in a threat landscape that never sleeps.

We have just released a series of short videos that explain the full range of Talos IR services. Check out the playlist here, or start by watching the Emergency Response video below:

**Benefits to the entire organization **

A Cisco Talos IR Retainer is not only designed to benefit your IT teams, but it’s a catalyst for building organization-wide resilience. Here is how Talos IR delivers value to clients’ stakeholders:

1. Risk mitigation and cost savings
   Talos IR enables customers to respond swiftly to cyber threats and supports them through recovery efforts, minimizing downtime, costs, and regulatory risks
2. Reputation protection
   A retainer equips leadership with strategic response plans and expert guidance, ensuring preparedness, demonstrating due diligence, and preserving stakeholder confidence during critical incidents.
3. Organization-wide alignment
   A cybersecurity retainer ensures that your legal, human resources, information technology, and leadership teams are aligned before a threat strikes. Defined responsibilities and structured playbooks, plans, and tabletop exercises eliminate ambiguity and drive faster, more efficient incident response and recovery. Talos IR is there to create and review existing policies and make sure you are prepared at various levels.

**Bolstering organizational security **

A Talos IR Retainer transforms your organization’s security posture from reactive to proactive. Our job is to take you though the lifecycle of an incident and build up long-term resilience to cybersecurity attacks. We do this by delivering various engagements, such as:

• Proactive Threat Hunting
  Using the PEAK Framework (Prepare, Execute, Act with Knowledge), Talos IR specialists proactively hunt for threats before they escalate, leveraging real-time intelligence to stay ahead of adversaries.
• Customized preparedness
  Tailored IR plans, playbooks, and readiness assessments address your organization’s unique risks and evaluates the current state of its cybersecurity preparations.
• Continuous improvement
  Post-incident reports and ongoing collaboration identify gaps and recommend long-term strategies, ensuring that security evolves with the threat landscape.
• Vendor-agnostic integration
  Talos IR works with existing security tools, maximizing investments and enhancing detection and response capabilities in place. If needed, we can always deploy additional Cisco technology to help with an investigation.
• Intelligence-driven defense
  Access to Talos’ global threat intelligence, updated in real time, ensures your organization is armed with the latest insights on adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

**What it means to have IR specialists on speed dial **

Having Talos IR specialists on call is like having an elite SWAT team for cybersecurity. Here is what Talos IR provides for your organization:

• Rapid response, 24/7
  With a retainer, Cisco Talos IR specialists mobilize within hours of an incident, isolating threats and minimizing damage. This speed is critical, as every minute counts when containing ransomware or a data breach.
• Expert guidance
  The Talos IR team brings unmatched expertise, analyzing adversary TTPs and providing actionable recommendations across many verticals and industries.
• Tailored support
  Specialists collaborate with your teams, aligning response efforts with your business priorities. Whether coordinating with legal or PR, they ensure a cohesive strategy.
• Peace of mind
  Knowing experts are a call away reduces stress for your executives and IT teams. Priority access means your organization is never left waiting during a crisis.
• Post-Incident Review
  Talos IR delivers comprehensive reports that detail root causes, remediation steps, and preventive measures, turning incidents into opportunities for increased cybersecurity and prevention of future incidents.

**Real-world impact **

Our customers trust us to bring the expertise and knowledge they need to navigate their most challenging days with confidence. Read about our work with Veradigm and how we made a difference during a Qakbot attack here.

**Take the next step **

A Cisco Talos IR Retainer is a shield against cyber chaos. It strengthens your cybersecurity and ensures rapid recovery with specialists just a call away. Here’s how to get started:

• Secure a Retainer: Lock in priority access to proactive and emergency services.
• Schedule a Tabletop Exercise: Test your preparedness with tailored scenarios to fit your environment.
• Explore our website****: Access quarterly trends and learn more about Talos and what we do to secure our clients.