Incident Response Retainer
When something breaks in, you already have a team.
An agreed response plan, contacts, escalation paths and a tabletop exercise — plus a separately defined response commitment when an incident actually happens.
- UK-registered company — Newcastle HQ
- Scope and deliverables agreed before work starts
- Direct access to specialists, not a ticket queue
Engagement at a glance
- Family
- Cybersecurity & Compliance
- Delivery
- Global team, local accountability
- Model
- Scoped or ongoing
- Response
- Within one business day
Responsive specialist support
Real specialists reply — usually within one business day.
Tailored service delivery
Scoped around your systems and goals, never a template.
Secure working practices
Least-privilege access, named accounts, logged activity.
Transparent communication
Plain-English updates and honest reporting throughout.
What Incident Response Retainer delivers
We reduce your exposure, detect threats early and build the evidence your clients and auditors ask for. Practical security work — controls, monitoring and readiness — not fear-driven selling.
An agreed response plan, contacts, escalation paths and a tabletop exercise — plus a separately defined response commitment when an incident actually happens.
The main business outcome
Stronger security
Designed-in controls reduce both the chance and the impact of an incident.
Challenges we solve
Realistic problems we see every week — and what they cost when ignored.
At 2am nobody knows who to call or what to do first
Access has accumulated far beyond what people need.
Business impact: One compromised account exposes everything.
Evidence gets destroyed in the panic to fix things
Security alerts exist but nobody triages them.
Business impact: Real incidents hide inside the noise.
Insurers and clients ask for an incident response plan you don't have
Audit evidence is assembled in a panic each year.
Business impact: Weeks of disruption and a weakened negotiating position.
The last incident was resolved by luck, not process
Vulnerabilities are scanned but never fixed.
Business impact: Known holes stay open and exploitable.
Enterprise prospects demand security proof
Deals stall on questionnaires you can't answer.
Business impact: Revenue blocked by paperwork, not product.
Staff use unapproved tools with company data
Sensitive information flows into unmanaged services.
Business impact: Data exposure you can't see or control.
What is included
Concrete deliverables you receive — not vague promises.
01
Incident response plan and playbooks for likely scenarios
Delivered as a defined part of your Incident Response Retainer engagement.
Benefit: so nothing depends on memory or guesswork.
02
Contact and escalation matrix everyone can find
Delivered as a defined part of your Incident Response Retainer engagement.
Benefit: so you can evidence the work to clients and auditors.
03
Tabletop exercise with leadership and a findings report
Delivered as a defined part of your Incident Response Retainer engagement.
Benefit: so your team can run it confidently without us.
04
Defined response commitment for live incidents
Delivered as a defined part of your Incident Response Retainer engagement.
Benefit: so progress is visible and measurable.
05
Post-incident review template
Delivered as a defined part of your Incident Response Retainer engagement.
Benefit: so you always know what happens next.
06
Kickoff workshop and stakeholder alignment
Included as standard with Incident Response Retainer.
Benefit: so nothing falls through the cracks.
07
Written documentation and handover pack
Included as standard with Incident Response Retainer.
Benefit: so the value keeps compounding after launch.
08
Post-delivery review call
Included as standard with Incident Response Retainer.
Benefit: so you stay in control of scope and cost.
Key service features
The capabilities behind the deliverables — and why each one matters.
Zero-trust access controls
SSO, MFA, least privilege and segmentation.
Why it matters: One stolen credential can't open everything.
Continuous monitoring
Logs centralised and triaged around the clock.
Why it matters: Attacks are caught in hours, not months.
Exploitability-led triage
Vulnerabilities ranked by real-world risk.
Why it matters: Effort goes to what attackers would actually use.
Continuous evidence collection
Compliance proof gathered as you operate.
Why it matters: Audits become routine instead of emergencies.
Agreed containment playbooks
Response actions decided before an incident.
Why it matters: Containment in minutes, not after meetings.
Plain-English reporting
Security posture explained for leadership.
Why it matters: Decisions get made with understanding, not fear.
Our delivery process
Clear, transparent and low-risk — you approve each stage before the next begins.
01
Discovery
We learn how your business runs and where Incident Response Retainer fits. You talk; we listen and ask the questions that matter.
Output: A short discovery summary and agreed goals.
02
Assessment
We review your current setup, data and constraints in detail. Nothing is recommended before it is understood.
Output: A findings summary with risks and opportunities.
03
Strategy & Planning
We agree scope, deliverables, timeline and responsibilities in writing. You approve everything before work begins.
Output: A scoped plan with fixed deliverables.
04
Implementation
We build and configure in controlled stages, with regular updates. You see progress as it happens, not at the end.
Output: The working solution, reviewed with you.
05
Testing & Quality Assurance
We test against real scenarios before anything goes live. Issues are fixed in staging, not in front of your customers.
Output: Sign-off evidence and a go-live checklist.
06
Ongoing Support & Optimisation
We stay available for support, reviews and improvements. The service keeps getting better after launch.
Output: Regular reporting and continuous refinement.
Business benefits
The outcomes this service is bought for — not just the technical features.
Stronger security
Designed-in controls reduce both the chance and the impact of an incident.
Less key-person risk
Documented, monitored operations that don't depend on one individual.
Evidence for clients & auditors
Reports and records that answer procurement and compliance questions.
Reduced downtime
Issues caught and contained before they become outages.
Reduced operational costs
Less waste, fewer emergencies and no paying for capacity or work you don't need.
Better customer experience
Faster, more reliable service that your customers can actually feel.
Who this service is for
The organisations that get the most from this engagement.
Businesses that can't afford to improvise during a breach
Clients or regulators demand security evidence.
Outcome: A control set and evidence pack that answers them.
Regulated companies needing a documented response plan
The business holds sensitive customer data.
Outcome: Reduced exposure and demonstrable due care.
Leadership teams who want readiness they can evidence
There's no in-house security expertise.
Outcome: Specialist capability without a security hire.
Organisations without in-house security staff
A previous incident damaged trust.
Outcome: Rebuilt controls and a credible storey for clients.
SaaS companies
Enterprise buyers require SOC 2-style assurance.
Outcome: Readiness that unblocks the sales pipeline.
Regulated businesses
Compliance obligations carry penalties.
Outcome: Controls mapped to your specific obligations.
Tools, platforms & technologies
Only what's genuinely relevant to this service — no name-dropping.
Identity & access
Security tooling
Cloud platforms
Stack & capabilities
The platforms and technologies we build, secure and automate with — and what they let us deliver for you.
What we do with it
- Penetration testing coordination
- Zero-trust access design
- Threat detection & response
- Compliance evidence packs
- Security awareness training
- Incident runbooks & drills
Cloud security
Testing & scanning
Identity & access
SIEM & response
Frameworks
Security, privacy & compliance
All security work follows least-privilege access, named accounts and logged activity — and we never claim certifications on your behalf.
Data protection
We handle data in line with UK GDPR principles — only the data needed for your engagement, for only as long as it's needed.
Access control
Named accounts, multi-factor authentication and least-privilege access for everyone who touches your systems.
Secure information handling
Encrypted connections and reputable, access-controlled platforms for anything we store or transfer.
Backup & recovery
Where backups are in scope, they are protected, scheduled and test-restored — with evidence.
Privacy
Your data is never sold, shared or used to train AI models. Confidentiality is the default, not an add-on.
Business continuity
Documented runbooks and escalation paths mean the service doesn't stop when one person is away.
We do not claim certifications or accreditations on your behalf. Where formal compliance is required, we prepare your controls and evidence for assessment by the appropriate body.
Why choose Aura
What working with us actually feels like, engagement after engagement.
Tailored solutions
Every Incident Response Retainer engagement is scoped around your systems and goals — never a template.
Business-focused recommendations
We recommend what moves your numbers, not what pads our invoice.
Clear communication
Plain-English updates at every stage. You always know what's happening and why.
Flexible engagement
One-off project or ongoing partnership — scale up or down as you need.
End-to-end assistance
Strategy, implementation and handover from one accountable team.
Long-term support
We stay after launch with optimisation, reporting and a team that knows your setup.
Service packages
Three ways to engage — every package is scoped and priced in writing before work starts.
Essential
Small organisations needing core Incident Response Retainer coverage without complexity.
- Incident response plan and playbooks for likely scenarios
- Contact and escalation matrix everyone can find
- Tabletop exercise with leadership and a findings report
- Email & WhatsApp support
- Kickoff workshop
- Monthly summary report
Main benefit: Core coverage at a contained, predictable cost.
Request Custom PricingGrowth
Growing businesses wanting optimisation and reporting on top of full coverage.
- Incident response plan and playbooks for likely scenarios
- Contact and escalation matrix everyone can find
- Tabletop exercise with leadership and a findings report
- Defined response commitment for live incidents
- Priority support
- Monthly optimisation review
- Quarterly reporting call
Main benefit: The full service, continuously improved.
Request Custom PricingEnterprise
Organisations with complex requirements, multiple systems or custom workflows.
- Incident response plan and playbooks for likely scenarios
- Contact and escalation matrix everyone can find
- Tabletop exercise with leadership and a findings report
- Custom workflows & integrations
- Dedicated account lead
- Quarterly strategy review
- SLA-backed support options
Main benefit: A partner embedded in your operations.
Request Custom PricingExample scenario
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Business situation
A 45-person SaaS company facing enterprise security reviews that relies on cybersecurity & compliance every day.
Main challenge
At 2am nobody knows who to call or what to do first
Recommended solution
Incident Response Retainer — including incident response plan and playbooks for likely scenarios and contact and escalation matrix everyone can find.
Implementation approach
Delivered through our six-step process — discovery to ongoing support — with scope, deliverables and responsibilities agreed in writing before work starts.
Expected outcome
Designed-in controls reduce both the chance and the impact of an incident.
The response commitment is defined per retainer tier and agreed before signing — no vague promises.
No. It pairs naturally with Managed Detection and Response; the retainer covers what happens after detection.
Discovery typically starts within one business week of your enquiry. The full timeline depends on scope, which we agree in writing before work begins.
Mainly access to the relevant people and systems, plus timely feedback at review points. We keep the asks small and scheduled.
In most cases, yes. We assess your current setup during discovery and flag anything that needs to change before we start.
Every engagement includes a post-delivery review. Ongoing support, optimisation and reporting are available as part of the Growth and Enterprise packages.
Named accounts, least-privilege access and logged activity as standard. Your data is never shared or used for anything outside your engagement.
By scope, complexity and support level — never by guesswork. Request custom pricing and we'll send a written, itemised quotation.
Related services
Other engagements that pair naturally with this one.
Ready when you are
Get Incident Response Retainer working for your business
Book a free consultation and we'll scope the engagement honestly — or request a quote and receive a written, itemised price. No obligation, no pressure.
UK-registered company. Scope, deliverables and pricing always agreed in writing before work starts.