® 
DFIR (Digital Forensics and Incident Response)
Definition
DFIR combines forensic investigation and incident response after a cyberattack. DFIR teams determine what happened, stop the attack, and restore systems.
DFIR (Digital Forensics and Incident Response) combines forensic investigation and incident response after a cyberattack. DFIR teams determine what happened, stop the attack, restore systems and collect evidence. According to IBM, organisations with a DFIR retainer save an average of $2.66 million per incident.
How does DFIR work?
The DFIR process combines two disciplines. Incident Response focuses on controlling and stopping the attack: containment, eradication, recovery and lessons learned. Digital Forensics investigates the incident: what happened, how did the attacker enter, which systems were compromised, what data was stolen, and who is responsible? Evidence must follow chain-of-custody procedures for legal admissibility.
DFIR retainer
A DFIR retainer is a pre-arranged contract guaranteeing response times during incidents. This is crucial because time is the critical factor: every minute the attacker can cause further damage. With a retainer, the DFIR team can be engaged within hours rather than days.
Impact on organisations
NIS2 requires incident response capabilities and reporting within 24 hours. DORA sets specific requirements for financial institution incident response.
Protection
Arrange a DFIR retainer before an incident occurs. Maintain an up-to-date incident response plan. Practice regularly with tabletop exercises.
How DEFION helps
DEFION provides 24/7 DFIR services with a dedicated team for incident response, digital forensics and compromise assessments.