SINGAPORE and TOKYO, May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions Inc. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Daisen Suzuki; hereinafter "MBSD") will start providing a cyber incident response (hereinafter "IR") retainer service in collaboration with BLACKPANDA JAPAN K.K. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: David Yu Suzuki; hereinafter "Blackpanda").  The retainer service allows customers to proactively engage Blackpanda's elite cyber incident response services on standby in advance for potential cyber security incidents. Through the retainer service, customers can seize control of cyber incident response - enabling them to smoothly and quickly execute incident response protocols when triggered, thereby reducing the risks and costs of reactively engaging incident response services from IR vendors after incidents have occurred.

When a company suffers a cyber security incident and it proves difficult to handle by the company's own internal Computer Security Incident Response Team (hereinafter "CSIRT"), the company will normally seek consultation with IR vendors for assistance. However, this approach puts the company in a reactive posture, and creates potential risks, delays, and higher costs.  Finding and negotiating with an available IR vendor in reaction to an incident involves navigating complicated contractual negotiations and procedures, and explaining the company's environment and incident details to a possibly unfamiliar vendor. This process requires substantial expenditure of time and effort, resulting in increased response costs and, most significantly, the greater risk of exacerbated damages to the company.

Under the new IR Retainer service, MBSD will assist the customer to proactively prepare for potential cyber security incidents by setting up contractual arrangements, agreeing on procedures and communication channels, and collecting relevant information on the customer's technology environment.  In the event of a security incident, MBSD acts as a point of contact for consultation among the user and Blackpanda to execute the response. With protocols and preparation work already established, response time between the occurrence of the security incident and the initiation of response, including threat identification, containment, and recovery, can be significantly reduced – ultimately minimizing the damages and business impact to the customer.  As well, MBSD's IR Retainer, being a pre-arranged service, offers significant cost savings compared to on-demand incident response after an emergency has occurred.

Furthermore, for the IR Retainer service, if incident response support remains unused throughout the contract period, customers have flexibility to reassign a portion of the contract fee to other security services. This flexibility is a notable feature, avoiding the "use it or lose it" situation that arises with prepaid contracts. For further information, please contact us below.

Key Features of Our Service

1.  Minimization of Damages by Reducing Time from Incident Occurrence to Response and Recovery
   By contracting in advance, we can expedite the time it takes to begin response and recovery. Following the establishment of the contract, we will proactively collect relevant information to develop a thorough understanding of the customer's environment. Compared to the traditional approach of identifying and engaging an IR vendor after the onset of a security incident, our IR Retainer service significantly shortens the overall incident response timeline from response initiation to threat identification, containment, and recovery, ultimately minimizing damages.
   
   
2. Flexible Service Design
   If incident response is not executed during the contract period, unused fees can be reallocated to other cyber security services. In this way, customers can enjoy the dual benefits of standby cyber incident response as well as bespoke cyber security consulting services at no additional cost, contributing to the continual enhancement of customer's cyber resilience.
   
   
3. Cost Effective Incident Response Support
   As this service entails pre-contracting for potential security incidents, it allows for cost reduction compared to rushed engagements with an IR vendor during emergencies.

【From Blackpanda】

Blackpanda expresses great pleasure for this collaboration with MBSD, which marks a significant milestone for us. This partnership enables us to immediately extend our coverage to the Japanese enterprise market alongside our traditional SMB customer base.

In joining forces with MBSD, we will offer the cybersecurity industry's most sophisticated digital forensics and incident response services as an integral element of MBSD's comprehensive cybersecurity solutions for enterprises in Japan.

This partnership is not just a testament to our advanced capabilities and MBSD's leading position in the Japanese cybersecurity market, but it also underscores our commitment to adding a critical capability for leading Japanese enterprise organizations to enhance their resilience against ever-evolving cyber threats.

Together, we are setting a new standard in cybersecurity, ensuring Japanese businesses receive unparalleled protection and world-class crisis response.

BLACKPANDA JAPAN K.K.  Representative Director  David Yu Suzuki

【From MBSD】
We are delighted to announce the commencement of our IR Retainer service in collaboration with Blackpanda. While the advancement of digital technology has brought innovation to the entire economy, it has led to the daily increase in the threat of cyber attacks. MBSD has long been dedicated to providing services that address the cybersecurity needs of companies across various scales and industries. However, clearly, security incidents causing significant disruptions to business operations are becoming more frequent. With this IR Retainer service offered in partnership with Blackpanda, we aim to meet the specific needs of companies looking to prepare in advance for security incidents, therefore, aiding in the enhancement of cyber resilience.

MITSUI BUSSAN SECURE DIRECTIONS, INC.
Executive Officer
Masaru Sekihara

About BLACKPANDA GROUP

Blackpanda is Asia's leading local cyber incident response firm, dedicated to delivering world-class digital emergency response services to businesses in the region. We help businesses strengthen their cyber resilience and secure their digital operations by supporting them with incident response delivered by local experts. 

Our mission is to make cyber resilience achievable for all, with services and solutions designed for the Asian market. 

For more details, please visit our website www.blackpanda.com

About MBSD

Established in 2001 as a cybersecurity specialist firm, we offer various diagnostics services such as penetration testing, TLPT, Red Team exercises, web application and web vulnerability assessments, malware analysis, advanced security technology services including integrated log monitoring and Managed XDR (Extended Detection and Response), as well as consulting services. We boast a large number of highly skilled cybersecurity professionals and are recognized as one of Japan's leading companies in this field. For more details, please visit our website.

For more details, please visit our website www.mbsd.jp

MEDIA CONTACT: Group Marketing Manager, may@blackpanda.com