Best Incident Response Companies UK
The best incident response companies for UK businesses in 2026 are judged on speed to a human responder, whether incident response is included in your existing monitoring or billed as a separate retainer, UK-based responders and evidence handling, and forensics and root-cause depth. This guide compares 7 incident response and DFIR providers serving UK buyers: Precursor Security, NCC Group, Kroll (Redscan), S-RM, Bridewell, JUMPSEC, and Secureworks, on criteria any buyer can check independently.
Seven incident response and digital forensics companies serving UK businesses, compared on the criteria buyers actually weigh: whether incident response is included in your monitoring or billed as a separate retainer, how fast a human responder engages, where responders and evidence physically sit, and the depth of forensics behind the containment.
We are Precursor Security, and we have ranked ourselves first on this list.
Rather than pretend otherwise, we publish the selection criteria in full, describe every provider fairly, and mark where each one is genuinely strongest so you can weigh it yourself. We include two US-owned providers UK buyers commonly shortlist, clearly labelled, because ownership and where evidence is handled are things this guide compares. The firms below are genuinely capable at incident response and digital forensics; the differences are in whether IR is included in your existing monitoring, how fast a human engages, and who each serves best. Confirm any CREST claim in the independent CREST member directory.
Seven providers, side by side
| Provider | HQ / ownership | Pricing published | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Precursor Security | UK (Newcastle) | Yes | Included with MDR |
| 2. NCC Group | UK (Manchester) | No | On application |
| 3. Kroll (Redscan) | US (Kroll-owned) | No | On application |
| 4. S-RM | UK (London) | No | On application |
| 5. Bridewell | UK | No | On application |
| 6. JUMPSEC | UK | No | On application |
| 7. Secureworks | US (Sophos) | No | On application |
Verified against each provider's public website and public corporate records, August 2026. "No" under pricing means a rate was not published at the time of writing, not that a provider is more expensive. Ownership reflects public records: Redscan is part of Kroll; Secureworks is part of Sophos.
The 7 best incident response companies
for UK buyers in 2026
1. Precursor Security
Precursor includes full incident response inside its MDR and managed SOC service rather than selling it as a separate retainer. The same UK-based, CREST-accredited team that monitors your environment 24/7 responds to it: critical alerts get human analyst investigation within 10 minutes of firing, and a named L3 incident response lead is paged for any Critical or High severity alert. MDR and managed SOC, incident response included, start from £900 per month, published on the website, with fixed monthly pricing after a free scoping call.
Trade-off: A UK mid-market specialist, not a global DFIR brand built for the largest nation-state breaches or litigation-grade forensics at Kroll or NCC Group scale.
2. NCC Group
NCC Group is one of the largest UK-headquartered security firms, headquartered in Manchester, with a long-established digital forensics and incident response practice alongside its testing and research capability. For large or multinational organisations wanting DFIR delivered under the same roof as broader security assurance work, NCC Group is a serious global-scale option.
Trade-off: Built for enterprise procurement; the engagement size and process can be disproportionate for a smaller mid-market incident. Pricing is on application.
3. Kroll (Redscan)
Kroll is a global risk and financial advisory firm headquartered in the US, and one of the most recognised names in incident response and digital forensics worldwide. Redscan, now part of Kroll, gives UK organisations access to that global DFIR bench alongside managed detection. For organisations that want incident response backed by a global forensics brand, Kroll is a natural shortlist entry.
Trade-off: US-headquartered, and the engagement model leans enterprise. Pricing is on application.
4. S-RM
S-RM is a UK-headquartered risk consultancy, founded in London, offering cyber incident response and digital forensics as part of a wider corporate intelligence and risk advisory practice. For organisations that want incident response handled by a UK consultancy with broader investigative capability beyond pure DFIR, S-RM is a credible option.
Trade-off: A risk consultancy rather than a combined offensive-and-defensive security specialist. Pricing is on application.
5. Bridewell
Bridewell is a UK-headquartered consultancy well known for its work with critical national infrastructure, energy, transport, and government, offering incident response alongside a broad advisory and testing practice. For CNI and regulated organisations that need sector depth alongside DFIR, it is a strong shortlist candidate.
Trade-off: A larger consultancy engagement model that can feel weighty for a smaller mid-market incident. Pricing is on application.
6. JUMPSEC
JUMPSEC is a UK cyber security company offering penetration testing alongside incident response and forensic capability. For organisations wanting a UK specialist that pairs offensive testing with a defensive and response practice, JUMPSEC is worth a look.
Trade-off: A smaller specialist than the global DFIR brands on this list. Pricing is on application.
7. Secureworks
Secureworks is a long-established US-headquartered provider built around its Taegis platform, now part of Sophos following its 2025 acquisition, with incident response services alongside its managed detection offering. For organisations wanting a mature global platform with a large threat-research pedigree, it remains a serious option.
Trade-off: US-headquartered and mid-integration into the Sophos portfolio; UK data residency and IR delivery model are worth confirming. Pricing is on application.
How we ranked them
Six criteria, each something a buyer should care about and can verify without taking anyone's word for it. Weighting is ours; the underlying facts are checkable.
The committed retainer response-time SLA, not just an automated alert. Ask for the time a real responder is on the phone or on a call after you report an incident, and get it in writing.
Whether incident response is included in the monthly fee you already pay for monitoring, or sold as a separate paid retainer that activates mid-incident. This is the clause people regret not checking.
Where the responders handling your evidence physically sit, and where that evidence is stored and processed. Matters for GDPR, chain of custody, and who is legally accountable.
Whether the engagement stops at containment, or extends to full digital forensics and root-cause analysis that establishes the initial access vector and the extent of data exposure.
Whether the responders already have visibility of your environment through existing MDR or SOC telemetry, or are seeing your estate for the first time when the call comes in.
Whether the post-incident report is written in a format that satisfies your board, your cyber insurer, and, where required, the ICO, not just an internal engineering write-up.
Red flags when choosing
an incident response provider
Whichever provider you choose, including us, walk away if you see these.
A retainer that bills the response separately when invoked
Some retainers are effectively a priority phone number: the moment you actually need containment, a second contract or purchase order appears. Confirm in writing whether response, not just standby access, is included in what you already pay.
No committed response-time SLA
Ask for the time a human responder is engaged and acting, not the time an automated alert fires. If the answer is vague, the 3am reality will be too.
Unknown responders who have never seen your environment
Cold-starting a relationship during an active breach costs hours you do not have. Ask whether the team responding already has visibility of your AD, cloud footprint, and backup posture, or is discovering it live.
Offshore handling of incident evidence
Ask where the evidence, logs, and forensic images are actually stored and processed, not just where the sales office is. This matters for GDPR, chain of custody, and legal accountability.
No forensics or root-cause, just containment
Stopping the bleeding is not the same as knowing how the attacker got in, what they touched, and whether they can get back in the same way. Ask what root-cause deliverable you actually receive.
Reports that will not satisfy insurers or the ICO
A write-up aimed at your engineering team is not the same as a report your cyber insurer will accept or that meets GDPR Article 33 notification standards. Ask to see a sample redacted report before you sign.
UK incident response prices in 2026
Standalone retainers typically run £8,500 to £25,000+ per year, and ad-hoc response without a retainer is billed by the day. If you already have MDR or a managed SOC that includes incident response, as Precursor does from £900 per month, a separate retainer is usually unnecessary spend.
Full incident response service and retainer detailResearching a UK incident response provider? These guides go deeper on the services, pricing, and the closed-loop model referenced above.
Compare our incident response against anyone on this list.
Incident response included in MDR and managed SOC from £900 a month. Human investigation of Critical alerts within 10 minutes, from the same UK-based, CREST-accredited team who already knows your environment.
Choosing an incident response provider
The questions buyers ask most when comparing UK IR and DFIR providers.
UK incident response retainers typically range from £8,500 to £25,000 or more per year, depending on organisation size, complexity, and support level, with a standard retainer for a mid-sized organisation averaging around £12,000 per year. Emergency ad-hoc response without a retainer is billed on a time-and-materials basis, typically £1,500 to £2,500 per consultant day. If you already have MDR or a managed SOC that includes incident response in the monthly fee, as Precursor does from £900 per month, a separate retainer may be unnecessary spend. Always confirm whether a provider quoting a retainer price is including response, or billing it separately once invoked.
An incident response retainer is a pre-agreed engagement that gives you guaranteed access to expert responders who already understand your environment before a breach happens. A good retainer includes 24/7 availability, pre-scoped response covering your Active Directory, cloud footprint, and backup posture, incident response planning, and integration with your cyber insurance policy. It is proactive preparation, not just a phone number you call after the fact. Some providers sell this as a standalone product; others, including Precursor, include the same capability inside MDR and managed SOC rather than as a separate line item.
It depends on the provider. Some MDR and managed SOC services include full incident response in the monthly fee; others detect and alert, then charge incident response separately as a retainer that activates mid-incident, or bill it ad hoc once you are already in crisis. Precursor includes full incident response as standard in every MDR and managed SOC tier, delivered by the same analysts already monitoring you, with no separate retainer fee. Many providers charge separately for it, so this is worth confirming in writing before you sign.
Only if your MDR or managed SOC provider does not already include incident response in the monthly fee. If it does, as with Precursor, a standalone retainer with a different provider is usually duplicate spend and introduces a second team that does not already know your environment. If your MDR provider bills response separately or offers detection only, a dedicated incident response retainer, ideally with responders who already have visibility of your telemetry, closes that gap. Check the contract for the words "included" versus "available on request" before assuming either way.
UK buyers typically shortlist a mix of UK-headquartered specialists and larger global DFIR brands. This guide compares seven that serve UK organisations: Precursor Security, NCC Group, Kroll (Redscan), S-RM, Bridewell, JUMPSEC, and Secureworks. The right choice depends on whether incident response is included in your existing monitoring or billed as a separate retainer, how fast a human responder engages, whether responders are UK-based with UK data residency for evidence, and the depth of forensics and root-cause analysis on offer.