CHICAGO, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cyberattacks are becoming more frequent, disruptive and difficult for organizations to remediate quickly. In the past 18 months, 60% of organizations experienced at least one material impact, according to a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of TransUnion (NYSE: TRU).
The research, based on a survey of 327 director-level and above decision-makers who influence or make decisions on incident response strategy, found 40% said their organization lacks an end-to-end incident response partner, while 37% said they do not have a comprehensive incident response plan in place. The full findings will be discussed in the upcoming webinar, Close the Incident Response Gap: How to Strengthen Readiness, Recovery and Trust, on September 22.
“The aftermath of a cyberattack is very chaotic and complex, and most businesses cannot adequately prepare for it on their own,” said Matt Cullina, head of TransUnion’s global cyber insurance business, which helps organizations minimize harm and restore consumer confidence. “Having the right partner can help minimize the damage and get businesses back to normal much faster.”
The study found organizations recognize the need for comprehensive support from expert partners. Three in four respondents (76%) indicated that end-to-end incident response readiness and response support are either “very important” or “mission-critical” when selecting a partner.
In addition, more than 70% of respondents said their organization already uses at least one external incident response provider. However, only 46% said their current provider delivers that capability very well or extremely well, which explains why 41% plan to reevaluate their external incident response providers in the next 12 months.
One of the biggest barriers to adequate incident response support is the cost of retaining outside expertise, especially for midmarket and below organizations with smaller budgets. The study provides several recommendations for maximizing the investment, including:
- Utilize retainer time for proactive readiness preparation. This may include conducting initial readiness assessments and internal first responder training to familiarize team members with their roles and basic protocols.
- Organize cross-functional incident tabletop exercises and realistic crisis simulations to stress test and refine the incident response team’s capabilities. These should involve executive leadership, legal, communications, operations, and other key stakeholders.
- Prepare external breach communications to customers, partners and employees in advance of an incident. Involve privacy counsel, public relations and HR to hone messaging and have it approved and ready to deploy. While there will be gaps for details specific to each incident, the core messages communicating diligence in resolving the issue and restoring trust will be the same.
- After exercises or incidents, update plans and playbooks with lessons learned. Periodically reassess external incident response providers to ensure their capabilities and support remain aligned with evolving risks and business needs.
“Incident response should be treated as a continuous readiness cycle, not a one-time plan,” added Cullina. “The organizations best positioned to withstand cyber events are those that test their playbooks, include legal, communications and executive stakeholders in tabletop exercises, and continually reevaluate whether their providers can meet today’s threat environment.”
TransUnion incident response solutions help organizations build readiness and move from uncertainty to action. With over 15 years of industry expertise, TransUnion provides flexible services that coordinate responses, reduce disruptions, and support affected individuals. Click here to learn more.
About the study
In this study, Forrester conducted an online survey of 327 director-level and above decision-makers in the United States who influence or make decisions on their organization’s incident response strategy and partner selection. Respondents represented enterprise and midmarket organizations across energy and utilities, financial services, healthcare, insurance, retail and telecommunications services. The study began in February 2026 and was completed in March 2026.
About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)
TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world. http://www.transunion.com/business