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Every healthcare organization knows it needs an incident response (IR) capability. But in an era of ransomware, service outages and rising patient safety risks, many are discovering a hard truth: an incident response retainer alone isn’t real readiness.

Organizations that purchase retainers may feel like they have a prepaid safety net in case something goes wrong. But when a cyber incident unfolds, most organizations quickly learn that a bucket of hours won’t solve the deeper problem of preparation.

That is the moment when incident response programs come in. Unlike retainers, organizations build IR programs for continuousreadiness, not just emergency access. Here’s what healthcare leaders need to know.

The limitations of incident response retainers

Most organizations don’t fully understand incident response retainers. Healthcare leaders assume that prepaid hours and a hotline equal preparedness. But traditional retainers come with significant gaps:

1. They’re reactive, not proactive A retainer typically sits unused until a crisis hits. It does nothing to strengthen your plan, your processes or your team ahead of time.
2. They don’t evolve with your environment Your infrastructure changes. Your staff changes. Your vendors change. A static retainer does not keep pace.
3. Hours can expire before you ever use them Many organizations lose purchased hours simply because no incident occurred, meaning the investment provided no ongoing value.
4. Priorities might not align with yours Insurance-preferred firms that manage many retainers may focus on reducing claim exposure rather than protecting your systems, uptime and patient care.

When systems go down, disrupting patient services, you need more than someone on standby. You need a team that already understands your environment and a tested plan that has been validated and practiced.

Why incident response programs deliver real readiness

An incident response program is a fundamentally different model. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong, a program builds and maintains readiness before an incident occurs.

Here’s what sets a program apart:

1. *Ongoing plan review and updates:*Response plans become outdated fast. A program ensures that they stay aligned with your current systems, workflows and risks.
2. Routine training and tabletop exercises: Teams work better under pressure when they’ve practiced. IR programs include regular tabletop exercises that improve decision-making and coordination.
3. Clear roles, communications and documentation: When an incident hits, there’s no guesswork about who does what or where information lives. The team has rehearsed it.
4. Real-time access, even during downtime: A strong IR program ensures that you can access plans, contacts, call trees and procedures even if your network is compromised.
5. *A continuous readiness cycle: *The purpose of IR programs is to evolve alongside your environment and threat landscape. Retainers wait for the crisis. Programs prepare for it.

The shift healthcare needs: A living, breathing IR program

Healthcare cannot afford slow or disorganized response efforts. When downtime affects clinical systems, the risks are immediate and tangible.

A living IR program ensures that, when something goes wrong, the response doesn’t start with questions such as: Where is our plan? Who needs to be notified? Does anyone remember the last time we reviewed this?

Instead, it starts with confidence. A program gives your team:

• A current, validated IR plan
• Regular practice through exercises
• Clear escalation paths
• The ability to act fast, even during network outages
• A readiness posture that insurers (and attackers) can’t ignore

In a world where downtime is costly and patient safety is non-negotiable, this proactive approach isn’t optional; it’s essential.

The bottom line

An incident response retainer may help you respond, but it will not make you ready. If your organization wants a faster response, greater resilience, less downtime, stronger documentation for insurance, a well-trained team and a plan that works in the moment, then an incident response program is the model you need. Healthcare cybersecurity is too dynamic, too interconnected and too critical to rely on prepaid hours alone. Readiness must be continuous, and that’s what an IR program delivers.

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