Gartner® Market Guide · July 2025

The future of
incident response
is already here.

The latest Gartner Market Guide for DFIR Retainer Services explores how the DFIR market is evolving as demand grows and investigations become more complex — examining 40 representative vendors across consulting firms, MSSPs, MDR providers, and technology vendors.

GARTNER® RESEARCH · DFIR RETAINER SERVICES · JULY 2025
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Market Guide for Digital Forensics and Incident Response Retainer Services
40
Representative vendors analysed
2025
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What's Inside

The DFIR market
is evolving fast.

The latest Gartner Market Guide for DFIR Retainer Services explores how the DFIR market is evolving as demand grows and investigations become more complex. This report examines 40 representative vendors across consulting firms, MSSPs, MDR providers, and technology vendors — based on real client interest and inquiries.

Gartner highlights how AI and automation are transforming Incident Response Services delivery, reducing investigation time, improving contextualization, and lowering reliance on scarce expertise.

This complimentary report is offered by Binalyze for security leaders and service providers looking to understand emerging trends and the future of scalable incident response.

Key Finding
AI and automation are transforming IR delivery — reducing investigation time and lowering dependence on scarce specialist expertise.
Market Trend
Demand for DFIR retainer services is growing as investigations become more complex and organisations seek proactive capabilities alongside reactive response.
Vendor Landscape
40 representative vendors assessed across four distinct provider categories — from pure-play consulting to technology-led MDR providers.
Analyst Insight
Gartner highlights improved contextualization as a critical differentiator as AI begins to reshape how investigations are scoped and resolved.
Vendor Coverage

40 vendors.
One definitive view.

Gartner assessed 40 representative vendors based on actual client demand and inquiries — not arbitrary selection — giving you a market perspective grounded in real-world procurement behaviour.

40
Representative vendors assessed across the DFIR retainer services market — selected based on real client interest and Gartner inquiry data.
Consulting Firms
Traditional advisory and professional services firms with deep forensic investigation expertise.
MSSPs
Managed Security Service Providers offering retainer services alongside broader security operations.
MDR Providers
Managed Detection and Response vendors expanding into retainer-based IR capabilities.
Technology Vendors
Platform and tooling vendors offering retainer services tied to their technology capabilities.
AI & Automation

Speed.
Context.
Less reliance on scarcity.

Gartner highlights how AI and automation are transforming Incident Response Services delivery — with measurable impact across three critical dimensions of DFIR service delivery.

01
Reduced Investigation Time
AI-assisted triage and analysis is compressing timelines that previously required days of manual forensic work.
02
Improved Contextualization
Automated correlation of evidence sources provides richer context earlier in investigations — improving decisioning at speed.
03
Lower Reliance on Scarce Expertise
Automation augments analyst capability, enabling service providers to scale delivery without proportional headcount growth.
AI Impact on DFIR Delivery
Investigation Speed ↑ Significant
Evidence Contextualization ↑ High
Analyst Scalability ↑ Growing
Expertise Dependency ↓ Reducing
Binalyze AIR addresses all three vectors
Automated Triage Edge Collection Scalable IR
Who Should Read This

Built for security leaders
and service providers.

Whether you're evaluating retainer services, building an IR programme, or benchmarking your capability, this report provides the strategic foundation you need.

CISOs & Security Leaders
Understand where the DFIR market is heading and evaluate retainer options against a comprehensive vendor landscape.
IR Teams & SOC Managers
Benchmark your programme against industry trends and understand how AI is reshaping investigation workflows and analyst roles.
MSSPs & Service Providers
Position your offering against the competitive landscape and identify where automation and AI create differentiation opportunities.
Complimentary Gartner® Report — Offered by Binalyze

Get your copy now.

This complimentary report is offered by Binalyze for security leaders and service providers looking to understand emerging trends and the future of scalable incident response.