Top 10 Digital Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR) US-Based Firms You Can Trust

• Headquarters: Reston, VA, USA (Google Cloud Security HQ in CA)
• Company Size: ~2,300 employees (pre-acquisition)
• Key Clients: Government agencies, Fortune 100 companies (finance, tech, etc.) – responded to the SolarWinds supply-chain attack and other high-profile incidents.
• Engagement Model: Retainer-based IR services (high-end; custom pricing)
• Core DFIR Services: Incident response (remote & on-site), digital forensics, threat intelligence, compromise assessments, IR preparedness training.

The gold-standard in incident response, known for uncovering nation-state attacks. Mandiant’s team has responded to many of the world’s biggest breaches and advanced persistent threats over two decades. Acquired by Google in 2022, Mandiant was named a Leader in Forrester’s 2024 Incident Response Services Wave, achieving the highest scores in 17 criteria. Clients praise its fast detection and remediation, bolstered by Google’s scale and threat intelligence. Mandiant’s reports (e.g. on SolarWinds and Chinese espionage) set industry benchmarks for quality.

• Headquarters: Austin, TX, USA
• Company Size: ~5,000 employees (including ~1,400+ security experts in services)
• Key Clients: Media & entertainment (e.g. Sony Pictures), political organizations (DNC), major enterprises across sectors.
• Average Rate: ~$525/hour (estimated), or incident retainers; value comes from swift containment minimizing damage costs.
• Core DFIR Services: Breach emergency response, endpoint forensics, malware analysis, threat hunting, proactive compromise assessments, IR readiness exercises.

Lightning-fast responders backed by cutting-edge technology. CrowdStrike’s incident response team, CrowdStrike Services, is renowned for speed and efficacy, supported by the Falcon platform’s real-time threat telemetry. A Forrester Wave Leader in 2024, CrowdStrike was cited for “customer-attested rapid response times and thorough onboarding”. The firm helped investigate headline breaches like the Sony Pictures hack and DNC cyberattacks. CrowdStrike combines elite human expertise with AI-driven tools to stop active breaches and eradicate adversaries.

• Headquarters: Santa Clara, CA, USA (Unit 42 operates globally from Palo Alto Networks’ hubs)
• Company Size: ~12,000 (Palo Alto Networks total; Unit 42 has several hundred consultants worldwide)
• Key Clients: Cloud service providers, critical infrastructure, large enterprises; well-known for cloud breach investigations and nation-state threat attributions.
• Engagement Model: Retainers (with prepaid hours) or emergency hourly response; integrates Palo Alto’s tools if available, but vendor-agnostic support.
• Core DFIR Services: Incident/breach response, cloud forensics, threat intel services, ransomware containment & negotiation, readiness assessments, threat hunting.

 An intelligence-driven IR team with vast data resources. Unit 42 (the DFIR arm of Palo Alto Networks) has been recognized as a Leader in Forrester’s 2024 IR Wave. Leveraging one of the world’s largest cybersecurity datasets and 1,000+ IR engagements yearly, Unit 42 provides a “threat-informed, technology-driven” approach. They bring innovative cloud incident response expertise and deep threat intelligence capabilities. Unit 42 analysts publish widely on emerging threats (ransomware, state-sponsored hacks) and partner with clients post-incident to strengthen security programs.

• Headquarters: New York, NY, USA
• Company Size: ~6,500 employees (risk advisory & cyber combined)
• Key Clients: Global financial institutions, healthcare providers, law firms; Kroll is frequently engaged for data breach investigations and PCI forensic analyses.
• Engagement Model: Incident response retainers (often via cyber insurance), hourly emergency response, digital forensics investigations.
• Core DFIR Services: Data breach response, digital forensics (disk, mobile, cloud), ransomware negotiation & recovery, incident containment and remediation, expert testimony in cyber litigation.

Global investigative experts with nearly a century of risk expertise. Kroll’s Cyber Risk division (formerly Duff & Phelps and Kroll Ontrack) offers DFIR services backed by 6,500+ professionals worldwide. Kroll handles hundreds of incidents annually, from data breaches to insider fraud, leveraging decades of forensic experience. Clients rate Kroll’s DFIR highly – a 4.9 out of 5 on Gartner Peer Insights – citing responsiveness and deep technical acumen. Kroll often works with cyber insurers and law firms, bringing multidisciplinary skills in crisis management and digital forensics.

• Headquarters: McLean, VA, USA
• Company Size: ~31,000 employees (large federal contractor; cyber team in the thousands)
• Key Clients: U.S. Department of Defense, federal agencies, aerospace & defense firms, and Fortune 500 companies needing high-assurance incident response.
• Engagement Model: Project-based IR and threat hunting engagements; many contracts via government channels or large enterprise agreements.
• Core DFIR Services: Advanced threat incident response, malware reverse engineering, insider threat investigations, cyber crisis management, post-breach remediation and security program overhaul.

A trusted IR partner for government and defense-grade incidents. Booz Allen’s cybersecurity unit has extensive experience in nation-state intrusions and critical infrastructure attacks, drawing on the firm’s deep U.S. military and intelligence community roots. In Forrester’s evaluation, Booz Allen was a strong performer, recognized for long-tail incident support beyond immediate containment. They emphasize “rebuilding trust” after breaches, helping organizations recover operations and fortify reputations post-incident. Booz Allen’s DFIR team is known for handling advanced persistent threats (APTs) and providing strategic remediation guidance to prevent re-compromise.

• Headquarters: Armonk, NY, USA (IBM Security HQ in Cambridge, MA)
• Company Size: ~8,000 in IBM Security (X-Force IRIS comprises hundreds of consultants and analysts worldwide)
• Key Clients: Global 1000 enterprises in banking, energy, retail, etc.; IBM handles major virus outbreaks and data breaches, and is a trusted responder for clients with IBM’s Managed Security services.
• Engagement Model: Annual IR retainers or on-demand emergency response; often bundled with IBM’s broader security solutions.

 One of the largest global DFIR teams, blending human expertise with AI. IBM’s X-Force Incident Response & Intelligence Services handle breaches worldwide, often leveraging IBM’s artificial intelligence to augment analysts. IBM expanded its X-Force IR capabilities with AI tools to speed investigations and automate parts of response. With its extensive research arm, IBM X-Force produces yearly threat reports and has experience from high-volume global incidents. While Forrester previously placed IBM as a contender, its continued investments keep it on the shortlist for large organizations.

Core DFIR Services: Incident response & containment, digital forensics, threat intelligence analysis (via X-Force research), malware analysis, breach impact assessment, and cybersecurity crisis communications support.

• Headquarters: Atlanta, GA, USA
• Company Size: ~2,000+ employees (analysts and consultants across global SOCs)
• Key Clients: Mid-market and enterprise organizations across finance, retail, and healthcare; many use Secureworks for MDR and leverage the same team for incident response.
• Average Hourly Rate: ~$300–$400/hr (often under retainer contracts via Secureworks’ DFIR service plans)
• Core DFIR Services: Breach detection & incident response, network forensics, endpoint triage, malware eradication, threat hunting, and incident response planning (often coupled with ongoing MDR monitoring).

MSSP-driven incident response with threat intel from the Counter Threat Unit. Secureworks combines its Managed Detection & Response platform with on-call incident responders. Rated a strong performer by Forrestervirtualizationreview.com, Secureworks has a long history in managed security and breach remediation. Now part of Dell, it offers 24/7 DFIR services as part of its portfolio. Clients benefit from Secureworks’ visibility into global threats (through its Counter Threat Unit research) and the ability to rapidly mobilize responders when a breach slips past preventive defenses.

• Headquarters: San Jose, CA, USA
• Company Size: ~83,000 (Cisco overall; Talos cyber intelligence & IR teams number in the hundreds)
• Key Clients: Telecommunications firms, large enterprises using Cisco security products, as well as governments (Cisco Talos helped investigate state-sponsored malware campaigns).
• Engagement Model: Retainer agreements (with pre-paid hours and guaranteed SLAs) or incident-based pricing for non-retainer clients; 24/7 hotline available for subscribers.
• Core DFIR Services: Incident response (remote & on-site), network traffic analysis, malware reverse engineering (via Talos research), threat containment guidance, and proactive threat hunting (often to root out entrenched attackers).

Network security giant offering hands-on breach response. Cisco’s Talos intelligence unit and IR services provide customers with expert responders skilled in dissecting network intrusions. Cisco was listed among top IR providers in industry rankings, reflecting its strong capabilities. The Talos Incident Response team can be engaged via retainer for remote or on-site breach response, leveraging Cisco’s telemetry (if available) but also working across all environments. The team is especially adept at DDoS attack handling, network forensics, and email compromise investigations, aligning with Cisco’s security product suite.

• Headquarters: New York, NY, USA
• Company Size: ~130,000 (Verizon Communications; the RISK security consulting team is a specialized group within)
• Key Clients: Payment processors, retailers (for PCI forensics), and numerous insurance providers’ clients – Verizon is frequently the firm behind data breach investigation press releases (though often unnamed publicly).
• Engagement Model: Retained services through Verizon’s “Rapid Response Retainer” (with tiered SLAs), or ad-hoc incident response billed per engagement.
• Core DFIR Services: Digital forensics (especially disk and memory analysis), incident containment and eradication, breach notification guidance, data breach risk assessments, and incident response plan development.

Data breach investigators famous for the DBIR report. Verizon’s RISK Team has handled thousands of breaches, particularly via cyber insurance referrals. They author the annual Data Breach Investigations Report, giving them insight into breach trends across industries. In Forrester’s 2022 evaluation Verizon was a contender, but their long-running incident caseload makes them a trusted name. Verizon offers an incident response retainer service to help organizations prepare and rapidly obtain forensic assistance. Their expertise spans payment card breaches, espionage intrusions, and everything in between, often working closely with law enforcement.

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA (Trustwave is a Singtel company with dual HQ in Singapore)
• Company Size: ~1,600 employees (Trustwave global headcount; SpiderLabs is the elite research and IR subset)
• Key Clients: Banks, payment card processors, hospitality and retail chains (many large point-of-sale breach cases); also governments and cloud providers in APAC via Singtel.
• Engagement Model: Incident response retainers, often in partnership with cyber insurers or through MSSP agreements; also emergency breach response engagements.
• Core DFIR Services: Compromise assessment and breach response, payment card breach investigation (PCI QIR services), malware and memory forensics, threat containment & eradication, security incident monitoring (in conjunction with Trustwave’s SOC services).

Pioneering forensics team with roots in financial breach investigations. Trustwave’s Spider Labs was one of the first specialist DFIR teams, known for investigating major credit card breaches in the 2000s. Now part of Singapore’s Singtel group, Trustwave provides hands-on incident response globally and is a CREST-certified provider. While categorized as a “Challenger” by Forrester in 2022, Spider Labs has a strong track record in uncovering attacker techniques and helping organizations recover securely. They also contribute to threat research (malware blogs, dark web intel) that benefits their response engagements.

How to Choose the Right DFIR Firm (US-Based)

When selecting a U.S.-based DFIR firm, consider these factors:

• Speed and SLA Commitments: Top U.S. firms like Mandiant and CrowdStrike emphasize ultra-fast response. If your business needs guaranteed 24/7 availability with response in hours, check the SLA in the retainer.
• Specialization vs. Scale: Some firms (Kroll, Booz Allen) are multidisciplinary, while others (Unit 42, CrowdStrike) specialize more deeply in cyber. Choose a large firm if you need legal/regulatory alignment and broad recovery services, or a specialist if your priority is speed and technical depth.
• Experience with Nation-State and APT Threats: Many U.S. DFIR firms cut their teeth on nation-state breaches. If you’re in defense, finance, or critical infrastructure, look for a partner with experience against APTs.
• Integration with Existing Security Tools: Some U.S. firms bring their own platforms (CrowdStrike Falcon, Palo Alto’s Unit 42). Decide whether you want to leverage their stack or keep vendor-neutral investigations.
• Budget & Value: Premium U.S. firms charge higher retainers and hourly rates, but their swift containment often reduces breach costs overall. Mid-tier firms can still deliver strong results for smaller enterprises.

When the stakes are high, U.S. DFIR firms consistently demonstrate their ability to act fast, scale up, and tackle even the most advanced adversaries. Their unmatched speed, depth of experience with nation-state actors, and strong integration with legal and regulatory frameworks make them the go-to choice for enterprises and critical infrastructure operators. If your top priority is swift containment and world-class technical response, a U.S. firm is the partner you can trust.