GSX and BLACKPANDA Partner to Launch Device Anomaly Consultation and Incident Response Service

Global Security Experts Inc. (GSX) has partnered with BLACKPANDA JAPAN Inc. (BLACKPANDA) to launch a service that accepts consultations and conducts investigations regarding anomalies occurring in various devices, OS, and tools. While GSX has conventionally provided operational monitoring services for specific tools like CrowdStrike, by combining it with BLACKPANDA's 'IR-1', they are now able to respond to anomalies from a wider range of targets. Additionally, this service includes cyber insurance to reduce the financial burden in the event of a cyberattack.

Challenges Faced by Mid-Sized and SMEs in Cybersecurity
To protect their businesses from cyberattack damages, companies are required to monitor a broad attack surface and respond to suspected incidents. Achieving this requires specialized knowledge, and many companies struggle to handle it adequately.

Against this backdrop, by combining GSX's 'MDR Service' and 'Emergency Response Service' with BLACKPANDA's 'IR-1', a framework has been established to accept consultations and investigate anomalies generated by various devices, OS, and tools.

Incident Monitoring, Investigation, and Recovery Support Leveraging GSX and BLACKPANDA's Strengths
GSX receives over 300 consultations for cyberattack damages annually, possessing extensive experience and high-level specialized knowledge ranging from operational monitoring like MDR to incident response and digital forensics. By providing diverse services such as security consulting and advisory, GSX supports customers one-stop from peacetime operations to emergency response.

BLACKPANDA offers a subscription-based incident response service, 'IR-1', at a reasonable price. By contracting during peacetime, rapid initial response becomes possible in an emergency. Providing consistent services from investigation and containment to recovery support minimizes the impact on business. Furthermore, it supports integration with cyber insurance (underwritten insurance), realizing highly effective cybersecurity measures for a wide range of companies, including SMEs.

Through this collaboration, combining GSX's forensics and consulting capabilities with BLACKPANDA's rapid incident response framework and subscription-based service will strengthen the ability to respond to incidents and provide higher added value by accepting consultations on anomalies from various devices, OS, and tools.

[Examples of Cyberattack Types]
- Account takeover / Unauthorized access
- Business Email Compromise (BEC)
- Exploitation of vulnerabilities
- Ransomware
- Malware infection
- Support scams, etc.

[Examples of Visible Symptoms]
- Alerts from security monitoring/detection functions or services
- Encryption or destruction of multiple files
- Execution of programs or creation/modification of files not expected in normal operations
- Logins from suspicious sources or unrecognized logins
- Suspicion of being deceived by phishing or support scams, etc.

Endorsement from BLACKPANDA JAPAN
Incident response is the 'last line of defense' that protects a company. When facing a crisis like a cyberattack, how quickly the situation is brought under control is the key to minimizing the impact on operations and ensuring business continuity. Through this collaboration with GSX, by multiplying their high-level specialized knowledge and consulting capabilities with our rapid incident response framework, we will provide highly effective and value-added services to customers post-incident. We will continue to contribute to further improving our customers' cyber response capabilities.
Masaki Hiraoka, Representative Director, BLACKPANDA JAPAN Inc.

Endorsement from GSX
Many of GSX's customers are mid-sized and small-to-medium enterprises. Due to challenges such as a shortage of personnel to execute cybersecurity measures, it is difficult for them to investigate and respond to cyberattacks. Moreover, the problem is more severe for regional companies as there are fewer vendors to support their countermeasures. Additionally, mid-sized and SME customers have a low rate of cyber insurance enrollment, which can delay judgment and response in emergencies. The collaboration between BLACKPANDA and GSX will contribute to solving these challenges.