Advisory Services
We take a multi-prong approach to help you navigate and reduce overall cyber risk.
Cyber Strategy & Defense
Our Process
- 1
Assess
We begin with a quick but thorough assessment of your current security posture to uncover any gaps, vulnerabilities, or weaknesses that threat actors may exploit.
- 2
Advise
As coaches and trusted advisors, we write playbooks and instruct you on how best to close gaps
and strengthen your defenses. - 3
Assist
We are a force multiplier for your IT departments, assisting you at every step of your security journey — from vulnerability discovery to the implementation of a
formalized security program.
What to Expect
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Action Items
We provide simple, fast, cost-effective recommendations for risk management.
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Individualized Program
We help you design a customized solution to fit your unique business needs.
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Decades of Experience
Not only do they speak security, but thanks to their extensive experience across a range of industries, they can talk the talk of your business.
Why Arete Advisors®
We speak security and thanks to extensive experience across a range of industries, we can also talk the talk of your business. We also use near real-time threat intelligence from active cases to see ahead of trends, keep you abreast of zero-day vulnerabilities, and advise on mitigation controls
to defend against new threats.
Forensic Investigations
Our Process
- 1
Triage
We quickly identify pertinent systems and sources of relevant evidence to map attacks and recreate malicious activity.
- 2
Deep-dive Analysis
We determine how threat actors got into your systems, what they did while there, and if they accessed or stole any data.
- 3
Report
We summarize and deliver findings, which clients and counsel can use to build applicable legal strategies for the business — for example, related to regulatory reporting
or notification requirements.
What to Expect
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Trusted Partner
What we know from an investigative
and security standpoint, we share with you.![]()
Transparent Communication
We speak in layman’s terms so everyone
can understand — and easily share — results.![]()
Clear Action Items
Investigations don’t end with findings
— we also suggest ways to mitigate
future events.
Why Arete Advisors®
Having handled numerous forensic matters involving data breach response and remediation, preservation and recovery of digital assets, and investigations into trade secret and IP theft, we align our investigative methodologies to meet business needs. We also integrate our combined experience of 100+ years performing forensic investigations with other Arete services
to further support your needs.
Regulatory Compliance Audits
Our Process
- 1
Level Setting
We work with key business leaders to identify applicable regulations to the business, build a baseline of compliance maturity, and develop a work plan to position
the business for compliance. - 2
Interviews
We walk key stakeholders through a series of questions — for example, to determine if daily operations match policies and procedures or to ensure that relevant documentation is not outdated or missing.
- 3
Report
We deliver a report that encompasses audit findings, including gaps or areas for improvement. Alternatively, we can provide an attestation of compliance or sufficient information
for self-certification.
What to Expect
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Broad Regulatory Experience
We partner with you to solve any type of regulatory compliance challenge.
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Diverse Industry Experience
We understand the unique regulatory requirements across industries.
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Avoid Penalties
We uncover potential issues, so you can address them to remain compliant.
Why Arete Advisors®
We handle audits for a variety of regulations — including HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, and NIST SP 800-171. With a goal of reducing overall risk, we assess your current security posture and business operations and then apply our investigative experience and unique knowledge of how regulatory bodies view certain situations to identify critical areas that are often overlooked when preparing for compliance.
Expert Witness Services
Our Process
- 1
Fact Finding
We perform independent investigations of your systems, policies, and procedures to uncover facts to assist with formulating a legal position.
- 2
Strategy Refinement
We partner with you to build an expert position and prepare persuasive reports to support your legal strategy.
- 3
Expert Testimony
We know how to present technical evidence in a clear manner to judges, juries, and attorneys during legal proceedings.
What to Expect
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Winning Legal Strategies
We team with attorneys to craft expert positions and help support and refine legal strategies.
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Decades of Experience
We have deep experience with testimonies, depositions, and expert reports.
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Industry-agnostic
No matter your industry, we can help support your legal strategy for the best outcome.
Why Arete Advisors®
Our experts, who are cybersecurity thought leaders and published authors, have served as special masters via court appointment. For both plaintiffs and defendants, they have testified before judges, juries, and arbitrators on a variety of matters, including data breaches, trade secret misappropriation, and contract and intellectual property disputes involving source code and other business-sensitive information.
Data Mining and Document Review
Our Process
- 1
Data Collection
We coordinate with the client and incident response team to retrieve and transfer all data the threat actor
may have accessed. - 2
Data Processing
We perform multiple de-duplication steps to limit data set redundancy and avoid duplicative document review.
- 3
Intelligence & Triage
Utilizing AI models, document-level metadata, and client-provided details, we reduce false positives and minimize the data footprint requiring review.
- 4
Document Review & Entity Extract
Applying client trigger lists and standard regulatory items, we determine scope of manual review and extract relevant data.
- 5
Entity Match & Notification List
We condense and roll up all data extracted from various data sources into a final notification list leveraging AI-based technology to support quality control and de-duplication efforts.
What to Expect
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Low Cost
Predictable pricing for automated identification
of compromised sensitive data![]()
One-stop Shop
Seamless and timely transfer of information
between response and analysis teams![]()
Quick Compliance
A pioneering approach to data analysis that
helps clients quickly meet legal obligations
Why Arete Advisors®
We do all data breach analysis work in-house. Our data breach analysts partner with our incident responders and forensic investigators to create master reports that capture relevant data threat actors may have accessed or stolen. This collaborative process ensures accurate data curation and judicious delivery of notification lists to help clients meet their legal obligations.
Arete Provides Solutions For:
Industries
Experience, processes, and technologies to guide you along the fastest path to recovery.
Insurance
One-stop, full-service recovery response shop, rapidly restoring normal business operations.
Law Firms
No client is the same — so no response is the same.