Guide · Due Diligence M&A

What is Cyber Due Diligence for M&A?

Cyber due diligence for M&A: a practical guide to cyber due diligence — what it covers, who it’s for, how it compares to market alternatives and how it fits into an M&A deal.

Request a free Cyber DD report Download sample PDF

First report on your real target, free with 24h qualification. After that, standard pricing at €390 per dossier (10-pack for €3,200).

What is cyber due diligence?

A specific layer of the due diligence process focused on the target’s cyber risk: exposed attack surface, historical breaches, technical posture and key-personnel exposure. Outside-in, with no access to the internal network.

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Fast

Full report in under 5 minutes, within the same investment committee session.

🛡️

Auditable

Documented methodology and RFC 3161 timestamp. Defensible before the committee and the buyer.

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Actionable

10 KRIs with clear severity and prioritized recommendations to negotiate price or W&I cover.

Who it’s for

Built for the players who need to resolve cyber risk on time without slowing down the deal calendar.

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PE funds

Pre-close Cyber DD and portfolio monitoring.

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Venture Capital

Screening startups in early-stage rounds.

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M&A boutiques

Supporting sell-side and buy-side advisory.

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Law firms

Technical annex for SPA and W&I.

10 KRIs covered in the Cyber DD report

Each report analyzes 10 key cyber-risk indicators, grouped into actionable blocks with severity and a prioritized recommendation.

1Exposed attack surface
2DNS and email posture (SPF/DKIM/DMARC)
3Known technical vulnerabilities
4Leaked credentials and secrets
5Attributable historical breaches
6Infrastructure reputation
7Key-employee exposure
8Vendor dependency and risk
9Signs of active compromise
10Apparent compliance and governance

How it works

From request to delivery in under one session.

STEP 1

Review the sample

Download a real anonymized report to check the format and depth before committing budget.

STEP 2

Order the report

Provide the target (primary domain) and receive the automatically generated report with an RFC 3161 timestamp.

STEP 3

Decide in the session

10 KRIs with severity, findings and recommendations. Ready to attach to the SPA or support W&I cover.

Cyber DD vs. market alternatives

An honest comparison: when Cyber DD is the right fit, and when it isn’t, against the main players in the market.

SolutionDelivery timeCost per reportModel
IntelMind Cyber DD< 5 minutes€390Outside-in, automated, attachable
Big4 / cyber DD consultancies2 – 6 weeks€30k – €300kInside-out with a dedicated team
BitSight / SecurityScorecardAnnual subscription€20k – €80k / yearContinuous portfolio rating
Offensive pentest1 – 4 weeks€8k – €60kAudit with explicit authorization

Cyber DD does not replace a deep audit with internal network access. It solves the first step: resolving cyber risk pre-LOI or pre-close within a reasonable budget and timeframe.

Frequently asked questions

What investment teams ask most before ordering.

Is the report legally valid as an SPA annex?
The report carries an RFC 3161 timestamp and immutable custody, which makes it a defensible document for both buyer and seller. Its content is outside-in (no internal network access), so it fits as an informational annex before closing. For post-close inside-out audits, we recommend complementing it with a pentesting provider under formal authorization.
How long does it actually take?
Under 5 minutes from when the analysis starts. The idea is that cyber risk gets resolved within the same investment committee session, not in a separate iteration that delays the calendar.
How much does a report cost?
€390 per dossier (single price; 10-pack for €3,200), regardless of company size, regulatory context or depth. Funds with an active portfolio get quarterly monitoring packs. See full pricing.
What exactly do the 10 KRIs cover?
Exposed attack surface, DNS/email posture, technical vulnerabilities, leaked credentials, historical breaches, infrastructure reputation, key-employee exposure, vendor risk, signs of active compromise and apparent governance. See the detail of each KRI.
Do I need to sign an annual contract?
No. Cyber DD is ordered per report, with no commitment. Funds with a recurring deal flow get volume-based terms.
How is this different from IntelMind’s OSINT SaaS tools?
These are products built for different audiences and problems. Cyber DD is a formal M&A Due Diligence report, aimed at funds, boutiques and law firms to support a deal. The 6 OSINT SaaS tools are technical utilities for SOC teams, analysts, investigators and KYC processes: they are not a report and don’t serve a due diligence function. They’re purchased and used separately.

Shall we start with a sample?

Download a real (anonymized) report in under 30 seconds, or book a demo with the sales team.

Download sample PDF Talk to sales
Cyber due diligence for M&A — automated cyber-risk report for acquisitions
Regulatory framework and official resources

About cyber due diligence for M&A

These are the legal frameworks, institutions and authority references behind the professional use of cyber due diligence for M&A with IntelMind: