Cipher vs Defendable
Cipher and Defendable are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Defendable serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 1 for Defendable (Endpoint).
Buyer brief
Cipher and Defendable are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Defendable serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 1 for Defendable (Endpoint).
Defendable offers broader coverage (1 surfaces vs. 0). Cipher may suit teams that need depth over breadth.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools | Norwegian and Nordic buyers that want MDR operated from Oslo and Gjovik |
| Price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 0/6 actions · Approval required | 1/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 0/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Norwegian and Nordic buyers that want MDR operated from Oslo and Gjovik
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC | DefendableTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | Customer EDR | Microsoft Defender |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Microsoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: LimitedNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Alert and notify only | Custom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ~ Limited | ~ Limited |
| Identity | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| Network | ~ Limited | ~ Limited |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom quote. Cipher does not publish xMDR package pricing. | Custom quote. Defendable does not publish MDR package pricing. |
| Hidden cost warnings | Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.. Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language.. The site names EDR and IPS/IDS integration but does not publish named vendor integrations.. Response wording is broad, so buyers should document pre-approved actions before go-live. | Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.. Response authority should be defined in writing because named autonomous endpoint and identity actions are not published.. Log storage can sit in the customer's Microsoft Log Analytics tenant or Defendable's platform, so retention and storage costs should be modeled early.. Incident-response retainer SLA is separate language and should not be assumed to be the MDR SLA.. Threat hunting is public, but hunt cadence and staffing are not published. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Custom, Incident Response Retainer |
| Channels | Portal | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeLATAM | Europe |
| Onboarding | Cipher advertises 20 days for full service activation, but buyers should confirm scope and contract timing. | Defendable publishes an MDR onboarding flow covering identification, planning, platform establishment and execution. It does not publish a standard onboarding duration. |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | Not published |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| Community view | No meaningful MDR-specific buyer-review signal was found in major English-language review communities during this pass. The public buyer case rests on Cipher's Prosegur ownership, xMDR Platform, 24/7 SOC claim, six-SOC footprint, portal access and existing-stack positioning. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, named integrations and SOC delivery details directly. | Defendable has limited MDR-specific public review volume in major English-language review communities. The public buyer case rests on Norwegian SOC delivery, a direct MDR page, Microsoft Sentinel support, proactive threat hunting, a customer portal and incident-response depth. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, retention cost and contractual SLA terms directly. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | ISO 27001Norwegian National Security Authority Quality Scheme for Incident Response |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | ISO 27001:2023Norwegian National Security Authority Quality Scheme for Incident ResponseEco-lighthouse certified |
| Founded | – | 2020 |
| Data retention | Cipher says all platform information is online 24/7 and available from any device. No public standard MDR data-retention period was found. | Defendable says customers can store additional log data in their own Microsoft Log Analytics tenant or in Defendable's log management platform. It does not publish standard MDR retention periods. |
| API available | – | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and Defendable?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Defendable is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Cipher covers 0 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 1 for Defendable.
How do Cipher and Defendable differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. Defendable supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does Cipher pricing compare to Defendable?
Cipher pricing: Not published. Defendable pricing: Not published. Watch for with Cipher: Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.; Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language.. Watch for with Defendable: Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.; Response authority should be defined in writing because named autonomous endpoint and identity actions are not published..
Should I choose Cipher or Defendable?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose Defendable if: norwegian and Nordic buyers that want MDR operated from Oslo and Gjovik. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. Defendable is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing or contractual SLA terms before sales.
Daylight Security
AI-native MDR for buyers comparing active remediation across endpoint, cloud, identity, and SaaS. Daylight works with existing EDR/SIEM stacks and uses ChatOps-native collaboration, so it can be a useful third reference point in this comparison.