Cipher vs Gradient Cyber
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Gradient Cyber is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Gradient Cyber serves Mid-market. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 5 for Gradient Cyber (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Gradient Cyber is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Gradient Cyber serves Mid-market. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 5 for Gradient Cyber (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Cipher (Services firm) and Gradient Cyber (Pure-play MDR) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Cipher's cipher xmdr fits buyers that want a vendor-neutral mdr service backed by prosegur and delivered t... or Gradient Cyber's mid-market specialist that owns its platform, soc, and analyst team.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools | Maritime and transportation organizations needing OT visibility alongside IT security |
| Price | Custom quote | Not published |
| Response authority | 0/6 actions · Approval required | 5/6 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
- Maritime and transportation organizations needing OT visibility alongside IT security
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 5/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC | Gradient CyberTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | Customer EDR | Microsoft Defender for EndpointSentinelOne SingularityVMware Carbon BlackCisco Secure EndpointFortinet FortiEDRSophos CentralDeep Instinct |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Quorum AI native data lake (open XDR approach, works with or without customer SIEM) |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Alert and notify only | IsolateKill processContainQuarantineCustom 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 | ✓ Included |
| Identity | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| Network | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | + Optional |
| 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 pricing based on environment size and coverage areas. Positioned for mid-market budgets, but no public pricing available. |
| 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. | No public pricing. You will need a custom quote and have no benchmark to negotiate against.. Network sensors may require on-premises hardware deployment. Ask about hardware costs.. Active containment (isolate, quarantine, kill) is included, but full incident response and forensics beyond containment may require a separate professional services engagement. Clarify exactly where that line is.. Monthly reviews only, not quarterly business reviews like some competitors offer. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Annual |
| Channels | Portal | EmailPortal |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeLATAM | North AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific |
| Onboarding | Cipher advertises 20 days for full service activation, but buyers should confirm scope and contract timing. | Days. Network sensors deploy quickly with minimal setup. Full deployment completed in less than a month. |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | HealthcareFinancial ServicesManufacturingGovernmentMaritime |
| 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. | Limited public review volume. Gartner Peer Insights 4.2/5 with 13 reviews, very small market presence. Praise centers on communication quality, ease of deployment, and false positive reduction. Complaints focus on challenging ongoing management, limited customization, and gaps between sales promises and actual capabilities. No Reddit discussions found. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001GDPRHIPAAFIPS 140-2 |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | SOC 2 Type II (annual third-party audit, verified via GlobeNewsWire Dec 2023)ISO 27001 (vendor-claimed, not independently verified)GDPR compliant (vendor-claimed)HIPAA compliant (vendor-claimed)FIPS 140-2 (vendor-claimed, likely via AWS infrastructure) |
| Founded | – | 2017 |
| 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. | Longer-term storage for threat hunting, forensics, and reporting (specific retention period not published) |
| API available | – | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and Gradient Cyber?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Gradient Cyber is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Cipher covers 0 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Gradient Cyber.
How do Cipher and Gradient Cyber differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. Gradient Cyber supports 5 autonomous actions (custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does Cipher pricing compare to Gradient Cyber?
Cipher pricing: Not published. Gradient Cyber pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. 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 Gradient Cyber: No public pricing. You will need a custom quote and have no benchmark to negotiate against.; Network sensors may require on-premises hardware deployment. Ask about hardware costs..
Should I choose Cipher or Gradient Cyber?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose Gradient Cyber if: mid-market organizations (200-2,000 employees) with limited security staff wanting 24x7 monitoring and active endpoint response without hiring a SOC. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. Gradient Cyber is not ideal for sMBs under 200 employees or large enterprises over 5,000 employees (outside mid-market focus).
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.