Cipher vs r-tec IT Security
Cipher and r-tec IT Security are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while r-tec IT Security serves Mid-market and Enterprise.
Buyer brief
Cipher and r-tec IT Security are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while r-tec IT Security serves Mid-market and Enterprise.
Both providers target similar markets. Compare their specific response actions, communication channels, and pricing structure to find the better fit for your environment.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools | German mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth |
| 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
- German mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth
- 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 | r-tec IT SecurityTECH-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 | CrowdStrikeMicrosoft Defender XDR |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | ExabeamMicrosoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: Not coveredIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Alert and notify only | Custom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ~ Limited | ~ Limited |
| Cloud workloads | ~ Limited | Not offered |
| Identity | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | Not offered |
| Network | ~ Limited | ~ Limited |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | + Optional |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | ≤1 hour |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom quote. Cipher does not publish xMDR package pricing. | Tiered custom quote. r-tec publishes Basic and Premium MDR tiers but does not publish prices. |
| 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. | Premium is required for 24x7 service times and the 1-hour qualification and First Response target.. Basic still has 24x7 automated detection and alerting, but human service hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-18:00.. Public pages do not publish prices or contract minimums.. Optional direct response should be converted into a written pre-approval matrix.. Endpoint telemetry may depend on contracted CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender XDR or Managed EDR scope.. OT MDR and Managed EDR are separate named services, so buyers should confirm whether they are included or quoted separately. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Basic, Premium, Custom |
| Channels | Portal | EmailPhone |
| 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. | r-tec says site collectors support simple and fast implementation, but no standard public onboarding duration was found. |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | Critical InfrastructureEnergyManufacturingOperational TechnologyHealthcareFinancial ServicesPublic SectorLogisticsAutomotiveChemicalsPharmaceuticals |
| 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. | r-tec has limited MDR-specific public review volume. The public buyer case rests on German delivery, a published IT MDR service, a separate OT MDR service, BSI APT-response status and clear Basic versus Premium service-level targets. Buyers should validate exact response authority, pricing, OT scope and the operating model behind Premium 24x7 service. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | ISO 27001ISO 9001KRITISGDPR |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | ISO 27001ISO 9001BSI-certified APT Response service providerEcoVadis Bronze group certification |
| Founded | – | 1996 |
| 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. | Not published as a standard MDR retention period. r-tec says Exabeam is operated as a cloud service from a German GDPR-compliant data center. |
| API available | – | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and r-tec IT Security?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). r-tec IT Security is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Cipher offers Not disclosed, r-tec IT Security offers ≤1 hour.
How do Cipher and r-tec IT Security differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. r-tec IT Security supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Cipher and included with r-tec IT Security.
How does Cipher pricing compare to r-tec IT Security?
Cipher pricing: Not published. r-tec IT Security 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 r-tec IT Security: Premium is required for 24x7 service times and the 1-hour qualification and First Response target.; Basic still has 24x7 automated detection and alerting, but human service hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-18:00..
Should I choose Cipher or r-tec IT Security?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose r-tec IT Security if: german mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. r-tec IT Security is not ideal for buyers that need public price cards or contract minimums before sales engagement.
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.