Cipher vs Secureworks
Cipher and Secureworks are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Secureworks serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 4 for Secureworks (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
Cipher and Secureworks are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Secureworks serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 4 for Secureworks (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network).
Secureworks offers broader coverage (4 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 | Enterprise organizations wanting open XDR with existing CrowdStrike, Defender, SentinelOne, or Carbon Black EDR |
| Price | Custom quote | Buyer benchmark: median $91,350/yr |
| Response authority | 0/6 actions · Approval required | 4/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| 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
- Enterprise organizations wanting open XDR with existing CrowdStrike, Defender, SentinelOne, or Carbon Black EDR
- Price
- Buyer benchmark: median $91,350/yr
- Response authority
- 4/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC | SecureworksTECH-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 | CrowdStrike Falcon InsightMicrosoft Defender for EndpointSentinelOneVMware Carbon Black (Cloud & Enterprise)Sophos EndpointTaegis Endpoint Agent (native) |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Taegis XDR (native Next-Gen SIEM) |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Alert and notify only | IsolateContainDisable accountsCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Third-party buyer data reports a $91,350/year median buyer cost for Secureworks, with a visible public range from $15,200 to $421,751/year. PeerSpot reviews also report MDR/MXDR annual deals around $60K-$320K+ depending on environment. |
| 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 | + Optional |
| Network | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| 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. | Per-endpoint pricing, custom/quote-based. Three tiers: MDR, MDR Plus, MDR Enhanced. |
| 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. | Sophos acquisition completed Feb 2025, Taegis integration into Sophos Central underway with long-term platform consolidation likely. ~6% workforce reduction (~380 roles) in Feb 2025 post-acquisition, verify analyst continuity. Per-endpoint pricing varies widely ($70-$170/endpoint reported), negotiate hard |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | Portal | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| 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. | 30-45 days typical |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | Financial ServicesGovernmentHealthcareManufacturing / OTEducationRetailTechnology |
| MTTD | Not published | Not formally published. |
| MTTR | Not published | Not formally published. 60-minute investigation SLA from case initiation to customer notification (service-level credits apply). |
| 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. | G2 4.6/5 (48 reviews). PeerSpot 7.8/10 (#2 MSSP, #15 MDR). Glassdoor 3.5/5 with 64% recommending. Taegis achieved 100% visibility and 95% detection in MITRE evaluation. Product quality respected, but organizational stability is the concern after Sophos acquisition and significant headcount losses. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | ISO 27001SOC 2 Type IIFFIEC Examined (Technology Service Provider)FIPS 140-3HIPAA/HITRUSTPCI DSSGDPR |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | ISO 27001 (ISMS for Taegis infrastructure, Schellman-certified)SOC 2 Type II (security, availability, confidentiality)FFIEC Examined as Technology Service Provider (annually)FIPS 140-3 encryption complianceCOBIT alignmentNIST SP800-53 alignment |
| Founded | – | 1998 |
| 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. | 12 months standard included. Extendable up to 48 additional months for a fee. |
| API available | – | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and Secureworks?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Secureworks is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Cipher offers Not disclosed, Secureworks offers ≤1 hour. Cipher covers 0 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 4 for Secureworks.
How do Cipher and Secureworks differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. Secureworks supports 4 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, network containment) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Cipher and included with Secureworks.
How does Cipher pricing compare to Secureworks?
Cipher pricing: Not published. Secureworks pricing: Third-party buyer data reports a $91,350/year median buyer cost for Secureworks, with a visible public range from $15,200 to $421,751/year. PeerSpot reviews also report MDR/MXDR annual deals around $60K-$320K+ depending on environment.. 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 Secureworks: Sophos acquisition completed Feb 2025, Taegis integration into Sophos Central underway with long-term platform consolidation likely; ~6% workforce reduction (~380 roles) in Feb 2025 post-acquisition, verify analyst continuity.
Should I choose Cipher or Secureworks?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose Secureworks if: enterprise organizations wanting open XDR with existing CrowdStrike, Defender, SentinelOne, or Carbon Black EDR. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. Secureworks is not ideal for buyers concerned about organizational stability after Sophos acquisition and significant headcount losses.
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.