Cipher vs UnderDefense
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. UnderDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; UnderDefense serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 5 for UnderDefense (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. UnderDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; UnderDefense serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 5 for UnderDefense (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Cipher (Services firm) and UnderDefense (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 UnderDefense's works on top of your existing stack and keeps data in your infrastructure.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools | Mid-market teams with existing EDR/SIEM that want MDR layered on top without ripping and replacing |
| Price | Custom quote | From $11/device/mo; annual MDR contract |
| Response authority | 0/6 actions · Approval required | 6/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Warranty | None listed | $1,000,000 |
- 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
- Mid-market teams with existing EDR/SIEM that want MDR layered on top without ripping and replacing
- Price
- From $11/device/mo; annual MDR contract
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- $1,000,000
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC | UnderDefenseTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Positive |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | Customer EDR | CrowdStrikeSentinelOneMicrosoft Defender |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | SplunkMicrosoft SentinelElastic |
| 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 processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Starts at $11/device/month (vendor-published) |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | $1,000,000 |
| 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. | Per-device pricing, vendor-agnostic (same rate for all asset types) |
| 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. | $11/device is a starting price for marketing. Actual cost varies by scope, and annual contract is required.. 3-year contract required for $1M breach warranty. Not available on 1-year deals.. IR retainer is separate from MDR. $0 upfront but billed per-incident, so budget for breach costs on top of subscription.. Custom integrations beyond pre-built connectors may require professional services fees. |
| Data portability | Partial | Full |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Annual |
| Channels | Portal | SlackTeamsEmailPortalPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Dedicated analyst | – | ✓ |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeLATAM | North AmericaEurope |
| Onboarding | Cipher advertises 20 days for full service activation, but buyers should confirm scope and contract timing. | 30 days |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | ManufacturingHealthcareFinancial Services |
| 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. | Gartner Peer Insights 4.9/5 (7 reviews). G2 shows 5/5 but across only 31 total reviews for all products. 66 reviews on Clutch with strong ratings. PeerSpot mindshare is 0.0% in the MDR category. No Reddit or independent practitioner forum discussion found. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001HIPAAPCI DSS |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001Splunk certificationsGIACOSCP |
| 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. | Determined by customer's existing SIEM. UnderDefense does not store raw logs, data lives in customer infrastructure. |
| API available | – | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and UnderDefense?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). UnderDefense 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 UnderDefense.
How do Cipher and UnderDefense differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. UnderDefense supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does Cipher pricing compare to UnderDefense?
Cipher pricing: Not published. UnderDefense pricing: Starts at $11/device/month (vendor-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 UnderDefense: $11/device is a starting price for marketing. Actual cost varies by scope, and annual contract is required.; 3-year contract required for $1M breach warranty. Not available on 1-year deals..
Should I choose Cipher or UnderDefense?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose UnderDefense if: mid-market teams with existing EDR/SIEM that want MDR layered on top without ripping and replacing. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. UnderDefense is not ideal for organizations that require independently validated detection metrics (MITRE, Forrester, etc.) before committing.
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.