Cipher vs VikingCloud
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. VikingCloud is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; VikingCloud serves SMB and Mid-market. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 2 for VikingCloud (Endpoint, Network).
Buyer brief
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. VikingCloud is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; VikingCloud serves SMB and Mid-market. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 2 for VikingCloud (Endpoint, Network).
VikingCloud is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Cipher is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools | Retail, hospitality, and financial services organizations where PCI DSS compliance is the primary driver for buying MDR |
| Price | Custom quote | Not published |
| Response authority | 0/6 actions · Approval required | 1/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Requires own platform |
| 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
- Retail, hospitality, and financial services organizations where PCI DSS compliance is the primary driver for buying MDR
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC | VikingCloudPLATFORM |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-market |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Requires their platform |
| EDR integrations | Customer EDR | VikingCloud Endpoint Security |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | VikingCloud Managed SIEM |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Not coveredIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Guided Response |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Alert and notify only | Quarantine |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | Yes |
| Endpoints | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ~ Limited | Not offered |
| Identity | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | Not offered |
| Network | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| 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 pricing, not publicly disclosed. VikingCloud uses quote-based pricing requiring direct sales consultation. |
| 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. | Pricing is completely opaque: no public ranges, no published minimums, quote-only. Requires VikingCloud's proprietary endpoint agent (Bitdefender-based), replacing your existing EDR. DFIR incident response is a separate retainer, not included in base MDR. The 4M customer base is mostly compliance clients. Ask how many are active MDR customers to gauge service maturity. |
| Data portability | Partial | Limited |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Annual |
| Channels | Portal | EmailPhonePortal |
| 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. | Not published. Agent installation is described as one-click download. |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | RetailQuick Service RestaurantsFinancial ServicesHospitalityHealthcareTravel and Tourism |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Less than 30 minutes (vendor blog claim, not independently validated) |
| 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. | Very limited public reviews for VikingCloud's MDR service specifically. The company is established in PCI compliance consulting (100+ QSAs, 35-year heritage) but has near-zero visibility in practitioner communities discussing MDR. No Reddit discussions found. Four customer testimonials on Featured Customers are positive but compliance-focused, not about detection and response quality. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | PCI DSSISO 27001SOC 2 |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | PCI QSA (Qualified Security Assessor Company)PCI ASV (Approved Scanning Vendor)PCI PFI (Payment Card Industry Forensic Investigator) |
| Founded | – | 1989 |
| 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 |
| API available | – | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and VikingCloud?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). VikingCloud is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Cipher covers 0 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 2 for VikingCloud.
How do Cipher and VikingCloud differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. VikingCloud supports 1 autonomous actions (file quarantine) and approval is configurable.
How does Cipher pricing compare to VikingCloud?
Cipher pricing: Not published. VikingCloud 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 VikingCloud: Pricing is completely opaque: no public ranges, no published minimums, quote-only; Requires VikingCloud's proprietary endpoint agent (Bitdefender-based), replacing your existing EDR.
Should I choose Cipher or VikingCloud?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose VikingCloud if: retail, hospitality, and financial services organizations where PCI DSS compliance is the primary driver for buying MDR. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. VikingCloud is not ideal for organizations with existing EDR investments wanting vendor-agnostic MDR (VikingCloud requires their own endpoint agent).
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.