DirectDefense vs InfoGuard
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. InfoGuard is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; InfoGuard serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 4 for InfoGuard (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. InfoGuard is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; InfoGuard serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 4 for InfoGuard (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network).
DirectDefense (Pure-play MDR) and InfoGuard (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize DirectDefense's technology-agnostic mdr with soar-driven triage, offensive security dna, and ot/ics partnerships ... or InfoGuard's infoguard fits dach buyers that want a swiss services firm to run mdr, co-managed soc and csirt-b....
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top | Swiss, German and Austrian buyers that want MDR from DACH-based SOCs |
| Price | Not published | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 1/6 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 organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Swiss, German and Austrian buyers that want MDR from DACH-based SOCs
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | DirectDefenseTECH-AGNOSTIC | InfoGuardTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | SMB, Mid-market | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeSentinelOneHalcyonCylance BlackBerry | Customer endpoint telemetry |
| SIEM integrations | Rapid7TenableMicrosoft Sentinel | Customer log sources |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: LimitedNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Limited |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Custom playbooks | Custom playbooks |
| IR included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Identity | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| Network | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | ~ Limited |
| Threat hunting | Extra cost | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | ≤30 minutes | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom pricing based on endpoints, coverage scope, and service tier. Three tiers: Security Essentials (SMB vCISO + identity protection bundle), MDR + MSSP CORE (detection + IR retainer), MDR + MSSP MAX (full managed SOC + vulnerability management + email security). | Custom quote. InfoGuard does not publish MDR package pricing. |
| Hidden cost warnings | Requires existing SIEM or purchase of SIEM platform (Rapid7, Tenable, Microsoft Sentinel). Technology-agnostic model means you need to own the underlying security tools. OT/ICS coverage requires separate Claroty, Dragos, or SCADAfence licensing. Third-party estimates (Getlatka) suggest ~$55K average deal size, which is mid-market territory, not SMB-friendly except for the Security Essentials tier. No published pricing on the website makes cost comparison difficult before engaging sales. Identity threat protection and vCISO are only in the Security Essentials tier (separate from MDR), not in CORE or MAX | Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.. Named autonomous response actions are not published, so response authority should be written into the contract.. InfoGuard offers both Managed SOC and Co-Managed SOC, so buyer-side staffing and responsibility can vary by model.. Data can stay at the customer premises or in Swiss data centres, which may change architecture and retention cost.. Incident Response Retainer exists as a separate offer, so buyers should confirm exactly what incident-response work is included in MDR. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | Custom, Managed SOC, Co-Managed SOC, Incident Response Retainer |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North America | Europe |
| Onboarding | Customized based on environment complexity. SIEM integration required for CORE and MAX tiers. | InfoGuard's Cyber Defence brochure states 4 weeks for structured SOC onboarding. Buyers should confirm which log sources, sensors and response playbooks are included in that onboarding scope. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesInsuranceHealthcareManufacturingEnergy & UtilitiesAerospaceAutomotiveGaming & EntertainmentRetail & HospitalityEducationGovernment | Financial ServicesInsuranceManufacturingEnergyHealthcareRetailService ProvidersPublic Sector |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| Community view | Almost no public practitioner reviews. No presence on G2, PeerSpot, Gartner Peer Insights, or Reddit as of March 2026. Industry recognition includes MSSP Alert Top 250 (#128, 2024), CRN MSP 500 Security 100 (4th consecutive year), Inc. 5000 (#3924, 2024), and Globee Silver for Best Cybersecurity Service Provider (2025). Awards show vendor credibility but tell you nothing about day-to-day service quality from a buyer's perspective. | No meaningful MDR-specific buyer-review signal was found in major English-language review communities during this pass. The public buyer case rests on InfoGuard's Swiss and German SOC delivery, 90+ SOC and CSIRT experts, open XDR platform, data-residency options and incident-response credentials. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, named integrations and exact co-managed responsibilities directly. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IINIST CSF 2.0HIPAAPCI-DSS | ISO 27001ISAE 3000 Type 2GDPRSwiss DSG |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II | ISO/IEC 27001:2022ISO 14001ISAE 3000 Type 2-audited Cyber Defence CenterBSI-qualified APT Response service providerFIRST member |
| Founded | 2012 | 2001 |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis, varies by SIEM platform and tier | InfoGuard says data is stored exclusively at the customer's premises or in its redundant data centres in Switzerland. No standard public MDR retention period was found. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between DirectDefense and InfoGuard?
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). InfoGuard is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: DirectDefense offers ≤30 minutes, InfoGuard offers Not disclosed. DirectDefense covers 2 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 4 for InfoGuard.
How do DirectDefense and InfoGuard differ in response capabilities?
DirectDefense supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and requires approval before acting. InfoGuard supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does DirectDefense pricing compare to InfoGuard?
DirectDefense pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. InfoGuard pricing: Not published. Watch for with DirectDefense: Requires existing SIEM or purchase of SIEM platform (Rapid7, Tenable, Microsoft Sentinel); Technology-agnostic model means you need to own the underlying security tools. Watch for with InfoGuard: Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.; Named autonomous response actions are not published, so response authority should be written into the contract..
Should I choose DirectDefense or InfoGuard?
Choose DirectDefense if: mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top. Choose InfoGuard if: swiss, German and Austrian buyers that want MDR from DACH-based SOCs. DirectDefense is not ideal for organizations wanting turnkey MDR without existing SIEM or security tool investment. InfoGuard is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales.
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.