DirectDefense vs ITC Secure
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. ITC Secure is a Microsoft-ecosystem that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; ITC Secure serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 3 for ITC Secure (Endpoint, SaaS, Identity).
Buyer brief
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. ITC Secure is a Microsoft-ecosystem that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; ITC Secure serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 3 for ITC Secure (Endpoint, SaaS, Identity).
DirectDefense (Pure-play MDR) and ITC Secure (Microsoft-ecosystem) 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 ITC Secure's itc secure fits buyers that want microsoft-centered mxdr with pulse portal visibility, service re....
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top | Microsoft-centered buyers that want a verified managed XDR provider rather than a pure-play MDR platform |
| Price | Not published | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 1/6 actions · Approval required | 0/6 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
- Microsoft-centered buyers that want a verified managed XDR provider rather than a pure-play MDR platform
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 0/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | DirectDefenseTECH-AGNOSTIC | ITC SecureTECH-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 | Microsoft Defender |
| SIEM integrations | Rapid7Tenable Microsoft Sentinel | Microsoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Limited |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Custom playbooks | Alert and notify only |
| IR included | ✓ Included | Separate |
| 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 | ~ Limited |
| Identity | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| Network | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| 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. ITC Secure does not publish MXDR powered by Pulse 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 MXDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.. The service is Microsoft-centric, so Microsoft licensing, tenant readiness and log ingestion should be priced before comparison.. ITC Secure publishes broad MXDR components, including endpoint, identity, Office 365, cloud apps, storage, vulnerability management and OT. Buyers should confirm which components are included in their quote.. Public pages do not define default response authority, so containment permissions and approval rules should be written into the contract.. Incident response is listed as a separate service, so buyers should confirm what is included in MXDR versus a separate incident-response engagement. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | Custom, MXDR powered by Pulse, Managed services, Incident Response |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North America | |
| Onboarding | Customized based on environment complexity. SIEM integration required for CORE and MAX tiers. | Not published. ITC Secure publishes security engineering and SOC onboarding as a build-and-deploy service, but no standard MXDR implementation duration was found. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesInsuranceHealthcareManufacturingEnergy & UtilitiesAerospaceAutomotiveGaming & EntertainmentRetail & HospitalityEducationGovernment | Not published |
| 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 ITC Secure's Microsoft focus, Microsoft Verified Managed XDR status, Pulse portal, long managed-service history and broad MXDR service components. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, SOC operating model and exact component inclusion directly. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IINIST CSF 2.0HIPAAPCI-DSS | ISO 27001Cyber Essentials PlusISO/IEC 20000-1 |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II | Microsoft Verified Managed XDRMicrosoft Solutions Partner in SecurityMicrosoft Solutions Partner in Modern WorkMicrosoft Solutions Partner in Infrastructure AzureMicrosoft Intelligent Security AssociationCyber Essentials PlusISO/IEC 20000-1ISO/IEC 27001Great Place to Work Certification |
| Founded | 2012 | – |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis, varies by SIEM platform and tier | Not published. ITC Secure says Pulse provides visibility into customer security posture, activities, incident trends, Microsoft license consumption and service metrics. No standard public MXDR log-retention period or data-residency term was found. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between DirectDefense and ITC Secure?
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). ITC Secure is a Microsoft-ecosystem that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: DirectDefense offers ≤30 minutes, ITC Secure offers Not disclosed. DirectDefense covers 2 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 3 for ITC Secure.
How do DirectDefense and ITC Secure differ in response capabilities?
DirectDefense supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and requires approval before acting. ITC Secure supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and approval is configurable. Incident response is included with DirectDefense and not included with ITC Secure.
How does DirectDefense pricing compare to ITC Secure?
DirectDefense pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. ITC Secure 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 ITC Secure: Public pages do not publish MXDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.; The service is Microsoft-centric, so Microsoft licensing, tenant readiness and log ingestion should be priced before comparison..
Should I choose DirectDefense or ITC Secure?
Choose DirectDefense if: mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top. Choose ITC Secure if: microsoft-centered buyers that want a verified managed XDR provider rather than a pure-play MDR platform. DirectDefense is not ideal for organizations wanting turnkey MDR without existing SIEM or security tool investment. ITC Secure 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.