DirectDefense vs r-tec IT Security
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. r-tec IT Security is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; r-tec IT Security serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 0 for r-tec IT Security ().
Buyer brief
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. r-tec IT Security is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; r-tec IT Security serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 0 for r-tec IT Security ().
DirectDefense (Pure-play MDR) and r-tec IT Security (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 r-tec IT Security's r-tec mdr fits german buyers that need 24x7 detection, incident-response depth and a path to ot mdr.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top | German mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth |
| 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
- German mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth
- 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 | r-tec IT SecurityTECH-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 | SentinelOneHalcyonCylance BlackBerry CrowdStrike | Microsoft Defender XDR CrowdStrike |
| SIEM integrations | Rapid7Tenable Microsoft Sentinel | Exabeam Microsoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: Not coveredIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| 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 | ~ Limited |
| Cloud workloads | + Optional | Not offered |
| Identity | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | Not offered |
| Network | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | + Optional |
| Threat hunting | Extra cost | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | ≤30 minutes | ≤1 hour |
| 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). | Tiered custom quote. r-tec publishes Basic and Premium MDR tiers but does not publish prices. |
| 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 | Premium is required for 24x7 service times and the 1-hour qualification and First Response target.. Basic still has 24x7 automated detection and alerting, but human service hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-18:00.. Public pages do not publish prices or contract minimums.. Optional direct response should be converted into a written pre-approval matrix.. Endpoint telemetry may depend on contracted CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender XDR or Managed EDR scope.. OT MDR and Managed EDR are separate named services, so buyers should confirm whether they are included or quoted separately. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | Basic, Premium, Custom |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | EmailPhone |
| 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. | r-tec says site collectors support simple and fast implementation, but no standard public onboarding duration was found. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesInsuranceHealthcareManufacturingEnergy & UtilitiesAerospaceAutomotiveGaming & EntertainmentRetail & HospitalityEducationGovernment | Critical InfrastructureEnergyManufacturingOperational TechnologyHealthcareFinancial ServicesPublic SectorLogisticsAutomotiveChemicalsPharmaceuticals |
| 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. | r-tec has limited MDR-specific public review volume. The public buyer case rests on German delivery, a published IT MDR service, a separate OT MDR service, BSI APT-response status and clear Basic versus Premium service-level targets. Buyers should validate exact response authority, pricing, OT scope and the operating model behind Premium 24x7 service. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IINIST CSF 2.0HIPAAPCI-DSS | ISO 27001ISO 9001KRITISGDPR |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II | ISO 27001ISO 9001BSI-certified APT Response service providerEcoVadis Bronze group certification |
| Founded | 2012 | 1996 |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis, varies by SIEM platform and tier | Not published as a standard MDR retention period. r-tec says Exabeam is operated as a cloud service from a German GDPR-compliant data center. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between DirectDefense and r-tec IT Security?
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). r-tec IT Security is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: DirectDefense offers ≤30 minutes, r-tec IT Security offers ≤1 hour. DirectDefense covers 2 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 0 for r-tec IT Security.
How do DirectDefense and r-tec IT Security differ in response capabilities?
DirectDefense supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and requires approval before acting. r-tec IT Security supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does DirectDefense pricing compare to r-tec IT Security?
DirectDefense pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. r-tec IT Security 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 r-tec IT Security: Premium is required for 24x7 service times and the 1-hour qualification and First Response target.; Basic still has 24x7 automated detection and alerting, but human service hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-18:00..
Should I choose DirectDefense or r-tec IT Security?
Choose DirectDefense if: mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top. Choose r-tec IT Security if: german mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth. DirectDefense is not ideal for organizations wanting turnkey MDR without existing SIEM or security tool investment. r-tec IT Security is not ideal for buyers that need public price cards or contract minimums before sales engagement.
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.