Kudelski Security vs Thales (S21sec)
Kudelski Security is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Thales (S21sec) is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Kudelski Security targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Thales (S21sec) serves Enterprise. Kudelski Security includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 2 for Thales (S21sec) (Network, OT/ICS).
Buyer brief
Kudelski Security is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Thales (S21sec) is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Kudelski Security targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Thales (S21sec) serves Enterprise. Kudelski Security includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 2 for Thales (S21sec) (Network, OT/ICS).
Kudelski Security (Pure-play MDR) and Thales (S21sec) (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Kudelski Security's technology-agnostic mdr with strong analyst recognition (gartner 8 years, forrester, bloor) and o... or Thales (S21sec)'s thales/s21sec is strongest for complex, regulated and critical-sector environments that value glo....
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise teams with existing EDR/SIEM who want a technology-agnostic MDR layer, not a rip-and-replace | Critical infrastructure and public-sector buyers that need Thales/S21sec regional cyber detection and response |
| Price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 2/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Full query access | Reports only |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Mid-market and enterprise teams with existing EDR/SIEM who want a technology-agnostic MDR layer, not a rip-and-replace
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Critical infrastructure and public-sector buyers that need Thales/S21sec regional cyber detection and response
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 2/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Reports only
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | Kudelski SecurityTECH-AGNOSTIC | Thales (S21sec)TECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeMicrosoft DefenderSentinelOneSophosCarbon BlackCybereasonCisco Secure Endpoint | Customer endpoint security tools |
| SIEM integrations | SplunkMicrosoft Sentinel | Customer SIEM platformsThales SOC tooling |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: LimitedNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | ContainCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not publicly disclosed. Forrester TEI study (Feb 2024) modeled $22.4M in benefits vs $6.4M costs over 3 years for a composite organization. | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Identity | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Network | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Per-endpoint pricing, not based on data volume. Modular and all-in-one subscription options. | Custom quote for Thales Cyber Detection and Response, Managed Security Services, SOC and MDR. Public prices are not published. |
| Hidden cost warnings | Four MDR variants (Resolute, CrowdStrike, Microsoft, OT) with different pricing. Clarify which product fits before quoting.. DFIR beyond containment is a separate paid engagement, not included in base MDR. OT/ICS coverage requires the dedicated MDR for OT variant, priced separately. No public pricing at all. Enterprise positioning suggests premium cost. | The current S21sec domain routes to Thales-branded services, so buyers wanting legacy S21sec-specific delivery should confirm contracting entity, SOC location and delivery team.. Public pages do not publish prices, minimum terms, service credits, MTTD/MTTR or formal MDR SLAs.. Thales offers a broad cybersecurity services portfolio; buyers should separate base MDR scope from CTI, DRPS, DFIR, CERT, ICS monitoring and advisory services.. Named endpoint, identity and cloud containment actions are not public and should be confirmed tool by tool.. Data retention, raw log access, offboarding and detection-content export rights are not described publicly. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom enterprise agreements | Custom cyber detection and response engagement, Managed Security Services, SOC and MDR, Critical-infrastructure cybersecurity services |
| Channels | SlackPortalPhoneEmail | EmailPhonePortal |
| Data access | Full query access | Reports only |
| Dedicated analyst | ✓ | – |
| SOC regions | EuropeNorth America | EuropeMEAAPAC |
| Onboarding | Weeks. Starts with a business context assessment covering strategy, risk exposure, and likely threats. | Not published. Thales describes customer-centric service roadmaps and selecting/deploying detection and response technologies, but no standard MDR onboarding timeline. |
| Industry focus | Critical InfrastructureEnergy & UtilitiesFinancial ServicesHealthcareGovernmentManufacturing (OT/ICS) | Critical InfrastructureGovernmentDefenseEnergyManufacturingAviationSpaceFinancial ServicesTelecommunicationsHealthcareTransportationAutomotiveUtilitiesMaritime |
| MTTD | Not published as a specific number | Not published |
| MTTR | Less than 15 minutes on high-severity incidents (vendor-published, not independently validated) | Not published |
| Community view | Well-recognized by analysts (Gartner 8 years running, Forrester Strong Performer, Bloor Champion) but almost invisible in community channels. Zero meaningful reviews on G2 or PeerSpot, no Reddit discussion. Enterprise and critical infrastructure buyers don't post much, which leaves a validation gap. | The current public evidence is strong for Thales-branded global SOC, MDR, CTI, DFIR and critical-infrastructure detection and response, but weak for S21sec as a standalone public MDR brand. Buyers should validate current delivery model, SOC location, response authority, pricing and whether the contract is with Thales/S21sec in the relevant country. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001:2022ISO 27017:2015ISO 27018:2019SOC 2 Type IICyber Essentials (UK)UK G-Cloud | DORATIBER-EUPCI DSSEASA Part-ISEASAICAOUNECE |
| Certifications | ISO 27001:2022 (certified since 2015)ISO 27017:2015 (certified since 2022)ISO 27018:2019 (certified since 2022)SOC 2 Type II (AICPA)Cyber Essentials (UK government scheme)UK G-Cloud (certified cloud security provider)Microsoft Solutions Partner (Security)Google Cloud Partner (MSSP)FIRST Membership (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams) | 8 threat intelligence and AI-driven SOCs around the worldSOCs in France, Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain, and New Zealand and Australia |
| Founded | 2012 | – |
| Data retention | 12 months hot data. Unlimited ingestion, priced per endpoint rather than by data volume. | Not published. Public pages do not describe default log retention, raw log access, storage tiers or export terms for Thales SOC and MDR. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Kudelski Security and Thales (S21sec)?
Kudelski Security is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Thales (S21sec) is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Kudelski Security covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 2 for Thales (S21sec).
How do Kudelski Security and Thales (S21sec) differ in response capabilities?
Kudelski Security supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. Thales (S21sec) supports 2 autonomous actions (custom playbooks, network containment) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Kudelski Security and included with Thales (S21sec).
How does Kudelski Security pricing compare to Thales (S21sec)?
Kudelski Security pricing: Not publicly disclosed. Forrester TEI study (Feb 2024) modeled $22.4M in benefits vs $6.4M costs over 3 years for a composite organization.. Thales (S21sec) pricing: Not published. Watch for with Kudelski Security: Four MDR variants (Resolute, CrowdStrike, Microsoft, OT) with different pricing. Clarify which product fits before quoting.; DFIR beyond containment is a separate paid engagement, not included in base MDR. Watch for with Thales (S21sec): The current S21sec domain routes to Thales-branded services, so buyers wanting legacy S21sec-specific delivery should confirm contracting entity, SOC location and delivery team.; Public pages do not publish prices, minimum terms, service credits, MTTD/MTTR or formal MDR SLAs..
Should I choose Kudelski Security or Thales (S21sec)?
Choose Kudelski Security if: mid-market and enterprise teams with existing EDR/SIEM who want a technology-agnostic MDR layer, not a rip-and-replace. Choose Thales (S21sec) if: critical infrastructure and public-sector buyers that need Thales/S21sec regional cyber detection and response. Kudelski Security is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious buyers. No public pricing and enterprise positioning signals premium cost.. Thales (S21sec) is not ideal for buyers that need a standalone legacy S21sec-branded MDR package.
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.