Optiv vs Thales (S21sec)
Optiv and Thales (S21sec) are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Optiv targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Thales (S21sec) serves Enterprise. Optiv includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 2 for Thales (S21sec) (Network, OT/ICS).
Buyer brief
Optiv and Thales (S21sec) are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Optiv targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Thales (S21sec) serves Enterprise. Optiv includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 2 for Thales (S21sec) (Network, OT/ICS).
Optiv offers broader coverage (5 surfaces vs. 2). Thales (S21sec) may suit teams that need depth over breadth.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Enterprises with a multi-vendor security stack that want a managed layer without replacing core tools | Critical infrastructure and public-sector buyers that need Thales/S21sec regional cyber detection and response |
| Price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 4/6 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
- Enterprises with a multi-vendor security stack that want a managed layer without replacing core tools
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 4/6 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 | OptivTECH-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 | Multi-vendor EDRMicrosoft DefenderCrowdStrikeSentinelOne | Customer endpoint security tools |
| SIEM integrations | Google Security Operations | 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 | IsolateContainDisable accountsCustom playbooks | ContainCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ 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 | ✓ 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 | Custom enterprise pricing, with analyst coverage, Google Security Operations data processing, log management, data retention, active-defense hours and optional TAM/manual hunting scoped by environment. Optiv/KuppingerCole materials describe a data-processed pricing model. | Custom quote for Thales Cyber Detection and Response, Managed Security Services, SOC and MDR. Public prices are not published. |
| Hidden cost warnings | Optiv MDR is built for complex environments; buyers should model Google Security Operations ingestion and retention volume before comparing it with per-endpoint MDR quotes.. The service can manage many existing tools, but those EDR, identity, cloud and network tools remain separate licensing costs.. Active defense is described as 40 hours per year. Clarify the hourly rate and escalation path once that allocation is consumed.. TAM and custom manual threat hunting are optional components, not baseline inclusions.. No public price floor, public SLA or breach warranty was found. | 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 | Annual, Multi-year, Custom | Custom cyber detection and response engagement, Managed Security Services, SOC and MDR, Critical-infrastructure cybersecurity services |
| Channels | PortalEmailPhone | EmailPhonePortal |
| Data access | Full query access | Reports only |
| Dedicated analyst | ✓ | – |
| SOC regions | North America | EuropeMEAAPAC |
| Onboarding | Not published. Scope depends on data sources, Google Security Operations setup, detection content and SOAR playbook integration. | Not published. Thales describes customer-centric service roadmaps and selecting/deploying detection and response technologies, but no standard MDR onboarding timeline. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingRetailTechnologyPublic Sector | Critical InfrastructureGovernmentDefenseEnergyManufacturingAviationSpaceFinancial ServicesTelecommunicationsHealthcareTransportationAutomotiveUtilitiesMaritime |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| Community view | Optiv has strong brand recognition as a large cyber advisory and technology-services firm, but MDR-specific peer review volume is thinner than for MDR-first vendors. Gartner Peer Insights lists Optiv reviews in managed security services rather than a separate high-volume MDR product page. Reddit discussion is mostly about Optiv as a reseller and services firm, not day-to-day MDR operations. | 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 | SOC 2ISO 27001PCI DSSHIPAAHITRUSTNIST CSFCMMC | DORATIBER-EUPCI DSSEASA Part-ISEASAICAOUNECE |
| Certifications | Optiv publishes support for compliance programs including SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, HITRUST, NIST CSF and CMMC. Specific MDR service audit-scope documents require buyer validation. | 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 | 2015 | – |
| Data retention | Optiv states 12 months of hot storage is available for on-demand access. Longer retention terms are not publicly described. | 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 Optiv and Thales (S21sec)?
Optiv is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Thales (S21sec) is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Optiv covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 2 for Thales (S21sec).
How do Optiv and Thales (S21sec) differ in response capabilities?
Optiv supports 4 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, network containment) and approval is configurable. Thales (S21sec) supports 2 autonomous actions (custom playbooks, network containment) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Optiv and included with Thales (S21sec).
How does Optiv pricing compare to Thales (S21sec)?
Optiv pricing: Not published. Thales (S21sec) pricing: Not published. Watch for with Optiv: Optiv MDR is built for complex environments; buyers should model Google Security Operations ingestion and retention volume before comparing it with per-endpoint MDR quotes.; The service can manage many existing tools, but those EDR, identity, cloud and network tools remain separate licensing costs.. 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 Optiv or Thales (S21sec)?
Choose Optiv if: enterprises with a multi-vendor security stack that want a managed layer without replacing core tools. Choose Thales (S21sec) if: critical infrastructure and public-sector buyers that need Thales/S21sec regional cyber detection and response. Optiv is not ideal for sMBs wanting simple per-endpoint MDR pricing. 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.