Critical Start Critical Start MDR
AI-accelerated MDR with Trusted Behavior Registry, 90% analyst retention
Last updated: November 9, 2025
Overview
Critical Start is an AI-accelerated, human-validated managed detection and response service designed for large enterprises with a focus on North America.
Key Facts:
- Founded 2012, headquarters in Texas, USA
- US-based 24/7/365 SOC operations
- 90% analyst retention rate (industry-leading)
- Resolves 100% of customer alerts within 15 minutes
- Proprietary Trusted Behavior Registry™ (TBR) filtering
- 32% of critical alerts reclassified from initial low/medium ratings
- CRN Partner Program Guide 2025 recognition
Service Focus
Response Operations
Integrations
Commercial Terms
Compliance
Known Limitations
Market Focus
- Premium pricing limits SMB market accessibility
- Enterprise-focused service may be overkill for smaller organizations
- Primarily US-based coverage (limited international SOC presence)
- May not be cost-effective for organizations under 500 employees
Service Constraints
- OT/ICS service still in launch phase (as of 2025)
- Pricing requires sales engagement (no public pricing)
- Onboarding takes 4-8 weeks for complex enterprise environments
- Geographic coverage primarily North America
Technology Requirements
- Requires existing security tool stack for technology-agnostic approach
- Integration complexity may vary based on existing infrastructure
- Best value realized with comprehensive tool coverage
Public Information
- Limited public customer reviews on major platforms
- Specific MTTD/MTTR metrics not broadly disclosed
- Detailed SLA terms require direct engagement
- Case studies and customer references available through sales
Customer Examples
Service Quality (2025)
Human Validation Approach:
"Critical Start's AI-accelerated, human-validated MDR service uses the proprietary Trusted Behavior Registry™ to filter known-good behavior, with 32% of critical alerts initially classified as low or medium severity by security tools being reclassified through expert human validation."
- Service model documentation, verified 2025
Performance Commitment:
"Critical Start resolves 100% of customer alerts within 15 minutes, with every alert investigated, validated, and acted upon by the US-based 24/7/365 SOC team."
- SLA documentation, 2025
Analyst Retention:
"With 90% analyst retention rate, Critical Start maintains industry-leading team stability, ensuring consistent service quality and deep customer environment knowledge."
- Workforce metrics, 2025
Coverage Capabilities:
"Proactive capabilities include comprehensive asset inventories, coverage gap identification, and risk-based criticality ratings, with optional vulnerability management services and flexible deployment across IT and OT environments."
- Service capabilities, verified 2025
Channel Recognition:
"Recognized in the CRN Partner Program Guide 2025 and CRN MSP 500 List 2025, Critical Start demonstrates strong presence in the enterprise security market with a transparency-first service delivery model."
- Industry recognition, 2025
Note on Reviews: Public customer reviews are limited on major platforms (G2, PeerSpot, Gartner). Most feedback comes through enterprise channel relationships and direct customer references. Industry recognition and channel awards indicate strong market presence in the large enterprise segment.
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Information Source: Provider information compiled and verified by the MDRProviders.io research team from public sources including official websites, documentation, press releases, and industry reports. Last updated: November 9, 2025
Important Disclaimer: The information presented here is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect current offerings, pricing, or capabilities. Service details, features, and availability are subject to change without notice.
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