CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Absolute Security vs Microsoft

Absolute Security sells a cyber resilience platform that unifies Secure Endpoint and Secure Access, with Absolute Persistence technology embedded in device firmware at its core. Microsoft Defender offers threat prevention, detection and response capabilities. CISO Tribune files both under Endpoint management and application control. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Absolute Security
  • Microsoft
Absolute Security vs Microsoft: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security sells a cyber resilience platform that unifies Secure Endpoint and Secure Access, with Absolute Persistence technology embedded in device firmware at its core.absolute.comMicrosoftMicrosoft Defender offers threat prevention, detection and response capabilities.microsoft.com
What it sells
  • Absolute Visibility[2][7]Source of truth for device and application health.
  • Absolute Resilience[2][6]Application self-healing and device recovery.
  • Absolute Rehydrate[2][8]Automated remote device recovery.
  • Absolute Resilience for AutomationAutomated remediation of vulnerabilities.
  • Absolute Secure Web GatewayAdd-on web security module powered by Ericom.
  • Microsoft Defender[1][11][12][23][25]Threat protection that prevents, detects and responds to attacks across devices, identities, applications, email, data, workloads and cloud environments.
  • Microsoft Sentinel[1][23]A cloud-native SIEM built for AI.
  • Microsoft Purview[1][14][23][24][25]Unified information protection, governance and compliance products.
  • Microsoft Entra[1][15][23][25]Identity and access products that verify every identity and access request across clouds, platforms and devices.
  • Microsoft Intune[1][16][23][25]Endpoint management products for device security and hybrid work.
  • Microsoft Defender Suite[12]Threat protection and detection and response across endpoints, identities, email and SaaS apps.
  • Microsoft Entra Suite[15]An extension to Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 for secure workforce use of apps and AI.
  • Microsoft Purview Suite[14]A suite that provides advanced data security and compliance capabilities.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesRedmond, United States[3]
Founded
Not stated on its pages1975[2]
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesPublic (NASDAQ: MSFT)[4][10][22]
Named customers
Not stated on its pages
  • Best Buy[5]
  • Danfoss[6]
  • Oregon State University[7]
Recent news
Not stated on its pages
  • July 29, 2026Microsoft reported revenue of $90.0 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 18% year over year.[8]
  • July 27, 2026Microsoft introduced Project Perception, an agentic security system that uses AI to turn signals into real-time protections.[21]
  • May 1, 2026Microsoft announced general availability of Microsoft 365 E7 and Microsoft Agent 365 on May 1, 2026.[28]
  • April 29, 2026Microsoft reported revenue of $82.9 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, up 18% from a year earlier.[9]
  • December 22, 2025Microsoft announced the Defender Experts suite, an expert-led security offering for resellers and scale solution providers, generally available from January 1, 2026.[20]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 5, 2026[3]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 5, 2026[4]
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[10]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Absolute Security sells mainly to organizations with remote, deskless, field, and hybrid workers. Absolute Security addresses IT teams that face inconsistent visibility and control as employees shift between corporate and off-corporate networks. It cites a healthcare organization that uses Secure Endpoint to protect patient information and ensure compliance. It also cites school customers that use daily reports to verify software compliance. Absolute Security says Secure Endpoint is also meant for federal agencies.From its own pages, Microsoft sells security products for businesses of any size. Microsoft 365 Business Premium is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, and Microsoft Defender is designed to protect individuals, businesses and enterprises. Microsoft refers to enterprise and government cloud customers, and Providence Care, a healthcare organization, uses Microsoft 365 E5 for healthcare security.
Last verified
November 2, 2026November 2, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Absolute Security and Microsoft are both filed under Endpoint management and application control.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Absolute Security's primary category is Firmware and device supply chain security; Microsoft's is EDR and XDR.
  • Microsoft is also filed under SIEM and Workforce IAM and SSO.
  • Absolute Security lists Absolute Visibility, Absolute Resilience, Absolute Rehydrate, Absolute Resilience for Automation and Absolute Secure Web Gateway. Microsoft lists Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune and 3 more.
  • Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, United States.
  • Microsoft was founded in 1975.
  • Microsoft is a public company listed on NASDAQ as MSFT.
  • Microsoft publicly names Best Buy, Danfoss and Oregon State University.

What it sells: Absolute Security

What Absolute Visibility does[2][7]
Absolute Visibility is described as the source of truth for device and application health. It reports and alerts on hundreds of hardware attributes. It tracks device location with 365 days of history.
What Absolute Resilience does[2][6]
Absolute Resilience combines the capabilities of Absolute Visibility and Absolute Control with critical resilience functions. Application Resilience automatically repairs or reinstalls mission-critical applications that are disabled or not running in a healthy state.
What Absolute Rehydrate does[2][8]
Absolute Rehydrate automates device recovery, reactivating devices and validating compliance. It is available with the Resilience, Resilience for Security, and Resilience for Automation product tiers. Firmware-based endpoint recovery playbooks bypass the operating system if it is tampered with.
What Absolute Resilience for Automation does
Absolute Resilience for Automation is the highest edition of Secure Endpoint. It offers automated remediation of operating system, software and security vulnerabilities, and its workflow builder defines custom workflows without any coding.
What Absolute Secure Web Gateway does
The Absolute Secure Web Gateway Service is an add-on module powered by Ericom. It blocks malware from reaching endpoints and networks by rendering websites in isolated containers located on remote servers far from the endpoint.

What it sells: Microsoft

What Microsoft Defender does[1][11][12][23][25]
Microsoft Defender is a threat protection solution designed to protect individuals, businesses and enterprises from malicious cyberthreats. Microsoft Defender coordinates protection across endpoints, identity, email, apps and cloud.
What Microsoft Purview does[1][14][23][24][25]
Microsoft Purview offers a unified approach to help organizations secure and govern data across their heterogenous data estate. Microsoft Purview covers on-premises, multicloud and SaaS environments, and structured and unstructured data. Microsoft Purview features are purchased through different licenses or on a pay-as-you-go basis.
What Microsoft Entra does[1][15][23][25]
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) was renamed Microsoft Entra ID in 2023. Purchase starts with Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 license subscriptions, which can also be purchased as part of a Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 license.
What Microsoft Intune does[1][16][23][25]
Microsoft Intune offers advanced endpoint management and security capabilities available as standalone add-ons or as part of the Intune Suite. Microsoft Intune Plan 1 is the endpoint management solution included in most Microsoft 365 enterprise licenses. Plan 1 covers cross-platform device management, built-in security, mobile application management and endpoint analytics.
What Microsoft Defender Suite does[12]
Microsoft Defender Suite focuses on threat protection and detection and response across endpoints, identities, email and SaaS apps. The integrated security operations center (ISOC) is included in the Defender Suite.
What Microsoft Entra Suite does[15]
Microsoft Entra Suite extends Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 to enable secure workforce use of apps and AI with continuous, adaptive identity and network access controls across employees, apps and networks. Microsoft Entra Suite requires a subscription to Microsoft Entra ID P1 or a package that includes Microsoft Entra ID P1.

Questions about Absolute Security and Microsoft

What do Absolute Security and Microsoft sell?
Absolute Security sells Absolute Visibility, Absolute Resilience, Absolute Rehydrate, Absolute Resilience for Automation and Absolute Secure Web Gateway. Microsoft sells Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune and 3 more.
Are Absolute Security and Microsoft in the same category?
They share Endpoint management and application control. Absolute Security's primary category is Firmware and device supply chain security and Microsoft's is EDR and XDR.
Where are Absolute Security and Microsoft headquartered?
Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, United States.
When were Absolute Security and Microsoft founded?
Microsoft was founded in 1975.
Who owns Absolute Security and Microsoft?
Microsoft is a public company listed on NASDAQ as MSFT.
Which customers do Absolute Security and Microsoft name?
Microsoft publicly names Best Buy, Danfoss and Oregon State University.
Who are Absolute Security and Microsoft sold to?
From its own pages, Absolute Security sells mainly to organizations with remote, deskless, field, and hybrid workers. From its own pages, Microsoft sells security products for businesses of any size.
What have Absolute Security and Microsoft announced recently?
July 29, 2026: Microsoft reported revenue of $90.0 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 18% year over year.

About Absolute Security

Absolute Security sells a cyber resilience platform that unifies Secure Endpoint and Secure Access, with Absolute Persistence technology embedded in device firmware at its core.[5][11]

Absolute Security describes cyber resilience as the ability to stay operational through disruption and recover quickly when controls fail. Absolute Persistence is embedded in device firmware and restores critical security controls, applications, and connectivity when they are disrupted or removed. Absolute Security says Absolute is embedded in the BIOS of 600M devices. Absolute Security says the platform helps organizations stay operational through disruption by keeping devices controllable and access continuously trusted. Absolute automatically heals and reinstalls on every boot sequence, even if the device is reimaged, the hard drive is replaced, or firmware is updated. Lenovo and Absolute are strengthening endpoint resilience with ThinkShield TraceLock, which is built on Absolute Persistence to keep devices protected below the OS.[1][5]

Absolute Secure Endpoint is one of Absolute Security's core product lines and enables IT and security personnel to monitor and address computers' problems. Absolute Secure Endpoint packages include Absolute Visibility, Absolute Control, Absolute Resilience, Absolute Resilience for Security and Absolute Resilience for Automation. Absolute Visibility is described as the source of truth for device and application health, and it shows all enrolled devices on and off the corporate network. Absolute Control is described as a lifeline to protect at-risk devices and data. Absolute Resilience combines the capabilities of Absolute Visibility and Absolute Control with critical resilience functions.[6][7]

Absolute Resilience monitors basic application health parameters across 2,000 Windows and Mac apps. Application Resilience automatically repairs or reinstalls mission-critical applications when they have been disabled or are not running in a healthy state. The Absolute Investigations team pairs up with local law enforcement to search for stolen devices. Absolute Rehydrate automates device recovery, reactivating devices and validating compliance. Absolute Rehydrate is available with the Resilience, Resilience for Security, and Resilience for Automation product tiers. Firmware-based endpoint recovery playbooks bypass the operating system if it is tampered with, with options including rehydrating from a trusted OS image, modifying files and registry keys, and executing scripts.[1][6][8][12]

Absolute Resilience for Automation is the highest edition of Secure Endpoint and offers automated remediation of operating system, software and security vulnerabilities. Absolute Resilience for Automation combines the capabilities of Absolute Visibility, Absolute Control, Absolute Resilience and Absolute Resilience for Security with two additional features, Remediate and Automate. The visual workflow builder lets customers define custom workflows without any coding. Patch deployment scans for and deploys operating system and third-party patches and schedules deployments in maintenance windows. The Absolute Professional Services team provides guidance to respond effectively when an incident occurs.[5][9]

Absolute Secure Access is one of Absolute Security's core product lines, added through the acquisition of NetMotion in July 2021. Absolute Secure Access provides resilient network connectivity for users to securely access critical resources in the public cloud, private data centers, and on-premises. Absolute Core enables remote, deskless, field, and hybrid workers to securely access applications regardless of their location. Absolute Core supports Windows, Apple iOS and macOS, and Android, and is entirely software-based. Absolute ZTNA is delivered as part of the Absolute Edge package, and the Secure Access client for Windows can repair or reinstall itself if tampered with, accidentally removed, or otherwise stops working. A Secure Access package that includes all the functionality in Absolute Core adds in-line CASB, Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) and Network Performance Diagnostics and Management (NPMD), and AI- and ML-powered proactive threat notifications. A Secure Access package that includes all the functionality in Absolute Edge adds comprehensive Secure Web Gateway (SWG) capabilities including multiple AV scans, Remote Browser Isolation (RBI), Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and Endpoint Compliance. The Absolute Secure Web Gateway Service is an add-on module powered by Ericom that rounds out Absolute's Mobile Security Service Edge capabilities.[5][11][12]

Absolute Security says variants such as Absolute Resilience for Student Devices may be offered to meet particular use cases or geographic market needs. Apria Healthcare delivers secure health solutions through Absolute Secure Endpoint, protecting patient information and ensuring compliance. Absolute Security says Secure Endpoint builds cyber resilience for federal agencies by keeping devices, security controls, and compliance frameworks operational.[1][6][7][13][14]

Absolute Security on the record

Sources

Absolute Security full record

  1. [1]PlatformAbsolute Security · absolute.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Stop Downtime & Business Disruption | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Absolute Secure Endpoint Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  4. [4]Absolute Security Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  5. [5]The Absolute Cyber Resilience Platform | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Absolute Resilience | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Absolute VisibilityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Restore endpoints back to full compliance | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Absolute Resilience for Automation | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Absolute Secure Web Gateway | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Absolute Core | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Absolute Edge | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Absolute for Cybersecurity & Compliance | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Absolute for IT Management | Absolute SecurityAbsolute Security · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A

Microsoft full record

  1. [1]Cloud Security Solutions | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]AboutMicrosoft · news.microsoft.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Msft 20240630Microsoft Corporation via SEC EDGAR · sec.gov · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]7c96b326 33bc 4b84 8abb 7afd7a517ea3Microsoft Corporation · microsoft.gcs-web.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]25053 best buy microsoft sentinelMicrosoft · microsoft.com · published August 25, 2025 · Tier A
  6. [6]22786 danfoss microsoft sentinelMicrosoft · microsoft.com · published March 7, 2025 · Tier A
  7. [7]1747330384796486050 oregon state university microsoft security copilot higher education en united statesMicrosoft · microsoft.com · published March 14, 2024 · Tier A
  8. [8]Microsoft cloud and ai strength fuels fourth quarter results 4Microsoft · news.microsoft.com · published July 29, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Microsoft cloud and ai strength fuels third quarter resultsMicrosoft · news.microsoft.com · published April 29, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Microsoft 365 Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier C
  11. [11]Microsoft Defender—Cybersecurity Solutions | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Microsoft Defender Suite | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Microsoft Purview Suite | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Microsoft Purview Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Microsoft Entra Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Microsoft Intune Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Cybersecurity for small and medium business | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Security Copilot agents in Microsoft 365 E5 | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]Microsoft Defender Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]December 2025 announcements - Partner Center announcementsMicrosoft Learn · published December 22, 2025 · Tier A
  21. [21]Rethinking security for the age of AIThe Official Microsoft Blog · published July 27, 2026 · Tier A
  22. [22]Microsoft Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier C
  23. [23]Microsoft 365 Security Enterprise Plans| Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  24. [24]Microsoft Purview: Data Security and Governance | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  25. [25]CybersecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  26. [26]Microsoft Defender Suite for Microsoft 365 Business Premium | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  27. [27]Microsoft Mobile Phone Authenticator | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  28. [28]Leading Frontier Firm transformation with Microsoft 365 E7: The partner opportunityMicrosoft · published May 1, 2026 · Tier A

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