CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Acalvio vs CounterCraft

Acalvio sells ShadowPlex, a deception platform built to operationalize 360 Deception at enterprise scale. CounterCraft sells AI-powered deception technology that detects real attackers early by observing how they behave inside controlled environments. CISO Tribune files both under Deception technology and Threat intelligence. 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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  • Acalvio
  • CounterCraft
Acalvio vs CounterCraft: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
AcalvioAcalvio sells ShadowPlex, a deception platform built to operationalize 360 Deception at enterprise scale.acalvio.comCounterCraftCounterCraft sells AI-powered deception technology that detects real attackers early by observing how they behave inside controlled environments.countercraftsec.com
What it sells
  • ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense[5]ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense uses AI-powered deception to surface stealthy attacker behavior during reconnaissance, lateral movement, and privilege escalation.
  • ShadowPlex Cloud Security[1][8]ShadowPlex Cloud Security delivers AI-powered deception and honeytokens to IAM and cloud-native services across public clouds.
  • ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel[1][10]ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel provides threat intelligence from external-facing decoys, including APIs and IPv6 IIoT devices, to detect reconnaissance and credential attacks early.
  • Deception Expert[1][2]Designs and deploys deception environments tailored to the real architecture of a customer.
  • Threat Hunter Expert[1][2]Triages attacker activity and identifies TTPs.
  • Engager[1][2]Interacts with attackers in real time and feeds them false information while gathering intelligence.
Categories
Headquarters
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Founded
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Ownership and funding
Privately held[8]Not stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
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G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
Acalvio offers deployment from Cloud, on-premises, or through managed service providers. Acalvio describes deception-powered preemptive defense for mission-critical government systems and for complex financial environments. Acalvio describes AI-powered deception for healthcare environments, across identity systems, clinical apps, and cloud workloads. The Acalvio Active Defense Platform covers IT, OT, and Cloud environments.Retail organizations are described as needing to secure points of sale, supply chains and customer data. Healthcare organizations are described as needing to protect patient records from ransomware and data breaches. Financial services are described as needing to protect payment systems like SWIFT. Oil and gas enterprises are described as having custom systems that are difficult to defend. Governments and militaries are named among the users of the platform.
Last verified
November 6, 2026November 6, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Deception technology is the primary category of both Acalvio and CounterCraft; both are also filed under Threat intelligence.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Acalvio is also filed under Identity threat detection and response and Cloud detection and response. CounterCraft is also filed under OT and ICS security.
  • Acalvio lists ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense, ShadowPlex Cloud Security and ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel. CounterCraft lists Deception Expert, Threat Hunter Expert and Engager.
  • Acalvio is privately held.

How they differ

CISO Tribune files both Acalvio and CounterCraft under Deception technology as their primary category, and both also appear under Threat intelligence. CISO Tribune also files Acalvio under Identity threat detection and response and Cloud detection and response, and files CounterCraft under OT and ICS security. Acalvio sells four ShadowPlex offerings, including Advanced Threat Defense, Cloud Security and Targeted Threat Intel, built on an approach it calls 360 Deception. Its Cloud Security product is deployed through native cloud APIs and covers AWS, Azure, and GCP without agents.

CounterCraft sells Deception Expert, Threat Hunter Expert, and Engager. Deception Expert builds deception environments from a customer's real architecture, and Engager interacts with attackers in real time while feeding them false information. Threat Hunter Expert triages attacker activity and identifies TTPs. CounterCraft states that it operates outside the live environment of a customer and is agentless. Acalvio likewise describes ShadowPlex deployment as agentless, and offers Cloud, on-premises, or managed service provider deployment.

Acalvio is privately held and based in Silicon Valley, and it serves midsize to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Acalvio describes deception for healthcare and financial environments. CounterCraft states that NATO, the US DoD, and other governments and militaries use its platform. CounterCraft also describes retail, healthcare, financial services, and oil and gas uses, and says a bank used it to detect red teams and unauthorized users on five attempts to access the SWIFT portal.

What it sells: Acalvio

What ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense does[5]
ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense uses AI-powered deception to surface stealthy attacker behavior during reconnaissance, lateral movement, and privilege escalation. Advanced Threat Defense correlates detected behaviors to MITRE ATT&CK TTPs for rapid investigation. ShadowPlex operates agentlessly across IT, cloud, and OT environments, deploying deception assets without interfering with production traffic or operations.
What ShadowPlex Cloud Security does[1][8]
ShadowPlex Cloud Security is deployed via native cloud APIs and protects cloud-native workloads and IAM infrastructure. ShadowPlex Cloud Security unifies threat detection across AWS, Azure, and GCP with no agents. ShadowPlex Cloud Security places deception in identity repositories like Instance Metadata and Secrets Store.
What ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel does[1][10]
ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel delivers threat intelligence with IPs, credentials, and attack patterns. ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel uses decoys for web apps, APIs, and IPv6 IIoT services to detect reconnaissance and credential attacks. ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel shares indicators in real time in STIX and other standard formats. ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel is delivered as a managed cloud service or as an on-premises/cloud appliance.

What it sells: CounterCraft

What Deception Expert does[1][2]
Deception Expert designs and deploys deception environments tailored to the real architecture of a customer. Deception Expert creates realistic digital assets and host profiles to lure adversaries. An attacker meets a realistic decoy built by the Deception Expert from the actual architecture of the customer.
What Threat Hunter Expert does[1][2]
Threat Hunter Expert triages attacker activity automatically and identifies TTPs. Threat Hunter Expert produces incident reports for analysts.
What Engager does[1][2]
Engager interacts with attackers in real time to maximize attacker dwell time. Engager feeds false information to attackers while extracting intelligence.

Questions about Acalvio and CounterCraft

What do Acalvio and CounterCraft sell?
Acalvio sells ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense, ShadowPlex Cloud Security and ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel. CounterCraft sells Deception Expert, Threat Hunter Expert and Engager.
Are Acalvio and CounterCraft in the same category?
Yes. Deception technology is the primary category of both on CISO Tribune.
Who owns Acalvio and CounterCraft?
Acalvio is privately held.
Who are Acalvio and CounterCraft sold to?
Acalvio offers deployment from Cloud, on-premises, or through managed service providers. Retail organizations are described as needing to secure points of sale, supply chains and customer data.

About Acalvio

Acalvio sells ShadowPlex, a deception platform built to operationalize 360 Deception at enterprise scale. ShadowPlex deployment is agentless across identity, cloud, network, endpoints, and OT/ICS. Acalvio extends preemptive defense across identity, cloud, OT, advanced threats, agentic AI, and targeted threat intelligence. Acalvio has four ShadowPlex offerings powered by 360 Deception, its approach to preemptive cybersecurity and disruption of AI-driven attacks. Built on 360 Deception, the Acalvio platform unifies preemptive threat detection across identity, cloud, and modern environments. The Acalvio platform uses dynamic deception, honeytokens, deceptive credentials, and evolving attack paths to expose malicious activity before attackers can escalate access or gain control.[1][3][4][6][9]

360 Deception goes beyond decoys to manipulate the signals attackers and autonomous systems rely on to validate targets, credentials, and movement paths. Preemptive cyber deception works to deny, deceive, and disrupt before the attacker reaches impact.[3]

ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense uses AI-powered deception to surface stealthy attacker behavior during reconnaissance, lateral movement, and privilege escalation. Advanced Threat Defense correlates detected behaviors to MITRE ATT&CK TTPs for rapid investigation. ShadowPlex integrates AI into every phase of deception, from network discovery to adversary analysis. ShadowPlex operates agentlessly across IT, cloud, and OT environments, deploying deception assets without interfering with production traffic or operations.[5]

ShadowPlex uses deception to protect credentials at rest and in use, exposing misuse, lateral movement, and privilege escalation. ShadowPlex automatically recommends token types, volume, and placement based on Active Directory structure and endpoint characteristics.[6][7]

ShadowPlex Cloud Security delivers AI-powered deception and honeytokens to IAM and cloud-native services across public clouds. ShadowPlex Cloud Security is deployed via native cloud APIs and protects cloud-native workloads and IAM infrastructure. ShadowPlex Cloud Security unifies threat detection across AWS, Azure, and GCP with no agents. ShadowPlex Cloud Security places deception in identity repositories like Instance Metadata and Secrets Store. Acalvio CDR is agentless and API-driven, and integrates directly with cloud control planes and infrastructure services. Acalvio CDR delivers detections enriched with adversary behavior context to a SIEM, SOAR, or XDR platform.[9]

ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel provides threat intelligence from external-facing decoys, including APIs and IPv6 IIoT devices, to detect reconnaissance and credential attacks early. ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel delivers threat intelligence with IPs, credentials, and attack patterns. ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel uses decoys for web apps, APIs, and IPv6 IIoT services to detect reconnaissance and credential attacks. ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel shares indicators in real time in STIX and other standard formats. ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel is delivered as a managed cloud service or as an on-premises/cloud appliance. When delivered as a service, Acalvio hosts and manages the decoys, isolating attacker traffic from the production network. Acalvio integrates with CrowdStrike Falcon® Identity Protection, Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, and other SIEM/SOAR solutions. Acalvio integrates with EDR/XDR platforms including CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender, Palo Alto Cortex XDR, and VMware Carbon Black, and with SIEM/SOAR solutions.[1][6][10]

Acalvio plants honeypots and honeytokens across sensitive systems, without disrupting operations. Acalvio baits insiders with decoy assets such as files, credentials, or systems to trigger early warning before critical assets are touched. Acalvio engages ransomware early with deceptive assets that expose encryption behaviors. Acalvio uses deception as an enforcement layer to expose policy violations and unauthorized access. In healthcare, Acalvio uses AI-powered deception to detect adversary behavior early across identity systems, clinical apps, and cloud workloads, without adding risk to care delivery.[11][13]

Based in Silicon Valley, Acalvio serves midsize to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Acalvio offers deployment from Cloud, on-premises, or through managed service providers. The Acalvio Active Defense Platform is backed by 25 patents and enables advanced threat defense across IT, OT, and Cloud environments. The Acalvio Active Defense Platform provides Identity Protection, Advanced Threat Defense, and Threat Hunting products. The Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) solutions from Acalvio with Honeytokens enable Zero Trust security models. Acalvio offers deception-powered, preemptive cybersecurity for complex financial environments.[1][2][3][4][6][9]

Acalvio on the record

Sources

Acalvio full record

  1. [1]acalvio.comAcalvio · acalvio.com · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Acalvio technologies secures investment from gv formerly google venturesAcalvio · acalvio.com · published November 3, 2016 · Tier A
  3. [3]Acalvio | Cyber Deception Technology for Preemptive CybersecurityAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Deception Technology Platform & Products | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Advanced Threat Defense with Deception | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Honeytoken Protection for CrowdStrike Falcon | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Cloud Security with Agentless Deception | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]ShadowPlex Threat Intel | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Insider Threat Detection | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Cyber Deception Solutions for Enterprise Security | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Healthcare Cybersecurity Solutions & Services | AcalvioAcalvio · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

CounterCraft full record

  1. [1]countercraftsec.comCounterCraft · countercraftsec.com · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Deception-Powered Threat Intelligence | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Edge Device Security WhitepaperCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Looking to strengthen your OT security? | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]An insider threat solution that works | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Cybersecurity for Retail | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Cybersecurity for Healthcare | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Cybersecurity for Financial Services | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Cybersecurity for Oil and GasCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Federal Government Cybersecurity Solution | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Global Bank Detects Lateral Movement in a SWIFT Network | CounterCraftCounterCraft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

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