CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Acalvio vs WatchGuard Technologies

Acalvio sells ShadowPlex, a deception platform built to operationalize 360 Deception at enterprise scale. WatchGuard Technologies sells a Unified Security Platform that combines network, endpoint, identity and cloud protection, purpose-built for MSPs servicing midsize companies and SMBs. CISO Tribune files both under Identity threat detection and response. 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
  • WatchGuard Technologies
Acalvio vs WatchGuard Technologies: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
AcalvioAcalvio sells ShadowPlex, a deception platform built to operationalize 360 Deception at enterprise scale.acalvio.comWatchGuard TechnologiesWatchGuard Technologies sells a Unified Security Platform that combines network, endpoint, identity and cloud protection, purpose-built for MSPs servicing midsize companies and SMBs.watchguard.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.
  • Unified Security Platform[1][5]WatchGuard unifies network, endpoint, identity and cloud protection under one agent, one console and one AI intelligence layer.
  • Firebox M Series[9]Firebox M Series rackmount appliances provide NGFW features.
  • Endpoint Security 360[11]WatchGuard Endpoint Security 360 is an autonomous zero trust endpoint detection and response solution.
  • AuthPoint[7][12][13]WatchGuard AuthPoint provides cloud-based authentication and access to applications.
  • Total Identity Security[13]Total Identity Security combines AuthPoint MFA with Dark Web Credential Monitoring.
  • WatchGuard Cloud[1][5][7][9][13]WatchGuard Cloud is built for MSPs and gives one place to deploy, standardize, monitor and report across all customers.
  • Compliance Reporting[15]WatchGuard Compliance Reporting offers configurable compliance controls and reports for regulatory needs.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesSeattle, United States[4]
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Privately held[8]Owned by Vector Capital since 2022[6]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
Not stated on its pages
  • July 7, 2026WatchGuard Technologies appointed Vincent Hwang as Chief Product Officer, reporting to CEO Joe Smolarski.[16]
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: listed, seen October 30, 2026[6]
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.WatchGuard delivers its security to businesses exclusively through managed service provider and reseller partners. Businesses receive protection configured and managed for them by a local WatchGuard partner. WatchGuard describes its devices as suited to securing branch offices, distributed networks and large data centers. WatchGuard secure access points are described for small offices, retail locations, schools, warehouses and outdoor deployments. WatchGuard Endpoint Security 360 is described as suited to organizations and MSPs.
Last verified
November 6, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies are both filed under Identity threat detection and response.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Acalvio's primary category is Deception technology; WatchGuard Technologies's is Firewalls and NGFW.
  • Acalvio is also filed under Cloud detection and response and Threat intelligence. WatchGuard Technologies is also filed under EDR and XDR and Workforce IAM and SSO.
  • Acalvio lists ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense, ShadowPlex Cloud Security and ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel. WatchGuard Technologies lists Unified Security Platform, Firebox M Series, Endpoint Security 360, AuthPoint, Total Identity Security and 2 more.
  • WatchGuard Technologies is headquartered in Seattle, United States.
  • Acalvio is privately held. WatchGuard Technologies is owned by Vector Capital, since 2022.

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: WatchGuard Technologies

What Firebox M Series does[9]
Firebox M Series rackmount appliances provide NGFW features. Firebox rackmount appliances integrate with WatchGuard Cloud and ThreatSync and offer centralized management and AI-powered XDR correlation.
What Endpoint Security 360 does[11]
WatchGuard Endpoint Security 360 is an autonomous zero trust endpoint detection and response solution that blocks unknown applications automatically and continuously monitors trusted applications for signs of compromise. WatchGuard Endpoint Security 360 provides visibility into blocked executions, compromised trusted applications and the progression of attacks across endpoints.
What AuthPoint does[7][12][13]
WatchGuard AuthPoint provides cloud-based authentication and access to applications. AuthPoint MFA supports push, passkeys, TOTP, QR codes, hardware tokens and zero trust policies. AuthPoint is managed in WatchGuard Cloud, which configures policies, synchronizes users and enforces controls from one interface.
What Total Identity Security does[13]
Total Identity Security combines AuthPoint MFA with Dark Web Credential Monitoring. WatchGuard continuously monitors workforce user credentials across dark web, deep web and breach databases using AI-driven intelligence, and can alert affected end users directly. WatchGuard Cloud lets MSPs manage MFA and credential monitoring across customer accounts.
What WatchGuard Cloud does[1][5][7][9][13]
WatchGuard Cloud is built for MSPs and gives one place to deploy, standardize, monitor and report across all customers. ThreatSync XDR is part of WatchGuard Cloud and correlates activity across WatchGuard security layers. WatchGuard Cloud provides visibility, configuration control and real-time threat monitoring so MSPs can manage network security from anywhere with an Internet connection.
What Compliance Reporting does[15]
WatchGuard Compliance Reporting offers configurable compliance controls and reports for regulatory needs. WatchGuard Compliance Reporting is integrated with WatchGuard NDR and WatchGuard SaaS, delivering over 100 AI-refined network cybersecurity controls. WatchGuard Compliance Reporting includes configurable compliance report templates for ISO-27001, NIST 800-53, NIST 171/CMMC, UK Cyber Essentials, FFIEC, CISA Ransomware Defense, Cyber Insurance Compliance and Supply Chain Compliance.

Questions about Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies

What do Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies sell?
Acalvio sells ShadowPlex Advanced Threat Defense, ShadowPlex Cloud Security and ShadowPlex Targeted Threat Intel. WatchGuard Technologies sells Unified Security Platform, Firebox M Series, Endpoint Security 360, AuthPoint, Total Identity Security and 2 more.
Are Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies in the same category?
They share Identity threat detection and response. Acalvio's primary category is Deception technology and WatchGuard Technologies's is Firewalls and NGFW.
Where are Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies headquartered?
WatchGuard Technologies is headquartered in Seattle, United States.
Who owns Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies?
Acalvio is privately held. WatchGuard Technologies is owned by Vector Capital, since 2022.
Who are Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies sold to?
Acalvio offers deployment from Cloud, on-premises, or through managed service providers. WatchGuard delivers its security to businesses exclusively through managed service provider and reseller partners.
What have Acalvio and WatchGuard Technologies announced recently?
July 7, 2026: WatchGuard Technologies appointed Vincent Hwang as Chief Product Officer, reporting to CEO Joe Smolarski.

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

WatchGuard Technologies full record

  1. [1]watchguard.comWatchGuard Technologies · watchguard.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Watchguard launches new high performance firebox appliances secure modernWatchGuard Technologies · watchguard.com · published June 2, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]vectorcapital.comVector Capital · vectorcapital.com · published July 5, 2022 · Tier A
  4. [4]Dex991WatchGuard Technologies via SEC EDGAR · sec.gov · published July 25, 2006 · Tier A
  5. [5]WatchGuard | Comprehensive Cybersecurity SolutionsWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed October 30, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]WatchGuard Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 30, 2026 · Tier C
  7. [7]Centralized Management & Visibility | WatchGuard CloudWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Managed Security Services for MSPs | WatchGuardWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Rackmount Firewall Appliances | WatchGuardWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]WatchGuard Endpoint Security | AI-Powered ProtectionWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]WatchGuard Endpoint Security 360 - Zero Trust EDRWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]AuthPoint 30-Day Free Trial | WatchGuard Free AuthPointWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]AuthPoint Total Identity Security | WatchGuardWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Secure Wireless APs for Your Business | WatchGuardWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Compliance Reporting | WatchGuardWatchGuard Technologies · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]WatchGuard Appoints Vincent Hwang as Chief Product OfficerWatchGuard Technologies · published July 7, 2026 · Tier A

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