CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Adaptive Security vs IBM

Adaptive Security sells a platform that consolidates security awareness training, phishing simulations, email security, AI governance and human risk monitoring. IBM Vault is offered for securing machine and agent identities. CISO Tribune files both under AI governance. 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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  • Adaptive Security
  • IBM
Adaptive Security vs IBM: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security sells a platform that consolidates security awareness training, phishing simulations, email security, AI governance and human risk monitoring.adaptivesecurity.comIBMIBM Vault is offered for securing machine and agent identities.ibm.com
What it sells
  • Security Awareness Training[2][3][14][23]Interactive training modules covering AI threats, phishing, voice cloning, and compliance.
  • Phish Triage[2][3][17]Classifies employee-reported emails and takes action on them.
  • Compliance[2][3][21]Compliance and policy training for frameworks such as HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS and CCPA.
  • IBM Cloudant[7]A JSON document database built on CouchDB technology.
  • IBM Maximo Application Suite[9]A unified asset and facilities management solution.
Categories
Headquarters
New York, United States[1]Not stated on its pages
Founded
2024[1][17]1911[2]
Ownership and funding
Privately held[1][12][13]Not stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • October 6, 2026Adaptive Security was named to Fast Company's 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list.[11]
  • June 9, 2026Adaptive Security announced a 15-video security awareness training series starring Conan O'Brien, available to its current enterprise customers.[23]
  • April 23, 2026Adaptive Security published a product update announcing a beta release of its AI Governance capability.[10]
  • December 16, 2025Adaptive Security announced an $81 million Series B with new investors NVIDIA, Bain Capital Ventures, Capital One Ventures and Citi Ventures, plus existing investors.[9]
  • September 24, 2026IBM UK announced its acquisition of Logiq Consulting, a UK cybersecurity consultancy.[16]
  • May 21, 2026IBM joined Project Glasswing, a security initiative focused on protecting critical software infrastructure.[17]
  • March 17, 2026IBM completed its acquisition of Confluent, adding event streaming to its data, integration and enterprise infrastructure portfolio.[15]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[18]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Adaptive Security sells mainly to organizations that want training, simulations, email security and AI governance in one platform. Its enterprise material addresses security teams that use separate tools for each of those functions. Its healthcare material addresses training staff at healthcare organizations, and it describes a hospital and a bank among its customers. Its pages address lean IT and security teams as well as established SOCs.From its own pages, IBM sells to operations, maintenance and facility teams through its asset and facilities management solution. IBM also addresses energy operators with solar, wind and battery storage portfolios. IBM Bob is aimed at development teams working on complex software. IBM offers purchase options aimed at asset-intensive businesses. Maximo Application Suite is delivered as client managed software or software as a service. IBM supports developing optimization models for on-premises, cloud or hybrid environments.
Last verified
September 27, 2026November 4, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Adaptive Security and IBM are both filed under AI governance.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Adaptive Security's primary category is Security awareness training; IBM's is Data security posture management.
  • Adaptive Security is also filed under Email security. IBM is also filed under Workforce IAM and SSO and Endpoint management and application control.
  • Adaptive Security lists Security Awareness Training, Phish Triage and Compliance. IBM lists IBM Cloudant and IBM Maximo Application Suite.
  • Adaptive Security is headquartered in New York, United States.
  • Adaptive Security was founded in 2024. IBM was founded in 1911.
  • Adaptive Security is privately held.

What it sells: Adaptive Security

What Security Awareness Training does[2][3][14][23]
Training modules are drawn from a library of over 1,000 resources. Triggered and one-time campaigns run automatically, with completion tracked across the organization. Customers can build custom modules from their own policies using Adaptive's AI content creator.
What Phish Triage does[2][3][17]
The Phish Alert Button and AI-powered Phish Triage classify employee-reported emails and automatically take action. Phish Triage remediates confirmed threats and notifies affected employees.
What Compliance does[2][3][21]
Pre-built tracks cover HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS, CCPA, and more. Customers can upload a policy document or describe a requirement to generate training with AI. Audit-ready reports show completions and scores by framework, employee, and date.

What it sells: IBM

What IBM Cloudant does[7]
IBM Cloudant supports flexible, schema-free JSON document storage and is built on CouchDB technology with compatible API and replication protocols. IBM Cloudant encrypts all data, with optional user-defined encryption key management through IBM Key Protect, and integrates with IBM Identity and Access Management.
What IBM Maximo Application Suite does[9]
IBM Maximo Application Suite is a unified asset and facilities management solution that brings maintenance, inspections and reliability together in one place for critical equipment and infrastructure. Maximo Application Suite comes in two packages: client managed software or software as a service. MAS is purchased through a credit-based system called AppPoints.

Questions about Adaptive Security and IBM

What do Adaptive Security and IBM sell?
Adaptive Security sells Security Awareness Training, Phish Triage and Compliance. IBM sells IBM Cloudant and IBM Maximo Application Suite.
Are Adaptive Security and IBM in the same category?
They share AI governance. Adaptive Security's primary category is Security awareness training and IBM's is Data security posture management.
Where are Adaptive Security and IBM headquartered?
Adaptive Security is headquartered in New York, United States.
When were Adaptive Security and IBM founded?
Adaptive Security was founded in 2024. IBM was founded in 1911.
Who owns Adaptive Security and IBM?
Adaptive Security is privately held.
Who are Adaptive Security and IBM sold to?
From its own pages, Adaptive Security sells mainly to organizations that want training, simulations, email security and AI governance in one platform. From its own pages, IBM sells to operations, maintenance and facility teams through its asset and facilities management solution.
What have Adaptive Security and IBM announced recently?
October 6, 2026: Adaptive Security was named to Fast Company's 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list. September 24, 2026: IBM UK announced its acquisition of Logiq Consulting, a UK cybersecurity consultancy.

About Adaptive Security

Adaptive Security sells a platform that consolidates security awareness training, phishing simulations, email security, AI governance and human risk monitoring. Adaptive Security says its products work together or stand alone.[2][3][14]

Adaptive Security says adversaries use AI and LLMs to rapidly generate sophisticated social engineering attacks that exploit organizational complexity at every level. For enterprises, Adaptive Security describes threats that include executive impersonation targeting finance and leadership teams, AI-generated spear phishing built from OSINT data, deepfake voice and video attacks, and inbound email threats that existing gateways miss. Adaptive Security describes attacks that arrive via email, SMS, voice, and video.[2][3][14]

Security Awareness Training consists of interactive training modules covering AI threats, phishing, voice cloning, and compliance, drawn from a library of over 1,000 resources. Triggered and one-time campaigns in Security Awareness Training run automatically, with completion tracked across the organization. Adaptive Security supports custom modules built from a customer's own policies using Adaptive's AI content creator. Adaptive Security says its healthcare training modules are designed to be completed in under 10 minutes. Adaptive Security integrates with Workday, ADP, and other common LMS platforms used in healthcare environments, and supports SCORM exports for organizations that need to push content into an existing learning management system.[2][3][5]

Phishing Simulations recreate the people, channels, and business situations employees trust. Adaptive Security simulates every major attack vector, including email phishing, SMS, voice calls, and deepfake video attacks. When someone fails a simulation, Adaptive Security delivers a short micro-lesson explaining exactly what to look for next time. Podium uses Adaptive Security's realistic voice and SMS phishing simulations alongside automated training campaigns, custom content, and integrations with Okta and Slack.[4][5][15][16]

Adaptive Security's Email Security re-analyzes every inbound message after native filtering to catch the attacks that reach the inbox anyway, then remediates them automatically. Threats are broken out by type: credential phishing, callback phishing, business email compromise, extortion, and malicious payloads. Adaptive Email Security detects and removes phishing attacks, including threats employees never report, and can investigate and remove detected threats across affected inboxes, including messages that have already been delivered. Adaptive Email Security examines who is making a request, how they communicate, and the business context behind the message to identify fraud that may contain no malicious link or attachment.[2][15][18]

The Phish Alert Button and AI-powered Phish Triage classify employee-reported emails and automatically take action. Adaptive Phish Triage automatically classifies and resolves high-confidence reports, allowing the security team to focus on messages that require attention. Adaptive Security can send verdicts and relevant context to supported downstream security workflows through integrations.[2]

Adaptive AI Governance builds a clear view of AI activity across a customer's organization. Adaptive Security says customers can see how employees use AI, prevent sensitive data exposure, and apply context-aware policies across browsers, desktop apps, and developer workflows. Adaptive Security defines shadow AI as the use of AI tools, accounts, or workflows that an organization has not approved or cannot properly see and govern. Adaptive Security distinguishes personal and company AI accounts used in browser-based workflows.[19][20]

For compliance training, Adaptive Security offers pre-built tracks for HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS, CCPA, and more, with state and country-specific content in 40+ localized languages. Customers can upload a policy document or describe a requirement to generate training with AI. Adaptive Security exports audit-ready reports with completions and scores by framework, employee, and date.[3][21]

Adaptive Security says it is SOC 2 Type II certified, HIPAA compliant, and GDPR compliant. Adaptive Security connects to a customer's HRIS and identity provider so employee groups stay in sync automatically as people join, leave, or change roles. Adaptive Security describes Lake City Bank and Bay Federal among its customers, and says First Liberty achieved 98% security training completion, with staff finishing in about a day.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][14][18][21][22]

Adaptive Security on the record

Sources

Adaptive Security full record

  1. [1]Openai backed adaptive security named to fortunes cyber 60 list 302600736Adaptive Security via PR Newswire · prnewswire.com · published October 31, 2025 · Tier A
  2. [2]Protect Against Deepfakes and AI-Powered Attacks | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Finance | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Education | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Healthcare | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Government | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Hospitality | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Sports | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Our Series B, and the Future of Security Awareness in the Age of AIAdaptive Security · published December 16, 2025 · Tier A
  10. [10]AI Governance (Beta)Adaptive Security · published April 23, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Adaptive Security Named to Fast Company's 2026 Next Big Things in Tech ListAdaptive Security · published October 6, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Adaptive Security Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  13. [13]Adaptive Security Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  14. [14]Enterprise | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Payment & Vendor Fraud Prevention | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Deepfake & AI Impersonation Protection | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Automated Phishing Response | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Credential Phishing Protection | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]AI Governance & Data Protection | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]Browser Security | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  21. [21]Compliance & Policy Training | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  22. [22]Executive Risk Reduction | Adaptive SecurityAdaptive Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  23. [23]Conan O'Brien Teams Up With Adaptive Security To Fight AI Threats with LaughsPR Newswire · published June 9, 2026 · Tier A

IBM full record

  1. [1]SecurityIBM · ibm.com · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]AboutIBM · ibm.com · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]IBMIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]IBM watsonxIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Application Vulnerability Management - IBM ConcertIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]AI Coding Agent and Development Partner for Enterprise | IBMIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]IBM CloudantIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]IBM Cloud Free TierIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Maximo Application Suite | IBMIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Pricing Maximo Application Suite - IBM Maximo Application SuiteIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Data Center Asset Management | IBM Application SuiteIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Renewables Energy Asset Performance Management | IBM Application SuiteIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization StudioIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]IBM SPSS AmosIBM · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]IBM acquires Confluent to connect, process and govern real-time data for applications and AI agentsIBM · published March 17, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]IBM Acquires Logiq Consulting to Expand Secure Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity Capabilities in the UKIBM · published September 24, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]IBM expands AI security push as cyberattacks accelerate | IBMIBM Think · published May 21, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]IBM App Connect Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & FeaturesG2 · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier C

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