CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Coalfire vs Guardz

Coalfire sells advisory, audit and assessment services. Guardz sells an MSP-ready security platform that brings identity, endpoint, email, data, awareness, and exposure protection together. CISO Tribune files both under MDR and managed SOC. 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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Up to four companies side by side.

  • Coalfire
  • Guardz
Coalfire vs Guardz: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
CoalfireCoalfire sells advisory, audit and assessment services.coalfire.comGuardzGuardz sells an MSP-ready security platform that brings identity, endpoint, email, data, awareness, and exposure protection together.guardz.com
What it sells
  • Compliance Essentials[3]A SaaS platform that enterprises use to manage complex compliance programs and audit cycles.
  • Hexeon[3]A platform combining high-frequency offensive pen testing with strategic defensive risk management.
  • DivisionHex[3]A team of offensive, defensive and managed cybersecurity experts.
  • Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services[3]Services that cover the professional services layer of Coalfire.
  • AI Security and Trust Engineering[4]Services that help companies design, build and operate AI systems that meet compliance targets.
  • Email Security[2][8]An API-based and AI-native engine to prevent credential theft, ransomware, and impersonation threats.
  • Security Awareness Training[2][4][10]Pre-scheduled security awareness training that alters behavior.
  • Phishing Simulation[14]AI-generated phishing attacks tailored by tone, industry, and language.
Categories
Headquarters
Chicago, United States[2]Not stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesPrivately held[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
Not stated on its pages
  • November 2, 2026Guardz added browser protection from Palo Alto Networks' Prisma Browser for Business to its security platform for managed service providers serving small businesses.[17]
  • March 3, 2026Guardz announced a strategic partnership with FoxPointe Solutions, a cybersecurity advisory firm focused on governance, risk management and virtual CISO services.[18]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[7]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 3, 2026[13]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
Coalfire states that it helps boards and C-level executives identify their critical assets, potential vulnerabilities and which risks to address. Coalfire offers responsible AI governance for healthcare and regulated organizations. Coalfire provides independent audit support for CMS-regulated entities. Coalfire's AI Security and Trust Engineering services are aimed at companies that design, build and operate AI systems.From its own pages, Guardz sells mainly to MSPs, and describes its platform as built for them. Guardz says small businesses find it difficult to keep up with their external posture. Guardz says MSPs can use a prospecting tool to attract new clients by showing the extent of SMEs' exposure. Guardz says even non-security experts can respond to cyber events. Guardz says it gives clients visibility and control with configurable admin roles.
Last verified
November 2, 2026September 30, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Coalfire and Guardz are both filed under MDR and managed SOC.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Coalfire's primary category is Security consulting and advisory; Guardz's is MDR and managed SOC.
  • Coalfire is also filed under Penetration testing and red team services and Compliance automation. Guardz is also filed under Identity threat detection and response, EDR and XDR and Email security.
  • Coalfire lists Compliance Essentials, Hexeon, DivisionHex, Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services and AI Security and Trust Engineering. Guardz lists Email Security, Security Awareness Training and Phishing Simulation.
  • Coalfire is headquartered in Chicago, United States.
  • Guardz is privately held.

What it sells: Coalfire

What Compliance Essentials does[3]
Compliance Essentials supports coordinated assessments for over 75 frameworks using Coalfire's proprietary controls mapping. Data is provided to Compliance Essentials by the organization's assessment users. Compliance Essentials carries the certifications ISO 27001:2022, ISO 27701 and SOC 2 Type 2.
What Hexeon does[3]
The Hexeon platform combines high-frequency offensive pen testing with strategic defensive risk management. Hexeon uses data collected by Coalfire offensive security teams, such as penetration testing findings, vulnerability data and other data concerning technical risk.
What Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services does[3]
Coalfire's Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services cover the professional services layer of the company. Coalfire's Advisory expertise specializes in GRC, AI cloud engineering, healthcare risk and FedRAMP. Coalfire assesses, simplifies and provides guidance across PCI DSS, HITRUST, ISO, FedRAMP and 85+ frameworks.
What AI Security and Trust Engineering does[4]
Coalfire's AI Security and Trust Engineering services help companies design, build and operate AI systems that meet compliance targets. The services deploy AI agents to enhance security and compliance operations. Coalfire has a framework to secure AI systems end-to-end for compliance and risk mitigation.

What it sells: Guardz

What Email Security does[2][8]
Guardz email protection uses an API-based and AI-native engine to prevent credential theft, ransomware, and impersonation threats. Check Point Harmony powers Guardz Email Security.
What Security Awareness Training does[2][4][10]
Guardz helps teams plan, launch and track automated training campaigns. Campaign frequency can be set monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly.
What Phishing Simulation does[14]
Simulations can be generated in English, French, German, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian. Failed simulations trigger an awareness issue.

Questions about Coalfire and Guardz

What do Coalfire and Guardz sell?
Coalfire sells Compliance Essentials, Hexeon, DivisionHex, Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services and AI Security and Trust Engineering. Guardz sells Email Security, Security Awareness Training and Phishing Simulation.
Are Coalfire and Guardz in the same category?
They share MDR and managed SOC. Coalfire's primary category is Security consulting and advisory and Guardz's is MDR and managed SOC.
Where are Coalfire and Guardz headquartered?
Coalfire is headquartered in Chicago, United States.
Who owns Coalfire and Guardz?
Guardz is privately held.
Who are Coalfire and Guardz sold to?
Coalfire states that it helps boards and C-level executives identify their critical assets, potential vulnerabilities and which risks to address. From its own pages, Guardz sells mainly to MSPs, and describes its platform as built for them.
What have Coalfire and Guardz announced recently?
November 2, 2026: Guardz added browser protection from Palo Alto Networks' Prisma Browser for Business to its security platform for managed service providers serving small businesses.

About Coalfire

Coalfire sells advisory, audit and assessment services.[1][3]

Coalfire's Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services cover the professional services layer of the company. Coalfire's Advisory expertise specializes in GRC, AI cloud engineering, healthcare risk and FedRAMP. Coalfire assesses, simplifies and provides guidance across PCI DSS, HITRUST, ISO, FedRAMP and 85+ frameworks.[3]

Compliance Essentials supports coordinated assessments for over 75 frameworks using Coalfire's proprietary controls mapping. Data is provided to Compliance Essentials by the organization's assessment users. Compliance Essentials carries the certifications ISO 27001:2022, ISO 27701 and SOC 2 Type 2.[3]

The Hexeon platform combines high-frequency offensive pen testing with strategic defensive risk management. Hexeon uses data collected by Coalfire offensive security teams, such as penetration testing findings, vulnerability data and other data concerning technical risk.[3]

Coalfire's AI Security and Trust Engineering services help companies design, build and operate AI systems that meet compliance targets. Coalfire's AI Security and Trust Engineering services deploy AI agents to enhance security and compliance operations. Coalfire has a framework to secure AI systems end-to-end for compliance and risk mitigation. Coalfire's Secure Agent Construct maps to AWS services to implement proper isolation, permissions, and feedback loops.[1][4]

For healthcare and federal programs, Coalfire offers end-to-end advisory for entities within the CMS environment, including readiness assessments and System Security and Privacy Plan development. Coalfire provides independent audit support for CMS-regulated entities, helping organizations demonstrate compliance with ARC-AMPE-AE and related federal security and privacy requirements. Coalfire conducts Privacy Impact Analyses for CMS entities and their contractors. Coalfire delivers automated and manual accessibility testing that meets federal standards. Coalfire provides HITRUST support across the full lifecycle, including gap assessments, policy development, remediation guidance, interim assessments and recertification. Coalfire delivers a workshop-based vendor risk program design built on three pillars: vendor criticality categorization, policy and procedure enhancement, and an SCRM tabletop exercise.[5]

Coalfire offers a unified approach to AI compliance across HITRUST and ISO 42001. The unified AI compliance offering combines readiness assessments, documentation development, remediation support, coordinated assessments, and continuous AI compliance monitoring. Coalfire provides responsible AI governance for healthcare and regulated organizations. Coalfire vCISO services provide program oversight, roadmap development, executive and board reporting, risk leadership, and incident readiness support. Coalfire advisors lead executive tabletop exercises, conduct business impact analysis, and build downtime continuity plans. Coalfire training offerings include incident response training, compliance and privacy training, and executive and board tabletop exercises.[5]

Coalfire helps boards and C-level executives identify their critical assets, potential vulnerabilities, and what risks to address based on business objectives. Dr. Adrian Mayers, Global CISO at Premera, is a Coalfire client. Coalfire released a SOC2 Type 2 report covering the examination period of 3/1/2025 to 2/28/2026. The Coalfire Cybersecurity team and DivHex are finalizing certification to the CyberEssentials Plus standards.[1][3][5][6]

Coalfire on the record

Sources

Coalfire full record

  1. [1]coalfire.comCoalfire · coalfire.com · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Coalfires managed and transformation services will deliver security at scaleCoalfire · coalfire.com · published August 4, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Coalfire Trust Center | Powered by ConveyorCoalfire · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Coalfire AI Security and Trust Engineering™ | CoalfireCoalfire · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Healthcare Advisory Services | CoalfireCoalfire · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Cybersecurity and Compliance Services | CoalfireCoalfire · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Coalfire Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & FeaturesG2 · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier C

Guardz full record

  1. [1]guardz.comGuardz · guardz.com · undated page, accessed September 30, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Msp business plan the ultimate blueprint for growthGuardz · guardz.com · published June 12, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]About usGuardz · guardz.com · undated page, accessed September 30, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]AI-Native Security Platform Built for MSPs by GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Guardz: Unified Cybersecurity Platform Built for MSPGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]AI-Native Security Platform Built for MSPs by GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]AI-Native Security Platform Built for MSPs by GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]AI-Native Security Platform Built for MSPs by GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]AI-Native Security Platform Built for MSPs by GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Security Awareness Training for MSPs and EmployeesGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]All-In-One Cloud App Security Solution | GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Protect Your Business from External Cyber Threats | GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Guardz Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier C
  14. [14]Adaptive Phishing Simulation Platform for MSP SecurityGuardz · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]AI-Native Security Platform Built for MSPs by GuardzGuardz · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Cyber Risk Prospecting report - Thank-you | Guardz.comGuardz · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Exclusive: Guardz brings Palo Alto Networks browser protection to MSPs serving small businessesSiliconANGLE · published November 2, 2026 · Tier B
  18. [18]Guardz Partners with Foxpointe Solutions to Deliver Strategic, Scalable Cybersecurity for MSPs and Their ClientsGuardz · published March 3, 2026 · Tier A

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