CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Coalfire vs IANS

Coalfire sells advisory, audit and assessment services. IANS is a practitioner-sourced intelligence engine where data, peer experience and expert insights converge for security teams. CISO Tribune files both under Security consulting and advisory and Penetration testing and red team services. 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.

Change the companies

Up to four companies side by side.

  • Coalfire
  • IANS
Coalfire vs IANS: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
CoalfireCoalfire sells advisory, audit and assessment services.coalfire.comIANSIANS is a practitioner-sourced intelligence engine where data, peer experience and expert insights converge for security teams.ians.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.
  • Ask IANS[12]An AI Q&A service built on a proprietary database of IANS Faculty expert advice.
  • Client Portal[12][14]A library of research, tools and templates contributed by IANS Faculty.
  • CISO Inquiry Community[12]An invitation-only service where CISOs gain insights from a private community of peers.
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 pagesNot stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
Not stated on its pages
  • August 25, 2026IANS named Kelley Hippler as its Chief Revenue Officer, citing her revenue leadership experience at Thought Industries, Briefly Legal, and Forrester.[16]
  • July 15, 2026IANS announced the launch of its Model Context Protocol Server, which delivers cybersecurity insights and data through the AI tools security teams use.[10]
  • March 31, 2026IANS announced the launch of a security-focused news offering with daily coverage written by its in-house reporters and backed by expert practitioner analysis.[9]
  • February 4, 2026IANS appointed Dan Klein as Executive Vice President, Faculty and Professional Services.[11]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[7]
  • 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
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, IANS sells mainly to CISOs and their cybersecurity teams. A privacy service from IANS is aimed at CISOs, privacy teams and compliance teams. IANS offers an invitation-only community in which CISOs gain insights from their peers. IANS describes professional development that runs from hands-on technical skill to the executive table. No vendor can become an IANS client. IANS offers data-as-a-service delivery of its content to clients that license it.
Last verified
November 2, 2026October 16, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Security consulting and advisory is the primary category of both Coalfire and IANS; both are also filed under Penetration testing and red team services.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Coalfire is also filed under Compliance automation and MDR and managed SOC. IANS is also filed under Security awareness training.
  • Coalfire lists Compliance Essentials, Hexeon, DivisionHex, Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services and AI Security and Trust Engineering. IANS lists Ask IANS, Client Portal and CISO Inquiry Community.
  • Coalfire is headquartered in Chicago, United States.

How they differ

CISO Tribune files Coalfire under Security consulting and advisory, Penetration testing and red team services, Compliance automation, and MDR and managed SOC, with Security consulting and advisory as its primary category. CISO Tribune files IANS under Security consulting and advisory, Penetration testing and red team services, and Security awareness training, also with Security consulting and advisory as primary. Coalfire is headquartered in Chicago, United States.

Coalfire sells Compliance Essentials, a SaaS platform for managing compliance programs and audit cycles, and Hexeon, which combines high-frequency offensive pen testing with defensive risk management. It also sells Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services and AI Security and Trust Engineering, which helps companies design, build and operate AI systems that meet compliance targets. Coalfire lists Premera as a client organization. Coalfire released a SOC2 Type 2 report covering the examination period of 3/1/2025 to 2/28/2026.

IANS describes itself as a cybersecurity research and advisory firm serving CISOs and their cybersecurity teams. IANS sells Ask IANS, an AI Q&A service built on a database of IANS Faculty advice, along with a Client Portal of research, tools and templates. IANS also sells the CISO Inquiry Community, an invitation-only service where CISOs learn from a private community of peers. On July 15, 2026, IANS announced the launch of its Model Context Protocol Server, which delivers cybersecurity insights and data through AI tools security teams use. On March 31, 2026, IANS announced a security-focused news offering with daily coverage from its in-house reporters.

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: IANS

What Client Portal does[12][14]
The Client Portal provides a library of research, tools and templates contributed by IANS Faculty. Client Portal website data and infrastructure are based in the U.S.

Questions about Coalfire and IANS

What do Coalfire and IANS sell?
Coalfire sells Compliance Essentials, Hexeon, DivisionHex, Advisory, Audit, and Assessment services and AI Security and Trust Engineering. IANS sells Ask IANS, Client Portal and CISO Inquiry Community.
Are Coalfire and IANS in the same category?
Yes. Security consulting and advisory is the primary category of both on CISO Tribune.
Where are Coalfire and IANS headquartered?
Coalfire is headquartered in Chicago, United States.
Who are Coalfire and IANS 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, IANS sells mainly to CISOs and their cybersecurity teams.
What have Coalfire and IANS announced recently?
August 25, 2026: IANS named Kelley Hippler as its Chief Revenue Officer, citing her revenue leadership experience at Thought Industries, Briefly Legal, and Forrester.

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

IANS full record

  1. [1]ians.comIANS · ians.com · undated page, accessed October 16, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Security program assessmentsIANS · ians.com · undated page, accessed October 16, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]About IANS — who we are and what we believe | IANSIANS · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]IANS — The intelligence platform for security leadersIANS · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]2024 Security Budgets: Data From 755 CISOsIANS · published September 5, 2024 · Tier A
  6. [6]IANS 2025 Security Budget Benchmark ReportIANS · published August 5, 2025 · Tier A
  7. [7]Cybersecurity Salaries 2026: Staff Pay and Retention DataIANS · published March 31, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Webinar: Where to Deploy AI Across Your SecOps TeamIANS · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]IANS Launches News Offering and Reinvents Its Platform for How Security Leaders Work TodayIANS · published March 31, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]IANS Launches the First Cybersecurity MCP Server Delivering Practitioner-Validated Intelligence Directly into Clients' Native AI ToolsIANS · published July 15, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]IANS appoints Dan Klein as Executive Vice President, Faculty and Professional Services to Support Faculty and Consulting Services GrowthIANS · published February 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Terms of Service | IANSIANS · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]MCP Data Privacy & Security | IANSIANS · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]IANS Cybersecurity Commitment | IANSIANS · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]2025 Staff Pay Data From 525+ Infosec ProfessionalsIANS · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]New CRO to Help IANS Expand Practitioner-Sourced Intelligence, Peer Insight, and AI-Ready Guidance for Security TeamsIANS · published August 25, 2026 · Tier A

Spot a factual error? Request a correction.