CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Guardz vs Hornetsecurity

Guardz sells an MSP-ready security platform that brings identity, endpoint, email, data, awareness, and exposure protection together. Hornetsecurity sells a suite of services for Microsoft 365 security, risk, governance, compliance and backup. CISO Tribune files both under Email security. 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.

  • Guardz
  • Hornetsecurity
Guardz vs Hornetsecurity: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
GuardzGuardz sells an MSP-ready security platform that brings identity, endpoint, email, data, awareness, and exposure protection together.guardz.comHornetsecurityHornetsecurity sells a suite of services for Microsoft 365 security, risk, governance, compliance and backup.hornetsecurity.com
What it sells
  • 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.
  • 365 Total Protection[3][4][7]A suite for Microsoft 365 security, risk, governance, compliance and backup.
  • 365 Total Backup[3][4][6]Automated Microsoft 365 data backup, recovery and protection.
  • Advanced Threat Protection[3][4][7][14]AI-powered protection of emails and data.
  • DMARC Manager[3][4][15]Safeguards domains against email impersonation, phishing and spoofing with DMARC, DKIM and SPF management.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Privately held[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]Owned by Proofpoint, Inc. since 2025[2]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • 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]
Not stated on its pages
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 3, 2026[13]
  • 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
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.Not written yet
Last verified
September 30, 2026November 4, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Guardz and Hornetsecurity are both filed under Email security.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Guardz's primary category is MDR and managed SOC; Hornetsecurity's is Email security.
  • Guardz is also filed under Identity threat detection and response and EDR and XDR. Hornetsecurity is also filed under Security awareness training, Email authentication and DMARC and Backup and cyber recovery.
  • Guardz lists Email Security, Security Awareness Training and Phishing Simulation. Hornetsecurity lists 365 Total Protection, 365 Total Backup, Advanced Threat Protection and DMARC Manager.
  • Guardz is privately held. Hornetsecurity is owned by Proofpoint, Inc., since 2025.

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.

What it sells: Hornetsecurity

What 365 Total Protection does[3][4][7]
365 Total Protection plans can be onboarded in Hybrid mode. Hornetsecurity offers one package that combines email security, backup, security awareness, access and permission control and domain fraud protection.
What 365 Total Backup does[3][4][6]
The backup and recovery solution covers mailboxes and In-Place Archive mailboxes, Teams, Planner, OneNote, Entra ID Users and Groups, OneDrive for Business accounts, and SharePoint document libraries. It includes unlimited backup storage and restoration and a 4-eye-approval process.
What Advanced Threat Protection does[3][4][7][14]
Hornetsecurity's Sandbox Engine scans email attachments for potential malware by running the file in a virtual, isolated test environment. Hornetsecurity's QR Code Analyzer detects QR codes embedded directly into an email or an image. Real Time Alerts notify an IT security team about acute attacks on the company in real time.
What DMARC Manager does[3][4][15]
DMARC Manager can capture all reports sent by recipient servers back to the sender and aggregate them into a single report. Hornetsecurity describes real-time data on email messages that fail DMARC checks.

Questions about Guardz and Hornetsecurity

What do Guardz and Hornetsecurity sell?
Guardz sells Email Security, Security Awareness Training and Phishing Simulation. Hornetsecurity sells 365 Total Protection, 365 Total Backup, Advanced Threat Protection and DMARC Manager.
Are Guardz and Hornetsecurity in the same category?
They share Email security. Guardz's primary category is MDR and managed SOC and Hornetsecurity's is Email security.
Who owns Guardz and Hornetsecurity?
Guardz is privately held. Hornetsecurity is owned by Proofpoint, Inc., since 2025.
Who are Guardz and Hornetsecurity sold to?
From its own pages, Guardz sells mainly to MSPs, and describes its platform as built for them.
What have Guardz and Hornetsecurity 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 Guardz

Guardz sells an MSP-ready security platform that brings identity, endpoint, email, data, awareness, and exposure protection together. Guardz says attackers move across identities, email, endpoints, web, and data. Guardz connects the entire workspace through a unified data fabric, enabling autonomous detection, investigation, prioritization, and response. Guardz describes one data fabric with three layers, including intelligence that learns and agents that triage and respond. Guardz says it automatically correlates signals across customer environments so a team can see what matters, act faster, and show the value behind each action.[1][2]

Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR) verifies MFA and security settings, and benchmarks and analyzes user behavior to flag suspicious activity. ITDR monitors identity behavior across the cloud to detect unusual activity, correlate risk signals and trigger targeted responses. Guardz natively integrates with M365 and GWS to run analysis across the most critical cloud logs without complex integrations or service accounts. Guardz lets teams suspend compromised accounts and isolate users in a single action to contain attacks before they spread.[2]

Guardz offers AI-native EDR with SentinelOne embedded and Managed AV with Windows Defender, which Guardz says ensure real-time protection across devices. SentinelOne provides the endpoint engine, and Guardz makes it operational across clients. Managed AV supports Windows and Macs, while SentinelOne EDR supports Windows, Mac and Linux. Kill, Quarantine, Remediate, Roll-Back and Isolate Device can be automated, triggered by the MSP or executed by the MDR team. SentinelOne licenses are included in the Ultimate Plan, and alerts are managed by the Guardz MDR team. Guardz agents can be deployed through RMM and MDM flows with minimal end-user involvement. Alerts from Guardz can be sent through email and syslog into existing workflows.[2]

AI runs response playbooks at machine speed to contain threats and automate remediation, with 24/7 MDR experts handling cases that need human investigation and action. MDR adds human investigation and response around the clock.

Guardz email protection uses an API-based and AI-native engine to prevent credential theft, ransomware, and impersonation threats in real time. Check Point Harmony powers Guardz Email Security, stopping email threats with connected security operations for MSPs across clients. Cloud Data Protection works by analyzing user activity and behavior within cloud applications to identify and prevent threats. Guardz scans the settings, security configurations, user activity logs and token grants of cloud applications through public APIs.[2]

Guardz offers web security through a browser extension that escalates risk around employees exposed to malicious sites, web redirects, and unsafe extensions. Prisma Browser for Business uses the context of the active browsing session to detect and block threats as users encounter them. Guardz connects browser blocks and policy events with identity, email, and endpoint activity. Guardz scans for open ports and public exposures to prevent malicious actors from accessing vulnerable and outdated services. Guardz continuously monitors the internet for leaked credentials and exfiltrated data.

Guardz offers pre-scheduled security awareness training that alters behavior and limits human-driven cyber risks before they escalate. Guardz helps teams plan, launch and track automated training campaigns that boost employee vigilance and shut down human-driven risks. Campaign frequency can be set monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly. Guardz Phishing Simulation empowers MSPs to run lifelike, AI-generated attacks tailored by tone, industry, and language. Training videos and phishing simulations are available in more than 70 languages. Failed simulations trigger an awareness issue, and admins can assign instant training.[2][14][15]

Guardz builds its platform for MSPs. Guardz lets MSPs centrally navigate the security of multiple clients, either aggregated or in their unique individual environments. MSPs can set global configurations once and push them across every client, with automated detection and remediation working continuously in the background. Prospecting Reports scan a client's public-facing assets to uncover security gaps. Evidence mapping reports how Guardz security controls align with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR. Guardz client reports are delivered monthly, quarterly, or on-demand and highlight threats, risk, and mitigation activity.[1][3][16]

Guardz on the record

Sources

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

Hornetsecurity full record

  1. [1]hornetsecurity.comHornetsecurity · hornetsecurity.com · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Proofpoint acquisition completed press releaseHornetsecurity · hornetsecurity.com · published December 8, 2025 · Tier A
  3. [3]hornetsecurity.comHornetsecurity · hornetsecurity.com · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Cybersecurity Services for Microsoft 365 | HornetsecurityHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Hornetsecurity – Next-Gen Microsoft 365 SecurityHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Backup Service Renewal | Hornetsecurity (formerly Altaro)Hornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]365 Total Protection | Next-Gen Microsoft 365 Security SuiteHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]365 Permission Manager for Microsoft 365 | HornetsecurityHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]AI Cyber Assistant by Hornetsecurity: Meet AI.MYHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]AI Recipient Validation: Prevent Misdirected Emails | HornetsecurityHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Advanced Threat Protection for Email | AI-powered Threat DefenseHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Spam Filter & Malware Protection | HornetsecurityHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Business Email Continuity Service | HornetsecurityHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Hosted Business Email | Hornet.emailHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]DMARC Manager - Secure Your Domain with HornetsecurityHornetsecurity · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

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