CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Material Security vs WatchGuard Technologies

Material Security is the company behind Material, an automated cloud workspace security platform for lean security teams that need to protect the email, files, and accounts that live in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. 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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  • Material Security
  • WatchGuard Technologies
Material Security vs WatchGuard Technologies: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
Material SecurityMaterial Security is the company behind Material, an automated cloud workspace security platform for lean security teams that need to protect the email, files, and accounts that live in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.material.securityWatchGuard 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
  • Email Security[2][3][5][8]Remediates email attacks that bypass traditional controls in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
  • File Security[2][6][8][13]Finds sensitive data in files and remediates excessive permissions and sharing.
  • Account Security[2][7][8]Detects account takeovers, contains their impact and hardens accounts.
  • OAuth Remediation Agent[8]Watches third-party clients and AI agents across Google Workspace.
  • Drive Agent[9][10]Investigates and remediates over-shared sensitive documents in Google Drive.
  • 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
Redwood City, United States[1]Seattle, United States[4]
Founded
2017[1][13]Not stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesOwned 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: listed, seen November 4, 2026[12]
  • 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
Not written yetWatchGuard 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
September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies are both filed under Identity threat detection and response.
  • Both are headquartered in the United States.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Material Security's primary category is Email security; WatchGuard Technologies's is Firewalls and NGFW.
  • Material Security is also filed under Data security posture management and SaaS security posture. WatchGuard Technologies is also filed under EDR and XDR and Workforce IAM and SSO.
  • Material Security lists Email Security, File Security, Account Security, OAuth Remediation Agent and Drive Agent. WatchGuard Technologies lists Unified Security Platform, Firebox M Series, Endpoint Security 360, AuthPoint, Total Identity Security and 2 more.
  • Material Security is headquartered in Redwood City, United States. WatchGuard Technologies is headquartered in Seattle, United States.
  • Material Security was founded in 2017.
  • WatchGuard Technologies is owned by Vector Capital, since 2022.

What it sells: Material Security

What Email Security does[2][3][5][8]
Material runs on auto-pilot to remediate sophisticated email attacks that bypass traditional controls. It automates user report triage with AI-powered investigation and response workflows. It connects through native APIs rather than acting as a gateway.
What File Security does[2][6][8][13]
Material detects sensitive content in files and includes tools to automatically remediate excessive permissions and inappropriate sharing. It discovers and classifies sensitive data across Google Drive and maps it to every sharing permission.
What OAuth Remediation Agent does[8]
The agent classifies risk in real time and revokes access tokens the moment behavior turns suspicious. It can message the user in Slack to confirm whether an authorization was legitimate.

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 Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies

What do Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies sell?
Material Security sells Email Security, File Security, Account Security, OAuth Remediation Agent and Drive Agent. WatchGuard Technologies sells Unified Security Platform, Firebox M Series, Endpoint Security 360, AuthPoint, Total Identity Security and 2 more.
Are Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies in the same category?
They share Identity threat detection and response. Material Security's primary category is Email security and WatchGuard Technologies's is Firewalls and NGFW.
Where are Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies headquartered?
Material Security is headquartered in Redwood City, United States. WatchGuard Technologies is headquartered in Seattle, United States.
When were Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies founded?
Material Security was founded in 2017.
Who owns Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies?
WatchGuard Technologies is owned by Vector Capital, since 2022.
Who are Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies sold to?
WatchGuard delivers its security to businesses exclusively through managed service provider and reseller partners.
What have Material Security and WatchGuard Technologies announced recently?
July 7, 2026: WatchGuard Technologies appointed Vincent Hwang as Chief Product Officer, reporting to CEO Joe Smolarski.

About Material Security

Material Security is the company behind Material, an automated cloud workspace security platform for lean security teams that need to protect the email, files, and accounts that live in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Material Security says it secures the productivity suite by stopping attacks and reducing risk across Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace with unified cloud email and file security, data loss prevention and posture management.[2][3][5][7]

Material Security says point solutions and home-grown detections create gaps and drain efficiency. Material replaces that patchwork with a single platform that combines threat detection and response across email, files, and accounts. The company describes modern attacks as deliberately spanning email, identities, data, and connected apps.[3][7][9]

On email, Material remediates sophisticated email attacks that bypass traditional controls. Material automates user report triage with AI-powered investigation and response workflows. Material says it stops VIP impersonations, BEC attacks, and sophisticated phishing that slips past native defenses, including vendor email compromise, invoice fraud, quishing, and ransomware. Material says teams using its automated user report response have cut phishing triage by up to 91 percent at companies like Gusto.[3][5]

On files and accounts, Material detects sensitive content in files and includes tools to automatically remediate excessive permissions and inappropriate sharing. Material detects account takeovers, contains their impact, and hardens accounts. Material monitors signals across the cloud office, from forwarding rules and mailbox rule changes to brute force logins and credential stuffing.[3][7]

Material sells two agents for specific workspace risks. For business-critical clients, customers can require analyst approval before revocation happens. Material's Drive Agent finds and investigates PHI, PII, and sensitive documents shared too broadly in Drive. When over-sharing is identified, the Drive Agent enforces policy and remediates in bulk.[8][9]

On deployment, Material connects to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace in minutes via native APIs, with no network changes and zero downtime. Material lets customers implement protections for just the users or teams that need them, and syncs groups from Active Directory, Google, or IdPs for targeted deployments and staged rollouts. No agents, plug-ins, or other end-user installs are required. Material can be operated by Material while the customer's team has full access to and ownership of the underlying infrastructure. Material links with SIEM or SOAR platforms to bring cloud workspace visibility and protection under the broader security ecosystem.[3]

On security assurance, Material states it has received a SOC 2 Type II Report through an independent third-party auditor. Material undergoes regular external pentests and runs a private bug bounty program through HackerOne. Material keeps immutable audit logs of all admin activity and application events, and access to the Material admin console can be gated through Single Sign-On.

On pricing, Essentials starts at $4 per user/month, billed annually. Advanced is $6 per user/month, billed annually. ATO Resilience can be added to either plan for an additional $3 per user/month, or bought as a standalone license for $5 per user/month.[14]

Ryan co-founded Material in 2017 and has served as Chairman since 2023. Abhishek co-founded Material in 2017. Chris has been VP of Engineering at Material Security since 2017 and co-founded the company. Material Security says it has raised venture capital from Martin Casado at Andreessen Horowitz, Elad Gil, and Trae Stephens at Founders Fund.[2][3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][14]

Material Security on the record

Sources

Material Security full record

  1. [1]Material Security Raises $40 Million Series B To Protect the Worlds Email From the Next SolarWinds AttackMaterial Security via Business Wire · businesswire.com · published May 26, 2021 · Tier A
  2. [2]ProductMaterial Security · material.security · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Cloud Workspace Security Platform | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Deployment and Security | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Email Security Solutions for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 | MaterialMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]File Security for Google Drive and Gmail | MaterialMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Account Takeover Prevention & Detection | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]OAuth Security That Stops Malicious Apps | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Material Security | Security for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365Material Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Google Drive Security for the Agentic AI Era | MaterialMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Helping Secure Our Customers | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Material Security Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier C
  13. [13]About Us and Leadership | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Our Pricing Packages | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 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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