DefenseStorm
DefenseStorm provides unified cybersecurity, risk management, and governance software — including MDR, SIEM, SOC, and continuous risk assessment — built exclusively for U.S. banks and credit unions, serving over 200 financial institutions through its GRID Active platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersAlpharetta, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What DefenseStorm does
DefenseStorm is a U.S.-based cybersecurity and risk management software company built exclusively for banks and credit unions. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, the company provides a unified platform — anchored by its GRID Active intelligent data engine — that combines Managed Detection and Response (SIEM, SOC, and EDR), continuous risk assessment, and governance/compliance automation into a single system. DefenseStorm maps 10,000+ banking-specific controls to regulatory frameworks including FFIEC, GLBA, NCUA, NIST CSF 2.0, and CRI Profile, and serves over 200 financial institutions ranging from community banks under $200M in assets to regional banks up to $50B in assets.
The platform's core technology, GRID Active, is enhanced through machine learning and governed by seven proprietary Built for Banking AI Principles mapped to NIST AI RMF and CRI FS AI RMF. Production AI capabilities include UEBA Threat (behavior-aware anomaly detection with banking-context risk scoring) and a Gen AI Query Assistant (natural-language access to platform data). The company operates a 24x7x365 collaborative SOC staffed by banking-expert analysts through its Cyber Threat Surveillance Operations (CTS Ops) service. Disclosed performance metrics include sub-15-minute mean time to detect, sub-24-hour mean time to respond, 95%+ SLA compliance, and a 38% residual-risk reduction over 12 months for customer institutions.
DefenseStorm generates revenue primarily through annual subscription contracts priced on an employee-count basis with unlimited data ingestion. The go-to-market is exclusively direct — enterprise field sales and inside sales targeting CISOs, CIOs, and risk officers at financial institutions — with no channel partners or resellers. The company has raised approximately $67M in cumulative funding, including a $15M Series C led by JAM FINTOP in June 2022 and a Series C-1 in May 2024 with participation from Btech Consortium Fund, Curql, Georgian, and Live Oak Bank.
DefenseStorm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DefenseStorm
- Legal name
- DefenseStorm
- Website
- https://defensestorm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- DefenseStorm provides unified cybersecurity, risk management, and governance software — including MDR, SIEM, SOC, and continuous risk assessment — built exclusively for U.S. banks and credit unions, serving over 200 financial institutions through its GRID Active platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DefenseStorm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Financial Institution Cybersecurity
- NAICS
- Investigation and Security Services (5616)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Security Analytics & Detection Engineering (HDADAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Threat Intelligence Services (BPAEADAC), Endpoint Security Managed Services (EDR/XDR) (BPAEADAH)
Keywords
Where DefenseStorm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alpharetta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DefenseStorm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Subscriptions: DefenseStorm's primary revenue stream is subscription-based MDR services bundled with SIEM, SOC monitoring, and EDR capabilities. These are sold as recurring annual subscriptions tiered by institution size and coverage requirements (24x7 or after-hours coverage). The company emphasizes predictable, employee-count-based pricing with unlimited data ingestion, distinguishing it from event/volume-based pricing models.
- Governance and Compliance Software Subscriptions: Revenue is generated from GRID Active Governance Program subscriptions that provide automated evidence collection, compliance monitoring, and regulatory framework alignment. These subscriptions support audit and exam preparation workflows and are sold as part of the integrated platform or as standalone governance solutions.
- Risk Assessment Platform Subscriptions: GRID Active Risk Assessment generates recurring subscription revenue through its continuous risk assessment, quantitative scoring model, and risk register management capabilities. Sold as part of the integrated platform or bundled with the Risk Assessment and Governance Package.
- Professional Services (Implementation and Onboarding): DefenseStorm generates revenue from professional services associated with its six-phase onboarding process. Implementation includes structured handoffs, project management, in-depth product training, and alignment to customer resource availability. While onboarding is described as delivered on-time and at-cost, the service represents a revenue component in the customer lifecycle.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | MDR for Banking — 24x7x365 Coverage Tier |
| Subscription | Annual | MDR for Banking — After-Hours Coverage Tier |
| Subscription | Annual | Governance Program Standalone or Bundled |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels13 records
DefenseStorm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DefenseStorm provides a unified cyber risk management platform, anchored by the GRID Active intelligent data platform, built exclusively for U.S. banks and credit unions. It combines managed detection and response (SIEM, SOC, and EDR), continuous risk intelligence, and automated governance/compliance monitoring into a single system, supported by a 24x7 banking-expert SOC (CTS Ops) and AI capabilities specifically designed for financial institution examiner expectations.
Product overview
DefenseStorm is a unified cyber risk management platform built exclusively for U.S. banks and credit unions. The platform is architected around GRID Active, an intelligent data engine that combines threat operations, risk intelligence, and governance into one system. The core product portfolio includes MDR for Banking (combining SIEM, SOC, and EDR), the Governance Program for automated compliance monitoring and exam preparation, Cyber Risk Management for continuous risk assessment, Risk Assessment for identifying and measuring cyber risks, and Cyber GRC for oversight effectiveness. The platform is enhanced by AI Built for Banking capabilities including UEBA Threat for behavior-based anomaly detection and Gen AI Query Assistant for natural language access to security data. Services are delivered through the Cyber Threat Surveillance Operations (CTS Ops) team, a collaborative SOC of banking experts available 24x7x365.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GRID Active: The intelligent data engine platform that unifies threat operations, risk intelligence, and governance with AI-powered capabilities.
- MDR for Banking
- Cyber Threat Surveillance Operations (CTS Ops)
Products and services
- GRID Active
Quantifiable outcome
- 38% reduction in residual risk scores within 12 months with 47% fewer control failures
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use DefenseStorm
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DefenseStorm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
DefenseStorm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DefenseStorm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Arctic Wolf: Arctic Wolf is a leading MDR vendor offering 24x7 SOC, SIEM, vulnerability management, and compliance support across multiple verticals. It is the most frequently cited horizontal competitor in DefenseStorm's own positioning and competes head-to-head for mid-market and community bank security budgets.
- Adlumin: Adlumin is a cybersecurity platform purpose-built for financial institutions, offering MDR, SIEM, vulnerability management, and compliance automation for banks and credit unions. It is the closest direct vertical peer to DefenseStorm and is explicitly named as a competitor in their FI-vertical positioning.
- Abrigo: Abrigo (formerly Banker's Toolbox) provides compliance, BSA/AML, lending, and risk management software to U.S. community banks and credit unions. Jessica Caballero, DefenseStorm's VP of Banking Strategy, joined from Abrigo, signaling direct overlap in FI compliance workflows.
- TraceSecurity: TraceSecurity provides cybersecurity compliance and risk management software targeted at community banks and credit unions, including risk assessment and audit support. It is a smaller but directly comparable banking-vertical cybersecurity and GRC player.
Broad incumbents
- Rapid7: Rapid7 is a broad cybersecurity platform offering SIEM (InsightIDR), MDR, vulnerability management, and cloud security. Explicitly named by DefenseStorm as a horizontal competitor with deeper R&D budget, though it lacks banking-vertical specialization.
- CrowdStrike: CrowdStrike is a leading endpoint security and MDR provider whose Falcon platform is one of the EDR options DefenseStorm integrates with. As CrowdStrike expands into SIEM/MDR natively, it represents a major disintermediation risk for DefenseStorm's MDR service.
- Sophos: Sophos provides endpoint, network, and managed detection and response (Sophos MDR) services to mid-market organizations including financial institutions. It is a broader incumbent in the same MSSP/MDR category with comparable customer size profile.
- LogRhythm: LogRhythm is a SIEM and security analytics platform often deployed in mid-market and regulated industries including financial services. Competes with DefenseStorm on the underlying SIEM/analytics layer, though without banking-specific examiner-ready content.
- Exabeam: Exabeam is a security analytics and SIEM platform with UEBA capabilities competing directly with GRID Active's detection engineering layer. It is a broader incumbent without banking specialization.
- Jack Henry & Associates: Jack Henry is a major banking core processor serving thousands of U.S. community banks and credit unions. DefenseStorm explicitly names it as a competitor; as core processors add native security modules, they threaten to disintermediate standalone MDR vendors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DefenseStorm social profiles
Digital presenceDefenseStorm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DefenseStorm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
DefenseStorm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DefenseStorm M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DefenseStorm
What does DefenseStorm do?
DefenseStorm provides a unified cyber risk management platform, anchored by the GRID Active intelligent data platform, built exclusively for U.S. banks and credit unions. It combines managed detection and response (SIEM, SOC, and EDR), continuous risk intelligence, and automated governance/compliance monitoring into a single system, supported by a 24x7 banking-expert SOC (CTS Ops) and AI capabilities specifically designed for financial institution examiner expectations.
Is DefenseStorm a public or private company?
DefenseStorm is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was DefenseStorm founded?
DefenseStorm was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DefenseStorm based?
DefenseStorm is headquartered in Alpharetta, United States, in the North America region.
How does DefenseStorm make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are governance and Compliance Software Subscriptions, risk Assessment Platform Subscriptions and professional Services (Implementation and Onboarding).
Who are DefenseStorm's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Arctic Wolf, Adlumin, Abrigo and TraceSecurity. Broad incumbents are Rapid7, CrowdStrike, Sophos, LogRhythm, Exabeam and Jack Henry & Associates.
Does DefenseStorm have an API?
No public API is recorded for DefenseStorm.
What industry is DefenseStorm in?
DefenseStorm's product category is Financial Institution Cybersecurity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADAGAE, Security Analytics & Detection Engineering, with a secondary code of BPAEADAC, Threat Intelligence Services. Its NAICS code is 5616 and its SIC code is 7373.