What Guardicore does

Guardicore, founded in 2013 in Tel Aviv, Israel, developed an AI-powered microsegmentation platform designed to deliver granular workload protection across hybrid cloud, on-premises, container, and operational technology (OT) environments. The company's core technology continuously discovers assets, maps application dependencies through process-to-packet correlation, and generates segmentation policies via machine learning models that interpret application intent rather than relying on static network attributes. The platform combines agent-based and agentless deployment options, identity context, and built-in enforcement to stop lateral movement of threats such as ransomware and to enforce Zero Trust architectures across distributed infrastructure.

The product, now marketed as Akamai Guardicore Segmentation following Fortinet's September 2025 acquisition and Akamai Technologies' subsequent acquisition, targets large enterprises operating complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Primary use cases include ransomware protection, lateral movement containment, compliance readiness (PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SWIFT), and segmentation of OT/critical infrastructure, cloud-native container workloads, and AI infrastructure. Notable deployments include a global consulting firm securing 300,000 endpoints in two weeks, SBI Holdings advancing toward Zero Trust, a water utility protecting critical infrastructure for 1.6 million people, and a large healthcare system facilitating cloud migration.

The business model is enterprise subscription-based with annual billing cadence and quote-based pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led through direct enterprise field sales with consultative engagement; no self-serve or marketplace channel is disclosed. Revenue is generated through subscription licensing for the segmentation platform and enterprise software licenses supporting compliance use cases. Distribution is global through direct enterprise sales and a technology partner ecosystem. The company received Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice 2026 recognition in Network Security Microsegmentation and maintains an open-source adversary emulation tool, Infection Monkey, as a community/lead-generation asset.

Name

Guardicore

Legal name

Guardicore

Website

https://guardicore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Guardicore, now Akamai Guardicore Segmentation, provides AI-powered microsegmentation for enterprise hybrid cloud environments, enabling large organizations to stop lateral movement, enforce Zero Trust, and protect data center, cloud, container, and OT workloads.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Network Security Microsegmentation

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

akta.pro primary industry

Microsegmentation & Internal Segmentation Firewalls (ISFW) (HDADABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Prompt Security & Injection Defense (HDAAAKAE)

Keywords

• Microsegmentation platform
• Hybrid cloud security
• Workload protection
• Zero trust segmentation
• Lateral movement prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Microsegmentation Platform Subscription: AI-powered segmentation platform delivered as a subscription service with enterprise licensing for hybrid cloud environments
2. Enterprise Software Licensing: Software-based segmentation licensing for data center and cloud deployments supporting compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SWIFT)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Guardicore provides an AI-powered microsegmentation platform, sold under Akamai as "Akamai Guardicore Segmentation," that delivers real-time visibility, automated policy generation, and host-based enforcement across hybrid cloud environments including data centers, public clouds, containers, and OT systems. The platform prevents lateral movement and ransomware spread while supporting compliance requirements such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and SWIFT. A companion free open-source tool, Infection Monkey, enables continuous adversary emulation for network gap assessment.

Product overview

Akamai Guardicore Segmentation is a unified AI-powered microsegmentation platform designed for hybrid cloud environments. The core offering, Akamai Guardicore Segmentation, provides complete visibility across legacy, OT, and cloud systems through identification of known, unknown, and unmanaged assets. It delivers AI-driven policy generation, real-time enforcement, and continuous exposure analysis to stop lateral movement and ransomware. The platform operates on a Discovery-Intelligence-Action-Assurance workflow. A companion free tool, Infection Monkey, is an open-source adversary emulation platform for continuous security gap assessment. Guardicore was acquired by Fortinet in September 2025 (per market reports) and its technology continues under Akamai's portfolio as Akamai Guardicore Segmentation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Akamai Guardicore Segmentation: AI-powered microsegmentation platform for hybrid cloud environments that provides exposure analysis and response capabilities to stop lateral movement and enforce Zero Trust security policies.

Products and services

• Akamai Guardicore Segmentation AI-powered microsegmentation platform for hybrid cloud environments that provides real-time visibility into network traffic, automated policy generation, and granular enforcement to stop lateral movement and ransomware spread across on-premises, cloud, and OT workloads.
• Infection Monkey Free, open-source adversary emulation platform that enables organizations to continuously assess security gaps in their network by unleashing simulated attack scenarios.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000 endpoints secured in two weeks in single deployment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• FortinetmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Fortinet acquired Guardicore in September 2025, integrating Guardicore's microsegmentation technology into Fortinet's security portfolio. Following the acquisition, Guardicore became part of Fortinet's security offerings before eventually being integrated into Akamai's product line as Akamai Guardicore Segmentation.
• Technology Partners EcosystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationAkamai Guardicore Segmentation integrates with leading platforms through a technology partner ecosystem. The platform reinforces existing infrastructure rather than requiring replacement, with integrations across physical, virtual, cloud, containerized, and OT environments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illumio: Illumio is the most direct competitor in microsegmentation, offering a Zero Trust Segmentation platform for data center and cloud workloads. It competes head-to-head with Guardicore across enterprise hybrid-cloud deployments and is widely regarded as the category leader.
• Cisco Secure Workload (Tetration): Cisco Secure Workload (formerly Tetration) is a workload-protection and microsegmentation platform directly comparable to Guardicore. Notably, Cisco Investments was a prior Guardicore investor, underscoring the competitive overlap.
• VMware NSX: VMware NSX delivers network virtualization with embedded microsegmentation capabilities across data center and cloud environments. It competes with Guardicore in the hybrid-cloud segmentation segment, often as part of a broader virtualization platform sale.

Broad incumbents

• Palo Alto Networks (Prisma Cloud): Palo Alto Networks' Prisma Cloud platform provides cloud-native security including segmentation, workload protection, and posture management. As a large incumbent, it offers overlapping capabilities with Guardicore across cloud and enterprise security buyers.
• Akamai Technologies: Akamai is Guardicore's parent company and provides the broader security and edge platform into which Guardicore's microsegmentation product has been integrated. Akamai's other security offerings (App & API Protector, Bot Manager, Zero Trust) create both distribution leverage and internal overlap.
• Zscaler: Zscaler is a SASE/ZTNA leader whose Zero Trust Network Access and segmentation-adjacent capabilities compete with Guardicore for enterprise security budget, particularly as organizations consolidate around identity-centric networking models.
• Check Point Software Technologies: Check Point offers network security and segmentation as part of its Infinity architecture, competing with Guardicore in enterprise perimeter and internal segmentation deployments. Its broad portfolio creates pricing and bundling pressure.
• Fortinet: Fortinet briefly owned Guardicore before divesting it to Akamai and continues to compete in network security and segmentation via its Security Fabric platform. The brief acquisition is a useful reference for product overlap and go-to-market dynamics.

Emerging players

• ColorTokens: ColorTokens provides zero-trust microsegmentation and workload protection for hybrid environments, positioning as a focused competitor to Illumio and Guardicore with strong traction in OT and critical infrastructure verticals.
• Zero Networks: Zero Networks offers automated, identity-based microsegmentation as an emerging alternative to traditional flow-based approaches, competing with Guardicore for mid-market and enterprise hybrid-cloud customers seeking faster time-to-value.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/guardicore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guardicore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guardicore