CSO

CSO is a B2B cybersecurity media brand under FoundryCo Inc. providing news, analysis, podcasts, buyer's guides, events, and awards to enterprise security decision-makers such as CISOs and security executives globally.

Company typePrivate
Founded2022
HeadquartersFramingham, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What CSO does

CSO is a B2B cybersecurity media brand operated under FoundryCo Inc. (privately held, formerly IDG). It delivers news, analysis, opinion, feature reporting, podcasts, videos, buyer's guides, and awards programs targeting enterprise security decision-makers — primarily CISOs, security executives, and IT security professionals — across topics spanning risk management, network defense, application security, cloud security, compliance, identity and access management, and emerging areas such as generative AI and AI security posture management. The core product surface is the CSO Online publication (csoonline.com), supplemented by the Cyber Sessions podcast, CSO Executive Sessions regional video series, the CSO Update newsletter cadence, the Expert Contributor Network, an annual Security Priorities Study, and the CSO Awards / CSO30 Awards programs.

The underlying technology stack is a digital publishing and audience-engagement platform rather than a proprietary SaaS product. Distribution runs through owned channels (website, email, YouTube, podcast platforms, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Google News) and regional editions serve ASEAN, India, the United Kingdom, and Australia/New Zealand alongside the US flagship. The business model is classic B2B media monetisation: advertising and sponsored content (including BrandPosts and the Foundry Expert Contributor Network), events and conferences (CSO Cybersecurity Conference & Awards), entry-fee-based or sponsor-backed awards programs, and likely lead-generation and data products for enterprise technology vendors selling into security buyers. No subscription paywall is described and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Compliance posture includes GDPR, CCPA, and a CSA STAR self-attestation referenced in privacy disclosures, with a Member Preferences Portal handling subscriber consent.

CSO firmographics

Firmographics

Name: CSO
Legal name: FoundryCo Inc.
Website: https://csoonline.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2022
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: CSO is a B2B cybersecurity media brand under FoundryCo Inc. providing news, analysis, podcasts, buyer's guides, events, and awards to enterprise security decision-makers such as CISOs and security executives globally.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

CSO industry classification

Industry

Product category: Cybersecurity Media
NAICS: Information (51), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)
SIC: Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
akta.pro primary industry: Blogging & CMS Content Platforms (BPAMAJAG)
akta.pro secondary industries: Consent, Preference & Privacy Management (CMP) (BPAFAFAL), Consent, Preference & Compliance Management (Opt-in/Privacy Operations) (MPAAAIAM)

Keywords

Cybersecurity news
Security analysis
Risk management media
Enterprise security content
IT security research

Where CSO is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Framingham
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

CSO business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

CSO product offering

Product offering

Core offering

CSO (CSO Online) is a cybersecurity media brand that publishes news, analysis, opinion pieces, in-depth feature stories, and multimedia content covering risk management, network defense, fraud prevention, data loss prevention, and broader security disciplines. Content is delivered through its website (csoonline.com), email newsletters, podcasts (Cyber Sessions), video series, events, awards programs, and buyer's guides, targeting enterprise security decision-makers and CISOs.

Product overview

CSO is a cybersecurity media brand under Foundry that operates primarily through its CSO Online platform, offering a unified content ecosystem that includes news and analysis, video/podcast content (Cyber Sessions, CSO Executive Sessions), awards programs (CSO Awards), enterprise research resources (Buyer's Guides), and community platforms (Expert Contributor Network). The core platform distributes content across multiple formats including newsletters (CSO Update), while the Member Preferences Portal handles subscriber privacy and consent management under GDPR and CCPA frameworks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

CSO Online A cybersecurity media platform providing news, analysis, opinion, and feature stories for enterprise security decision-makers, covering topics from risk management to network defense and fraud prevention.
Cyber Sessions Podcast
CSO Awards Program
Enterprise Buyer's Guides
CSO Update Newsletter
CSO Executive Sessions

Companies that use CSO

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

CSO technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

CSO partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

CSO competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Emerging players

Krebs on Security: Krebs on Security is an influential independent investigative cybersecurity blog run by Brian Krebs. It attracts a highly engaged security practitioner audience that overlaps with CSO readers, particularly around cybercrime and breach reporting.

Direct peers

Dark Reading: Dark Reading is a leading cybersecurity media brand covering news, analysis, and research for security professionals. It is the closest direct peer to CSO, competing head-to-head for CISO readership, vendor sponsorship, and event mindshare.
Cybersecurity Dive: Cybersecurity Dive is a B2B cybersecurity publication providing news and analysis for security and IT decision-makers. It targets the same enterprise security decision-maker audience as CSO and competes for digital advertising and event sponsorships.
Bleeping Computer: Bleeping Computer is a cybersecurity news and technical support site known for its ransomware and vulnerability coverage. It overlaps with CSO's threat-intelligence and incident-response audience.
Help Net Security: Help Net Security is a daily cybersecurity news publication serving infosec professionals. It competes directly with CSO for vendor sponsorship dollars and security practitioner readership.
SecurityWeek: SecurityWeek is an independent cybersecurity media outlet publishing daily news, vulnerability reports, and hosting the annual ICS Cybersecurity Conference. It directly competes with CSO for enterprise security audience and vendor marketing budgets.
SC Media (SC Magazine): SC Media is a long-standing cybersecurity publication offering news, analysis, and the SC Awards program. It competes directly with CSO on enterprise security editorial coverage and awards-based sponsorship revenue.
The Record (Recorded Future News): The Record is Recorded Future's cybersecurity news outlet covering cybercrime, nation-state threats, and policy. It targets a similar CISO/practitioner audience as CSO and is backed by a well-capitalized parent, making it an aggressive direct competitor.
The Hacker News: The Hacker News is a widely read cybersecurity news site covering breaches, vulnerabilities, and threat analysis. It competes with CSO for CISO and security practitioner attention, particularly in breach and vulnerability coverage.

Broad incumbents

CIO (Foundry): CIO is CSO's sister brand under FoundryCo Inc., focused on IT leadership. The shared parent enables cross-selling and bundled sponsorship, but CIO targets a broader (IT + security) audience, making it a horizontal incumbent rather than a pure security competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

CSO compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance3 records

CSO financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

CSO leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

CSO funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

CSO M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CSO

What does CSO do?

Is CSO a public or private company?

CSO is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was CSO founded?

CSO was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is CSO based?

CSO is headquartered in Framingham, United States, in the North America region.

Who are CSO's main competitors?

Krebs on Security is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Dark Reading, Cybersecurity Dive, Bleeping Computer, Help Net Security, SecurityWeek, SC Media (SC Magazine), The Record (Recorded Future News) and The Hacker News. CIO (Foundry) is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does CSO have an API?

No public API is recorded for CSO.

What industry is CSO in?

CSO's product category is Cybersecurity Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAG, Blogging & CMS Content Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAFAFAL, Consent, Preference & Privacy Management (CMP). Its NAICS code is 51 and its SIC code is 7370.