What does Sponsored mean?
Sponsored means a vendor paid for a featured spot at the top of a subcategory page. It is an advertisement.
Methodology
How Cyber Rank ranks cybersecurity vendors and products
Our rankings are editor-curated shortlists. Here is how they are built, what editors look at, and what the labels on Cyber Rank mean.
Last updated
In short
The short version
- Every ranking is a shortlist chosen and ordered by our editors. There is no automatic score behind it.
- Only live product profiles from live vendors can appear, and a vendor appears once per ranking.
- Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored.
- Reviews come from people who confirmed a work email, and a person reads each one before it goes live.
Process
How a ranking is made
Every ranking on Cyber Rank follows the same six steps.
- 1
Define the category
Each ranking belongs to one subcategory, such as EDR or MDR, so a product is compared with products that do the same job.
- 2
Collect the products
We start from the published product profiles in that subcategory. A product needs a live profile, and so does its vendor.
- 3
Shortlist
An editor chooses which products belong in the ranking. For a brand-new ranking we may start from the products with the most complete profiles (description, features, integrations, deployment, industries, regions, use cases and media). An editor then reviews that list and can add, remove or reorder anything.
- 4
Set the order
Editors decide the order, and the page numbers the products 1, 2, 3 in that order. There is no hidden formula and no score.
- 5
One product per vendor
A ranking lists at most one product per vendor, the first one in the list, so a single company cannot fill it.
- 6
Publish and keep it current
A ranking shows only live profiles. If a product or its vendor is unpublished, it drops out of the list on its own.
Criteria
What editors look at
These are the areas editors weigh when choosing and ordering products. They are guidelines for a human judgement, not a points formula.
Capability fit
What the product does in this category, and how completely.
Deployment and integrations
How it is delivered (SaaS, cloud, on-premises, hybrid) and what it connects to.
Fit for buyers
The industries, regions and company sizes it serves, and its typical use cases.
Security and compliance information
Published certifications and standards, where the vendor provides them.
Transparency
How complete and specific the public information about the product is.
Buyer feedback
Approved, email-verified reviews are shown on product pages where they exist, so you can weigh them yourself.
Labels
What the labels on Cyber Rank mean
Sponsored
A vendor paid for a featured spot at the top of a subcategory page.
Always labelled on the page.
Featured
The same spot, chosen by the Cyber Rank team without payment.
Always labelled on the page.
Verified vendor
Our team confirmed that the profile belongs to a real representative of the company. Verification is about who owns the profile, not about quality.
It confirms ownership of the profile. It is not a quality score.
Email-verified review
The reviewer confirmed a work email address, and a person read the review before it went live.
Shown on the product page, next to the ranking.
Standards
Our editorial standards
- Sponsored and Featured placements are always labelled.
- A review written from a vendor's own email domain is flagged for a moderator, and every review waits for approval before it goes live.
- Vendors have no way to edit or delete reviews. We remove a review only if it is spam, abuse, or breaks our rules.
- When a profile contains an error, or we are told about one, we check it and correct it.
Limits
What a ranking is not
- Not a lab test. We do not run hands-on performance tests or benchmarks. A ranking is an editorial shortlist built from published profile information.
- Not a score. No number sits behind the order. If you see #1 and #2, an editor placed them there.
- Not a guarantee of fit. The best product depends on your environment. Use a ranking to build a shortlist, then ask for a demo and test it on your own data.
For vendors and readers
Think a profile is wrong, or want your company listed? We check every request and correct mistakes.
How We Rank: frequently asked questions
Straight answers about rankings, labels and reviews.
What is the difference between Sponsored and Featured?
They are the same kind of spot. Sponsored is paid for by the vendor. Featured is chosen by the Cyber Rank team without payment. Each tile shows which one it is.
How are the products in a ranking chosen?
An editor selects them from the published product profiles in that subcategory, one product per vendor, and sets the order. For a new ranking we may start from the products with the most complete profiles, and an editor reviews and can change that list. There is no automatic score.
Why is my company not in a ranking?
A ranking lists published profiles in its subcategory, one product per vendor, chosen by editors. If your company is not listed yet, request a listing. If it is listed but not in a ranking, make sure your profile is complete: a full description, features, integrations and deployment details help editors judge fit. Being listed is not a guarantee of inclusion.
How can I correct information about my company or product?
Claim your profile on its page, or write to info@cyberrank.co with what needs changing. We check the information and update the profile.
Does Cyber Rank test the products itself?
No. We do not run hands-on lab tests or benchmarks. Rankings are editorial shortlists based on published profile information, so use them to build a shortlist and then test the products on your own data.
How are reviews checked?
A reviewer confirms a work email address, then a person reads the review before it is published. Reviews written from a vendor's own email domain are flagged for extra checking. Vendors have no way to edit or delete reviews.