RealCISO vs. Pathlock

RealCISO is a compliance intelligence platform for two audiences: MSPs and MSSPs managing security across multiple clients, and enterprise teams running compliance in-house. It gives MSPs, MSSPs, consultants, and in-house security teams a single place to run compliance assessments, manage risk, track remediation, and demonstrate security posture to boards and auditors — without the spreadsheet chaos. Built on NIST CSF and mapped to 30+ frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and CMMC, RealCISO turns assessment data into action. Over 3,000 security providers use it to deliver vCISO services at scale. Founded by Brian Haugli — former DoD, former VP & CSO at The Hanover Insurance Group, and co-author of the NIST CSF book published by Wiley — RealCISO was built by practitioners who ran these programs manually and knew there had to be a better way.

Pathlock has reshaped the industry landscape through a strategic approach involving mergers and acquisitions. By revolutionizing the protection of customer and financial information, Pathlock is paving the way for enterprises to enhance their security measures. Its access orchestration software plays a critical role in helping organizations achieve a Zero Trust security model by promptly notifying them of violations and implementing preventative measures to avert potential losses. With Pathlock, businesses can streamline all access governance processes through a single platform, which encompasses user provisioning, temporary access elevation, continuous User Access Reviews, internal control assessments, ongoing monitoring, audit preparation and reporting, as well as user testing and continuous control assessments. Unlike conventional security, risk, and audit frameworks, Pathlock tracks and analyzes genuine user activities across all enterprise applications where sensitive data and activities are prevalent. This capability enables the identification of real violations rather than hypothetical risks. By integrating all layers of defense, Pathlock serves as a central hub that empowers organizations to make well-informed decisions regarding their security posture. Furthermore, this holistic approach ensures that enterprises remain agile in addressing emerging threats while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards.