Cyber Defense Group
Procurement partnerAbout
Cyber Defense Group is a cybersecurity consulting firm that delivers managed security services and advisory programs for mid-market and enterprise organizations. The company offers Outcomes-Based Security® Programs that combine virtual CISO leadership, risk assessments, compliance services, and incident response at fixed, predictable costs. Founded in 2016, they serve clients across industries including fintech, healthcare, and SaaS.
Details
VenSearch Intelligence
Ideal Customer
- Cyber Defense Group's stated sweet spot is mid-market and enterprise organizations that are cloud-reliant and high-growth, particularly those that have outgrown basic security measures but are not yet ready to build a full in-house security operations center.
- They self-describe as specializing in 'bespoke cybersecurity programs for the mid-market and enterprise, addressing challenges like cloud infrastructure complexity.' Their Outcomes-Based Security Programs are priced at $15,000–$25,000 per month on an annual recurring basis, suggesting their ideal customer has meaningful security budget and pressing compliance needs, such as a FinTech company needing SOC 2 for an enterprise deal close or a healthcare provider seeking HIPAA compliance.
Key Differentiators
- Cyber Defense Group's primary differentiator is its trademarked Outcomes-Based Security® model, which replaces traditional hour-based consulting with fixed-cost, objective-driven programs delivering measurable results.
- They position themselves as the 'Special Forces' of cybersecurity consulting—combining Fortune 500-level security leadership with hands-on technical execution at a boutique scale, contrasting with both large consulting firms and commodity MSSPs.
Industries Served
- Cyber Defense Group primarily serves B2B technology companies in healthcare, retail, financial services, and media.
- Their website also references clients in fintech, e-commerce, legal (Sheppard Mullin is listed as a client logo), water utilities (Golden State Water), lending (Sagent Lending), cloud infrastructure (PacketFabric), and health technology (Riva Health).
Service Coverage
- Cyber Defense Group is headquartered in Pasadena, California, with additional listed office locations in Phoenix, AZ, and San Francisco, CA.
- The company operates nationally across the United States and positions itself as a provider to mid-market and enterprise organizations around the globe.
Partnerships
- Cyber Defense Group announced a formal strategic partnership with Telarus, a leading global Technology Services Distributor, in April 2026, enabling Telarus technology advisors to offer CDG's Outcomes-Based Security programs, assessments, incident response, and AI governance services to their clients.
- CDG's LinkedIn profile lists AWS, GCP, Azure, and Palo Alto Networks as specialty areas, indicating platform-level alignment with these vendors.
Company Size & Ownership
- Cyber Defense Group was founded in 2016 by CEO Lou Rabon and operates as a small firm with approximately 11–50 employees, with some sources placing headcount closer to 10–20.
- Estimated annual revenue figures vary by source: ZoomInfo reports under $5 million, while RocketReach estimates approximately $5.8 million and LeadIQ estimates a range of $10–$25 million.
Compliance & Certifications
- Cyber Defense Group helps clients achieve and maintain compliance across HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, HITRUST, and GLBA frameworks, as well as FINRA and CCPA.
- Their staff hold industry certifications including CISSP, CISM, and CCSP.
Compiled from public sources by VenSearch · Last researched October 13, 2026
Offerings
16 offeringsAI Governance Services
Cyber Defense Group helps organizations implement structured AI governance frameworks aligned to ISO 42001 standards, covering strategic data governance, transparent AI decision-making protocols, ethical and compliant AI practices, and proactive risk and bias management. The service is designed to help organizations use AI responsibly while meeting regulatory and ethical requirements.
Cloud Security Assessment
This targeted assessment identifies misconfigurations and weaknesses within cloud environments, providing actionable steps to harden cloud infrastructure and reduce security risk specific to cloud deployments.
Compliance Readiness Assessment
This assessment prepares organizations for audits against standards including HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2. The service provides clarity on compliance gaps and a structured path to achieving and maintaining audit-ready status.
Compliance Services
Cyber Defense Group delivers ongoing compliance services as part of their Outcomes-Based Security® Programs, providing roadmaps and guidance for GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST, and CMMC. Services include tailored gap assessments, third-party risk management, compliance training, and continuous monitoring to keep organizations audit-ready year-round.
Cyber Insurance Readiness Assessment
This assessment prepares organizations to meet cyber insurer requirements and demonstrate cyber maturity, with the goal of lowering premiums and increasing confidence in coverage. It evaluates security controls against insurer expectations and provides remediation guidance.
Cybersecurity Risk Assessment
Cyber Defense Group conducts tailored cybersecurity risk assessments covering discovery, analysis, investigation, reporting, and roadmap development. The service identifies vulnerabilities across networks, applications, and cloud environments, delivering an executive summary and detailed remediation report including a gap analysis against CIS-18 and OSINT findings.
Emergency Incident Response
Cyber Defense Group provides rapid emergency response services to organizations actively experiencing a security breach, delivering swift threat containment and elimination. The service includes expert guidance, comprehensive threat intelligence, and detailed after-action reporting.
Incident Response Retainer
A proactive retainer service covering incident response plan development, management testing and validation, playbook creation, and post-mortems. It provides organizations with security professionals, services, and tools to respond swiftly to incidents before and when they occur.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
Cyber Defense Group offers a comprehensive agent-based managed detection and response service that provides continuous 12x5 monitoring of all systems. The service enables swift responses to threats or unusual activities detected across the organization's environment.
Managed Security Services (Outcomes-Based Security® Programs)
Cyber Defense Group's overarching managed security service delivers a full-spectrum cybersecurity program combining strategy, compliance, and hands-on execution through their Outcomes-Based Security® Programs. Programs are delivered at fixed, predictable pricing with embedded expert security leadership and cover risk assessment, virtual CISO, incident response, AI governance, and compliance services.
Penetration Testing
Ethical hackers conduct penetration tests to uncover real-world vulnerabilities in an organization's systems before attackers can exploit them. The service delivers actionable findings without guesswork, helping organizations prioritize and remediate discovered weaknesses.
Ransomware Readiness Assessment
Cyber Defense Group simulates ransomware attacks to assess an organization's defensive posture and recovery capabilities. The assessment identifies gaps in defenses and helps organizations build stronger incident response and recovery processes.
Tabletop Exercises
Cyber Defense Group designs and facilitates custom tabletop exercise scenarios that allow various organizational levels to practice their roles during a cybersecurity incident. These exercises validate that incident response plans and playbooks are clearly understood and effective, reducing the risk of human error.
Third Party Risk Assessment
Cyber Defense Group evaluates the security posture of an organization's vendors and partners to identify third-party security gaps. The assessment helps reduce risk across the supply chain by flagging weaknesses and providing fast, actionable remediation guidance.
Threat Hunting
Cyber Defense Group conducts meticulous examination of an organization's network and systems to identify potential signs of compromise using hypothesis-driven methods supported by current threat intelligence. This proactive service helps organizations stay ahead of threats and mitigate potential risks before they escalate.
Virtual CISO Services
Cyber Defense Group provides virtual CISO services that act as the strategic engine behind their Outcomes-Based Security® Programs. A dedicated vCISO integrates with the client's team to close skills gaps, guide compliance with frameworks like NIST, PCI, HIPAA, GDPR, and FINRA, and deliver measurable security outcomes without the cost of a full-time hire.
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