RiskRecon vs UpGuard: 2023 Comparison and Review

RiskRecon and UpGuard offer their services via SaaS and are accessible from web-based platforms that can help users monitor and manage vendor risks.

• ‍RiskRecon: Cloud-based platform offers minimal need for installation. Workflow requires time to master.‍
• UpGuard: Very intuitive workflow allows new users to master the functions of the platform very quickly. User-friendly workflow also expedites the vendor onboarding process.

"UpGuard has improved the customer experience, reduced vendor onboarding times and introduced an industry-leading security posture, to elevate our customer well above all of its competitors."

- UpGuard customer.

RiskRecon and UpGuard help organizations stay informed about their vendors’ information security risks as part of a third-party risk management (TPRM) program.

• ‍RiskRecon: Offers cybersecurity ratings and deep reporting capabilities to help businesses surface and manage cyber risks.
• ‍UpGuard: Offers real-time visibility into any third-party vendor’s risk posture & security rating, along with total automation for managing vendor due diligence and remediation programs.

RiskRecon and UpGuard all identify risks using passive scans on a third party’s public-facing attack surfaces. However, RIskRecon doesn't match the breadth of of UpGuard's Vendor Risk Management functionality. RiskRecon third-party risk mitigation strategy is primarily focused on security ratings, which is just one component of Vendor Risk Management. UpGuard, on the other hand, supports the complete VRM lifecycle.

• ‍RiskRecon:. Primarily focuses on security risk ratings as a third-party risk mitigation strategy.‍
• UpGuard: Supports the complete Vendor Risk Management lifecycle with multiple features, including security ratings, third-party data leak detection, security quetionnaire management, domain hijacking prevention, attack surface monitoring, compromised credential detection, etc.

RiskRecon and UpGuard offer comprehensive online resources to educate and inform customers.

UpGuard's blog content, however, is reviewed by industry experts to verify trustworthiness. UpGuard's VRM blog content has also been regarded as more in-depth and helpful. In addition to its VRM blog, UpGuard regularly hosts a virtual summit to keep the global cybersecurity community updated with the latest VRM developments.

• ‍RiskRecon: Offers a customer user academy, consistently updated company blog, coverage of critical global security events, and a regular webinar schedule for sharing best practices.‍
• UpGuard: UpGuard keeps the VRM community continuously updated with the latest industry developments through its blog content and quarterly summit event.

• ‍RiskRecon: RiskRecon does not appear to publicly share regular release rates, roadmaps, or documentation for solution updates.‍
• UpGuard: UpGuard has adopted DevOps principles internally to develop, test, and release software continuously, ensuring fast, consistent, and safe releases. UpGuard has a regular release rate every two weeks, with all features, changes, and improvements listed under UpGuard Release Notes.

Cyber risk platforms can be expensive and the common use of opaque pricing policies often takes power away from the purchaser. With most services offering tiered licensing options and add-ons, finding a solution that fits your needs and budget can prove more difficult without transparent pricing.

• ‍RiskRecon: Public pricing information is not available. Pricing is reported to start at $10,000 and increases based on the number of vendors monitored.‍
• UpGuard: UpGuard has a fully transparent and publicly accessible pricing model which you can view here. If you have any questions, please email sales@upguard.com.

APIs are useful for technical staff, but not all information security teams have access to developers. In this situation, standard third-party integrations are an essential part of decision-making.  

RiskRecon and UpGuard offer integrations into other platforms.

• ‍RiskRecon: Offers integrations with GRC platforms such as RSA Archer, Sigma Ratings, Whistic, and more.‍
• UpGuard: Integrates with Zapier to enable connections to 4,000+ apps; GRC platforms, ticketing systems like JIRA; VRM solutions like ServiceNow, and more.

APIs are useful for technical staff, but not all information security teams have access to developers. In this situation, standard third-party integrations are an essential part of decision-making.  

RiskRecon and UpGuard offer integrations into other platforms.

• ‍RiskRecon: Offers integrations with GRC platforms such as RSA Archer, Sigma Ratings, Whistic, and more.‍
• UpGuard: Integrates with Zapier to enable connections to 3,000+ apps; GRC platforms, ticketing systems like JIRA; VRM solutions like ServiceNow, and more.

The best proof of the superiority of a solution comes directly from its customers. White RiskRecon services many known brands, UpGuard's customer base includes more distinguished companies.

• ‍RiskRecon: Customers include Informatica, Tufts Health Plan, University of San Francisco, and Sentara.‍
• UpGuard: Customers include the New York Stock Exchange (ICE), Pagerduty, TDK, IAG, and Tech Mahindra. 

Here's what a few UpGuard customers had to say about their experience. You can read more on Gartner reviews.

"UpGuard has given us a view of our vendor security posture. The ability to launch a questionnaire or ask for a plan of remediation for items that show as vulnerable is also a great added value and a time saver. UpGuard is also very customer-focused. They respond quickly to issues and questions and welcome any input that could improve the product. Overall it is one of the best value add tools we have."

"The simplicity of the product is fantastic. My team and I were able to be up and running in minutes. We monitor risks on over 25 vendors in near real-time and use these statistics to report to the C suite and Board of Directors. UpGuard has become part of the critical cybersecurity metrics that we monitor and report upon."

"The ease of use and simplicity of the product is excellent. We were able to be up and running with 50 vendors within minutes, not hours. The reporting is used for monthly statistics and is reported to our Senior Management. UpGuard has become an integral part of our critical cybersecurity metrics that we monitor and report upon."

• ‍RiskRecon: Distils its assessment criteria into a simple score from 0-10 with letter breakdowns from A-F for corresponding ranges of scores.‍
• UpGuard: Security rating scale of 0-950, ranked as A: 801-950, B: 601-800, C: 401-600, D: 201-400, F: 0-200. You can request your free security rating by clicking here.