GFD Rankings · Firms scored on a public rubric

The best cybersecurity marketing agencies for startups, by stage (2026)

By Joe Robison, founder of Green Flag Digital · Facts checked Nov 9, 2026 · Updated Nov 10, 2026

Who each firm is best for

Series C to D (PR)5WPR
Seed and Series A (budget, content and SEO)Content Visit
PE-backed (PR and integrated B2B marketing)Walker Sands
Series B (PR plus content and demand gen)PAN Communications
Series A (performance marketing, SEO enablement)Spear Growth
Series B (paid media and SEO)Powered by Search
Late-stage or public (PR and analyst relations)10Fold Communications

Compare them side by side

#	Firm	Best for	Not for	Price	Stage it owns	Score
1	5WPR	Series C to D (PR)	Budgets under about $15,000 a month; buyers needing SEO or demand gen results rather than media coverage.	Cybersecurity page: retainers start around $15,000 per month; AI visibility programs start at $20,000 per month	Series C to D fit: Huntress (Series D, $150M, June 2024) rapid-response campaign. Also Blackbird.AI, hired during a $20M Series B.	71
2	Content Visit	Seed and Series A (budget, content and SEO)	Buyers who want PR, events, paid media or a large team; it is a 2 to 9 person content and SEO shop.	Clutch: $1,000+ minimum project. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026	Seed and Series A fit: names Element Security (seed round of $5M, Sept 2024) and says it serves early-stage and established vendors.	57
3	Walker Sands	PE-backed (PR and integrated B2B marketing)	Seed and early-stage budgets; no public price and no funding-stage evidence for its other security clients.	Not public, checked Nov 10, 2026	PE-backed fit: Sophos, owned by Thoma Bravo since March 2020, in a five-plus-year Walker Sands PR program.	53
4	PAN Communications	Series B (PR plus content and demand gen)	Small budgets: Clutch lists a $10,000+ minimum and $150 to $199 per hour. No client reviews on Clutch.	Clutch: $10,000+ minimum project, $150 to $199 per hour. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026	Series B fit: ThreatX 90-day program (ThreatX raised a $30M Series B in Aug 2022). Vercara was acquired by DigiCert in late 2024.	49
5	Spear Growth	Series A (performance marketing, SEO enablement)	Buyers who want PR or a security-only specialist; security is not its stated vertical and the team is India-based.	Clutch: $1,000+ minimum project, $50 to $99 per hour. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026	Stage focus: 'Unicorns and Series A, B, C funded B2B SaaS companies'. Lists Sprinto (Series A, $10M) among clients.	48
6	Powered by Search	Series B (paid media and SEO)	Buyers who want PR or brand work, or who need independent review proof; Clutch shows no reviews.	Clutch: $5,000+ minimum project, $200 to $300 per hour. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026	Series B fit: ThreatX paid media case (ThreatX raised a $30M Series B in Aug 2022); says it serves 'Series B startups to post-IPO players'.	44
7	10Fold Communications	Late-stage or public (PR and analyst relations)	Buyers who want SEO, paid or demand gen; it is a PR firm. No public pricing and no Clutch reviews found.	Not public, checked Nov 10, 2026	Late-stage fit: SecurityScorecard (Series E, $180M, March 2021) and ForgeRock (filed to list on the NYSE, Aug 2021) named in client quotes and CyberDB.	43

"Not for" is our reading of each firm's size, minimum, clients and focus, not a statement from the firm.

The 7 cybersecurity marketing agencies for startups, ranked

5WPR

71/100

Best for Series C to D (PR)

Why it ranks: Three named security cases with numbers (Huntress, Blackbird.AI, Adaptive), published $15K retainer floor and June 2026 work; no listicle mentions.
Best for: Venture-backed security vendors, from Series B to Series D, that want fast PR and rapid-response media work.
Not for: Budgets under about $15,000 a month; buyers needing SEO or demand gen results rather than media coverage.
Price: Cybersecurity page: retainers start around $15,000 per month; AI visibility programs start at $20,000 per month source
Stage it owns: Series C to D fit: Huntress (Series D, $150M, June 2024) rapid-response campaign. Also Blackbird.AI, hired during a $20M Series B.
Stage: Series C to D (PR)
Proof: Huntress: 104 placements, 14 billion potential impressions, Huntress in 90% of ConnectWise coverage. Blackbird.AI: 293 placements, share of voice from 1% to 51% in a quarter. Adaptive Security: 28 placements and about 700M impressions in a week (all self-reported).
Reviews: Clutch: 4.9 from 44 reviews, checked Nov 10, 2026
Clients it names: Huntress, Blackbird.AI, Adaptive Security, Duality, CHEQ, Check Point, ExtraHop, Sysdig
Facts: Miami, FL · Founded 2003 · Team: 250 to 999
Relationship: No paid placement and no traded link.

Score, part by part

Proof15/25
Buyer fit15/20
Reviews9/15
Depth11/15
Transparency11/15
Activity10/10

Sources 5wpr.com · 5wpr.com · 5wpr.com · 5wpr.com · clutch.co · helpnetsecurity.com

Content Visit

57/100

Best for Seed and Series A (budget, content and SEO)

Why it ranks: Security-only content shop with named seed-stage client and 2026 Clutch reviews, but only 2 reviews and no numbers on its own site.
Best for: Seed and Series A security vendors that need security-literate SEO, GEO and content on a small budget.
Not for: Buyers who want PR, events, paid media or a large team; it is a 2 to 9 person content and SEO shop.
Price: Clutch: $1,000+ minimum project. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026 source
Stage it owns: Seed and Series A fit: names Element Security (seed round of $5M, Sept 2024) and says it serves early-stage and established vendors.
Stage: Seed and Series A (budget, content and SEO)
Proof: A reviewer at PCA Cyber Security: two marketing qualified leads within a month of a GEO audit; another security client reports first-page rankings and AI Overview appearances (reviews, Apr to Jun 2026). No numbers on its own site.
Reviews: Clutch: 5.0 from 2 reviews, checked Nov 10, 2026
Clients it names: Morphisec, Randori (later acquired by IBM), Double Secret Octopus, DeleteMe, Element Security, IBM, PCA Cyber Security (Clutch reviewer)
Facts: Dublin, Ireland · Founded 2019 · Team: 2 to 9
Relationship: No paid placement and no traded link.
Also ranked by: Cyber Security News (2025 ranked) (1), GBHackers (2)

Score, part by part

Proof8/25
Buyer fit16/20
Reviews6/15
Depth13/15
Transparency6/15
Activity8/10

Sources contentvisit.com · clutch.co · cbinsights.com · cybersecuritynews.com · gbhackers.com

Walker Sands

53/100

Best for PE-backed (PR and integrated B2B marketing)

Why it ranks: Sophos case with 2,100+ placements and 71% top-tier lift, four list mentions, but no price, no verified reviews and no stage proof.
Best for: Security vendors owned by private equity that need a long-running PR program with share-of-voice reporting.
Not for: Seed and early-stage budgets; no public price and no funding-stage evidence for its other security clients.
Price: Not public, checked Nov 10, 2026
Stage it owns: PE-backed fit: Sophos, owned by Thoma Bravo since March 2020, in a five-plus-year Walker Sands PR program.
Stage: PE-backed (PR and integrated B2B marketing)
Proof: Sophos: 2,100+ placements, top-tier coverage up 71%, number one share of voice for three consecutive quarters.
Clients it names: Sophos, Entrust, Tessian, SiteLock, Outseer, Styra
Facts: Chicago, IL · Founded 2001
Relationship: No paid placement and no traded link.
Also ranked by: Column Five Media (9) its own list, SeedX (6) its own list, Cyber Security News (B2B agencies) (5), guptadeepak.com (Honorable mention (unnumbered))

Score, part by part

Proof16/25
Buyer fit12/20
Reviews3/15
Depth11/15
Transparency4/15
Activity7/10

Sources walkersands.com · walkersands.com · walkersands.com · walkersands.com · techcrunch.com · columnfivemedia.com · cybersecuritynews.com

PAN Communications

49/100

Best for Series B (PR plus content and demand gen)

Why it ranks: ThreatX and Vercara cases with numbers and a Series B link, but no reviews, no list mentions and a thin security client list.
Best for: Series B and later security vendors that want integrated PR, content and demand gen with reported coverage and pipeline numbers.
Not for: Small budgets: Clutch lists a $10,000+ minimum and $150 to $199 per hour. No client reviews on Clutch.
Price: Clutch: $10,000+ minimum project, $150 to $199 per hour. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026 source
Stage it owns: Series B fit: ThreatX 90-day program (ThreatX raised a $30M Series B in Aug 2022). Vercara was acquired by DigiCert in late 2024.
Stage: Series B (PR plus content and demand gen)
Proof: ThreatX first 90 days: 42 coverage pieces (280% of goal), share of voice up 222%. Vercara first two quarters: share of voice up 110%, $4.2M ABM-influenced pipeline from $10K spend.
Reviews: Clutch: 0 reviews, checked Nov 10, 2026
Clients it names: ThreatX, Vercara, Rapid7
Facts: Boston, MA · Founded 1995 · Team: 50 to 249
Relationship: No paid placement and no traded link.

Score, part by part

Proof15/25
Buyer fit14/20
Reviews0/15
Depth8/15
Transparency5/15
Activity7/10

This once-PR outfit has transformed into a multi-service firm, offering brand and demand generation services alongside traditional PR, as well as content marketing, strategy, and analytics.
Editor's take: Jessica Share, from GFD's 2025 guide

Sources pancommunications.com · pancommunications.com · pancommunications.com · clutch.co · helpnetsecurity.com

Spear Growth

48/100

Best for Series A (performance marketing, SEO enablement)

Why it ranks: 4.9 from 17 Clutch reviews and Series A security-adjacent clients, but security is not its stated focus and no security numbers.
Best for: Series A and later B2B SaaS and security-adjacent firms (compliance, identity) that want paid and SEO pipeline.
Not for: Buyers who want PR or a security-only specialist; security is not its stated vertical and the team is India-based.
Price: Clutch: $1,000+ minimum project, $50 to $99 per hour. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026 source
Stage it owns: Stage focus: 'Unicorns and Series A, B, C funded B2B SaaS companies'. Lists Sprinto (Series A, $10M) among clients.
Stage: Series A (performance marketing, SEO enablement)
Proof: Site totals (self-reported): $150M+ pipeline, 20k+ SQLs across 30+ companies; Zluri 174% more free trials in 20 weeks. No security-specific numbers.
Reviews: Clutch: 4.9 from 17 reviews, checked Nov 10, 2026
Clients it names: Sprinto, Scrut Automation, Ketch, SuperTokens
Facts: Bengaluru, India · Founded 2021 · Team: 10 to 49
Relationship: No paid placement and no traded link.
Also ranked by: SaaSHero (8) its own list

Score, part by part

Proof9/25
Buyer fit12/20
Reviews10/15
Depth5/15
Transparency6/15
Activity6/10

Sources speargrowth.com · clutch.co · sprinto.com · saashero.net

Powered by Search

44/100

Best for Series B (paid media and SEO)

Why it ranks: ThreatX and Fortra numbers and Series B language, all self-reported, with no reviews and no outside list mentions.
Best for: Series B security vendors that want paid media and SEO tied to SQLs and pipeline.
Not for: Buyers who want PR or brand work, or who need independent review proof; Clutch shows no reviews.
Price: Clutch: $5,000+ minimum project, $200 to $300 per hour. Not otherwise public, checked Nov 10, 2026 source
Stage it owns: Series B fit: ThreatX paid media case (ThreatX raised a $30M Series B in Aug 2022); says it serves 'Series B startups to post-IPO players'.
Stage: Series B (paid media and SEO)
Proof: ThreatX (self-reported): 44x SQL volume and 1,200% more paid media opportunities in 12 months, first paid-sourced deal in under 60 days. Fortra: 15% YoY SQL growth, 26% pipeline growth.
Reviews: Clutch: 0 reviews, checked Nov 10, 2026
Clients it names: SentinelOne, ThreatX, Varonis, Fortra, UpGuard
Facts: Toronto, Canada · Founded 2009 · Team: 10 to 49
Relationship: No paid placement and no traded link.
Also ranked by: Powered by Search (1) its own list

Score, part by part

Proof12/25
Buyer fit12/20
Reviews0/15
Depth10/15
Transparency5/15
Activity5/10

Sources poweredbysearch.com · clutch.co · poweredbysearch.com · helpnetsecurity.com

10Fold Communications

43/100

Best for Late-stage or public (PR and analyst relations)

Why it ranks: Named late-stage clients and client quotes, three list mentions, but no reviews, no price and no dated results.
Best for: Late-stage and public security vendors that want media, analyst relations and KPI-tracked PR.
Not for: Buyers who want SEO, paid or demand gen; it is a PR firm. No public pricing and no Clutch reviews found.
Price: Not public, checked Nov 10, 2026
Stage it owns: Late-stage fit: SecurityScorecard (Series E, $180M, March 2021) and ForgeRock (filed to list on the NYSE, Aug 2021) named in client quotes and CyberDB.
Stage: Late-stage or public (PR and analyst relations)
Proof: ForgeRock Consumer Breach Report became ForgeRock's most downloaded asset (CyberDB). On-record client quotes from BitGlass, CloudSphere and SecurityScorecard on security expertise. 98 industry awards since 2010 (its own claim).
Clients it names: SecurityScorecard, Exabeam, Tuskira, BitGlass, CloudSphere, Jumio, Aryaka Networks, ForgeRock, AttackIQ
Facts: Walnut Creek, CA
Relationship: No paid placement and no traded link.
Also ranked by: CyberDB (1), guptadeepak.com (3), GTM 80/20 (6 in the numbered list (4th in the intro)) its own list

Score, part by part

Proof8/25
Buyer fit12/20
Reviews3/15
Depth12/15
Transparency3/15
Activity5/10

Sources 10fold.com · cyberdb.co · guptadeepak.com · gtm8020.com · techcrunch.com · techcrunch.com

How we built this list

Every fact on a firm comes from a page we opened: the firm's own site and at least two independent pages, such as Clutch, G2, a case study or press. Each card links its sources.
Prices are the firm's published range or minimum, with its source, or "Not public" with the date we checked.
Best for and Not for are our reading of each firm's size, minimum, clients and focus, not a statement from the firm.
Scores use one 100-point rubric on public evidence only. Opinions and relationships are shown beside a score and never change it.
We recheck prices and clients every quarter and log each change on the page.

The rubric, 100 points:

Proof of results (25 points): Public case studies with numbers, and named clients who say so on the record.
Fit for the list's buyer (20 points): Named clients in the category and stage the list is for.
Third-party reviews (15 points): Clutch, G2 or similar: count and average, dated.
Specialist depth (15 points): The service is core, not one line on a long menu, and the people doing it are named.
Transparency (15 points): Public pricing or minimums, named leadership and a clear location.
Current activity (10 points): Work, writing or hiring in the last 12 months.

The full method, and how to ask for a correction

Firms we looked at and left out

Kalungi: Its site names no cybersecurity client. DataGuard (privacy compliance, 330% MQL growth in under six months) is the closest; Caveonix appears as a logo with no description. Pricing not public. Not enough cyber evidence for the stage.
WebFX: Its cybersecurity page names no security client; case studies shown are CenTrak, PowerGistics, Net Friends (not security). Not enough cyber evidence.

Questions about this list

Which agencies score highest on this list?

5WPR (71), Content Visit (57) and Walker Sands (53) score highest, out of 100 on our published rubric.

Which of these agencies show a price?

A public price or minimum is on record for 5WPR, Content Visit, PAN Communications, Spear Growth and Powered by Search. Each card shows the figure and where it comes from. The others quote after a call.

How did you score these firms?

On one 100-point rubric, using public evidence only: proof of results (25), fit for the list's buyer (20), third-party reviews (15), specialist depth (15), transparency (15), current activity (10). Opinions and relationships are shown beside a score and never change it.

Did any firm pay to be on this list?

No. Green Flag Digital publishes this list, and it is our firm. It is not ranked or scored here; it sits in its own box below the list. No firm paid to appear here, and no listing was traded for a link.

Where does Green Flag Digital fit?

Green Flag Digital is a B2B SEO, AEO and digital PR firm in San Diego. It is best for challenger security brands that need one team for strategy, content and digital PR. It is our firm, so we do not score it here.

How often is this list updated?

We recheck prices and clients every quarter, and sooner when a firm asks for a correction. Every change goes in the update log at the foot of the page.

Sources

Each firm's card links the pages its facts come from. We also read these 14 lists by other publishers, to see who else names each firm:

MarketerHire, updated 2026-07-23
guptadeepak.com, updated 2026-04-24
Martal Group, updated 2026-07. Ranks its own firm
Column Five Media, updated 2026-10-21. Ranks its own firm
SaaSHero, updated 2026-10-19 (page shows conflicting dates). Ranks its own firm
SaaSHero (Series B list), updated 2026-07-29 (search result header). Ranks its own firm
GTM 80/20, updated 2026-11-08. Ranks its own firm
Cyber Security News (2025 ranked), updated undated (URL says 2025, title says 2026)
GBHackers, updated 2026-03-05
Powered by Search, updated 2026-07-16. Ranks its own firm
GrackerAI, updated 2026-09-21
SeedX, updated 2026-06-11. Ranks its own firm
Cyber Security News (B2B agencies), updated 2026-05-12
CyberDB (PR agencies), updated undated

Update log

Nov 10, 2026: List built: 7 agencies scored on rubric v1. Facts checked Nov 9, 2026.
Nov 10, 2026: Built from the startup picks in GFD's 2025 guide by Jessica Share and Max Snodgrass, and rescored on the published rubric.