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CRN’s 2026 Security 100 names 20 companies in its endpoint and managed security category, but it does not rank them from best to worst. The February 17, 2026 list is an editorial selection focused on technology developments and opportunities for solution and service-provider partners—not a product test, market-share ranking, or buyer’s guide.
The companies span endpoint protection, detection and response, managed security services, IT-management platforms, data-loss prevention, private-cloud security and AI infrastructure. Their inclusion is useful as a map of where the market is moving; it is not evidence that their products perform equally well or suit the same buyer.
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What CRN’s Security 100 list represents
CRN’s endpoint and managed security list was published February 17, 2026, within its annual Security 100 package. The package divides 100 companies into five categories. The endpoint-and-managed-security article identifies 20 companies based on CRN’s editorial view of notable technical developments and channel opportunity. It provides no comparative scoring, pricing analysis, independent efficacy testing, or ranking order.
That distinction matters: “coolest” is recognition, not proof of superior detection or value. The category is broad enough to include companies that are not direct competitors. Some sell endpoint security products; others provide MDR, remote management, private-cloud controls, or specialized data protection.
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Why endpoint and managed security are converging
Endpoint protection covers devices such as laptops, desktops, servers and, in some cases, mobile devices, operational technology (OT) and workloads. Endpoint protection platforms (EPP) emphasize prevention—such as malware blocking, exploit controls and hardening. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) adds ongoing telemetry, investigation and response. Extended detection and response (XDR) correlates endpoint signals with other sources, such as identity, email, cloud or network data.
Managed detection and response (MDR) adds an operating service: analysts, automation, or both monitor and investigate alerts and may take response actions. The exact service varies. One MDR provider may notify a customer and recommend steps; another may isolate a device or remediate threats under pre-agreed authority. MSP and MSSP tools add a further layer, including multitenant consoles, delegated administration, integrations, reporting and partner workflows.
CRN’s 2026 framing also points to generative-AI applications and AI browsers as emerging sources of endpoint risk, including potential exposure through prompts, uploaded data and agent activity. CRN cited IDC figures reporting that modern endpoint-security revenue grew 17.6% to $14.51 billion in 2024, and named Microsoft, CrowdStrike, Broadcom, Trellix, Sophos and SentinelOne as the six largest market-share leaders in those cited figures. Those are figures reported by CRN from IDC, not an updated 2026 market-share table. The AI focus is a market rationale, not evidence that every honoree has better AI-security performance.
The 20 companies and what CRN highlighted
The table groups vendors by their most useful point of comparison, not by exclusive product category. Several belong in more than one group.
| Company | Primary role or fit | Development highlighted by CRN | Practical qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitdefender | Endpoint protection and hardening | Standalone PHASR, positioned for proactive hardening and attack-surface reduction. | Check supported systems, edition availability and how much policy tuning deployment needs. Official endpoint security page. |
| Blackpoint Cyber | MSP-focused MDR and security posture | CompassOne, extending managed response with security-posture capabilities. | Clarify which posture areas are covered and who is responsible for remediation: Blackpoint, the MSP or the customer. Official site. |
| Broadcom | Private-cloud and virtualization security | VMware Cloud Foundation-related security and infrastructure developments, including vDefend enhancements and other private-cloud capabilities. | This is a broader interpretation of endpoint and managed security, aimed mainly at VMware and private-cloud operators. Check licensing and which capabilities are security controls versus infrastructure functions. VMware Cloud Foundation. |
| Coro | Consolidated security for SMBs | Coro 3.7 interface, threat-prioritization and response improvements; the platform spans endpoint, network, email, cloud apps, data protection and security awareness. | Verify which modules are included in the selected plan and which capabilities depend on integrations. Official site. |
| CrowdStrike | Enterprise and midmarket EDR/XDR | Falcon AI Detection and Response, focused on visibility into AI use, prompts and agent interactions. | Ask which AI apps and browsers are covered, whether the feature blocks exposure or primarily supplies visibility, and how prompt data is handled. Endpoint security. |
| eSentire | MDR/XDR and partner services | A partner licensing model allowing a dedicated Atlas XDR instance for partners to build services. | “Dedicated instance” does not by itself establish partner control over detections, playbooks, branding or response. Confirm operational and contract terms. Official site. |
| ESET | Endpoint protection with MDR for MSPs | ESET Protect MDR, offered as an add-on to specified Protect editions, with threat hunting, research and intelligence. | ESET’s “as little as 20 minutes” response-time language is a vendor claim; establish whether it refers to engagement, notification or containment and what coverage applies. ESET business security. |
| Expel | Analyst-led MDR for existing security stacks | Threat-intelligence capabilities and a Google SecOps integration for detection, investigation and response. | Check which Google SecOps workflows and response actions the integration supports, and which customer tools are required. Official site. |
| Huntress | SMB and MSP-focused MDR | A Microsoft partnership adding visibility into Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint telemetry. | Confirm Microsoft licensing, tenant permissions, regional availability, data sharing and whether containment actions are supported. Official site. |
| Kaseya | MSP platform and bundled endpoint security | Kaseya 365 Endpoint combines endpoint-security functions with optional MDR; CRN also cited Kaseya’s acquisition of email-security vendor Inky. | Check which components and services are in each tier, how third-party products fit, and how billing and contracts work. Kaseya 365. |
| N-able | MSP management and Microsoft 365 security | Adlumin breach-prevention capabilities added to the Ecoverse platform, targeting account takeover, credential theft and unauthorized access. | Verify monitored Microsoft 365 and identity events, required subscriptions and available automated remediation. Ecoverse. |
| NinjaOne | Endpoint management and remote access | NinjaOne Remote, with security-focused access controls, encryption and session logging. | Secure remote administration is useful but is not the same as EDR or MDR. Check authentication options, supported systems and what session records contain. Official site. |
| OpenText | Enterprise MDR and data services | Expanded MDR integrations and the OpenText AI Data Platform. | Confirm which integrations are generally available, who delivers the service and which response actions are supported. The AI Data Platform is broader than MDR. OpenText MDR. |
| SentinelOne | EDR/XDR and security-data capabilities | GenAI-usage visibility and data-exposure prevention, plus integration of Observo AI for security-data streaming, analytics and orchestration. | Check discovery and data-loss controls, the integration’s additional role and which subscription editions include each feature. Singularity platform. |
| Sophos | Endpoint security, XDR and MDR | The Secureworks acquisition expands Sophos MDR into areas including vulnerability and identity threat detection and response; Sophos attributed roughly 350 additional integrations to the platform. | Integration and acquisition-related capabilities may vary by timing, plan and region. Ask what is available now and how existing Secureworks products and partner arrangements transition. Sophos MDR. |
| Tanium | Enterprise endpoint management, OT and mobile | Endpoint Management for Operational Technology, mobile-management capabilities initially focused on Apple devices, and a connector for Microsoft Intune telemetry. | Establish whether OT capabilities provide visibility, control or both; start cautiously in production environments. Confirm supported Apple platforms and the direction and scope of Intune data flow. Endpoint management. |
| ThreatDown | SMB and midmarket EDR/MDR | A 15-day MSP trial covering ThreatDown MDR and EDR offerings. | Confirm trial eligibility, included features, support and what happens to policies and data when the trial ends. ThreatDown is Malwarebytes’ business-security division, distinct from its consumer products. Pricing and trial information. |
| ThreatLocker | Application control and prevention for MSPs and SMBs | Patch-management, ThreatLocker Insights and Web Control offerings. | Check whether patch management deploys updates or identifies missing ones, and plan for the policy-tuning work application control can require. Official site. |
| Trellix | Enterprise endpoint security and DLP | Trellix DLP Endpoint Complete, including OCR intended to recognize sensitive information in images, PDFs and other unstructured content. | Check which channels are controlled, how OCR affects performance and privacy, and which classification and policy tools are supported. Trellix DLP. |
| Trend Micro | Endpoint, workload and AI-infrastructure security | An integration between Trend Vision One Endpoint Security and Nvidia BlueField data-processing units, intended to support detection and isolation in multitenant AI environments. | This is not a general laptop feature: verify compatible BlueField hardware, deployment architecture, licensing and which protections are hardware-enforced. Trend Vision One platform. |
How to compare the list without treating it as a ranking
Start with the operational problem, not a product label. An organization that needs malware prevention and device hardening is evaluating a different capability from one that needs an outside team to investigate alerts overnight. A business with an existing security stack may value MDR integrations; an MSP may prioritize multitenancy, delegated administration, billing and RMM or PSA connections. A private-cloud operator, OT team or AI infrastructure provider has still different requirements.
- Define the service boundary. Is the offering a product your staff operate, vendor-operated MDR, a partner-run service, or a co-managed arrangement?
- Write down response authority. Can the provider isolate devices, kill processes, remove persistence or reset credentials automatically, or only recommend action? When is customer approval required?
- Inspect telemetry and integrations. Identify operating systems, endpoint types, identity and cloud sources, Microsoft licenses, SIEM connections, APIs, retention periods and any integration fees.
- Make service commitments precise. Separate monitoring hours, initial triage, customer notification, containment and full remediation. A response-time claim is not meaningful unless its trigger, clock, scope and contractual status are clear.
- Assess rollout and coexistence. Multiple EDR, antivirus, DLP, application-control and RMM agents can slow devices, duplicate alerts or conflict over quarantine and blocking. Pilot the combination, validate exclusions and document how to recover if agents or consoles fail.
- Review AI and employee-data handling. Ask whether prompts, uploaded files or browser activity leave the environment, how long they are retained, whether they are used for training, where processing occurs and what employee-privacy requirements apply.
- Plan for specialized systems and product transitions. Use passive visibility and a controlled pilot for OT or production environments. For acquisitions and rebrands, request written support, migration, packaging and partner-authorization timelines.
- Compare the whole cost. Include endpoint count, operating systems, MDR hours, response authority, data retention, add-on modules, support, professional services and contract duration. CRN’s article does not provide comparable pricing, so it cannot support a cheapest or best-value conclusion.
For MDR in particular, ask for the response matrix and escalation path in writing. “24/7” may describe monitoring without guaranteeing immediate containment; “managed response” may still require customer approval for disruptive actions. Clarify who owns investigation, remediation and post-incident support.
What the list does—and does not—tell buyers
The honorees illustrate several shifts: endpoint vendors are extending into AI-use governance and broader XDR; MDR providers are connecting to more customer tools; MSP platforms are adding security functions; and endpoint management is reaching OT, mobile, private cloud and AI infrastructure. Bundling may reduce vendor sprawl, but it can also increase lock-in and concentrate operational risk in one console or provider. Broad platforms can require integration work; prevention-first controls can create policy-tuning burden; managed services can reduce staffing demands while limiting direct control.
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