Every category where a model named Microsoft Defender for Cloud for a mid-market B2B company. Share is first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts; rank is within every product named in that category.

Category	Function	Share	Rank	Negative rate	Labels	Quadrant	Since September 2026
Cloud-native application protection	Cloud and infrastructure	21%	2 of 70	4%	53	accepted challenger	▼−7Since September 2026: 30% → 23%, −7 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.
Cloud security posture management	Cloud and infrastructure	19%	2 of 80	17%	54	accepted challenger	▲+5Since September 2026: 14% → 19%, +5 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.
Endpoint protection	IT operations and endpoint	17%	3 of 86	8%	12	accepted challenger	▼−5Since September 2026: 22% → 17%, −5 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.
Endpoint detection and response	Security operations	15%	4 of 55	0%	10	accepted challenger	▼−1Since September 2026: 14% → 13%, −1 point. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.
AI security platforms	Security operations	11%	2 of 233	0%	8	under 10 labels · led by SentinelOne Singularity at 11%
Client-side protection	Security operations	7%	6 of 120	0%	5	under 10 labels · led by cside at 13%
Data loss prevention	Security operations	2%	17 of 89	0%	1	under 10 labels · led by Microsoft Purview DLP at 46%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 2% now.
Container and Kubernetes security	Cloud and infrastructure	0%	16 of 77	12%	8	under 10 labels · led by Trivy at 22%	=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.
Data security posture management	Security operations	0%	42 of 105	25%	4	under 10 labels · led by Microsoft Purview at 18%
Vulnerability management platforms	Security operations	0%	33 of 77	33%	3	under 10 labels · led by Rapid7 InsightVM at 30%	=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.
Network detection and response	Security operations	0%	36 of 102	0%	2	under 10 labels · led by ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer at 21%
Extended detection and response	Security operations	0%	36 of 58	0%	1	under 10 labels · led by Microsoft Defender XDR at 40%	=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.
Network access control	Network and edge	0%	94 of 111	100%	1	under 10 labels · led by Portnox Cloud at 35%
Threat intelligence platforms	Security operations	0%	62 of 119	0%	1	under 10 labels · led by MISP at 12%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 0% now.

Movement

Since September 2026, Microsoft Defender for Cloud held within the floor in all fourteen categories: no change cleared 11 points.

Best category · CNAPP · by segment

Small business▼−19Since September 2026: 46% → 27%, −19 points. Past the 11-point floor: movement. Read over the models both editions asked.

27%from 46% in September 2026

Cleared the floor by 8 pointsRank 1 → 2 of 58

Mid-market▼−7Since September 2026: 30% → 23%, −7 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.

23%from 30% in September 2026

Inside the floor by 4 pointsRank 2 of 68, unchanged

Enterprise▼−8Since September 2026: 28% → 20%, −8 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.

20%from 28% in September 2026

Inside the floor by 3 pointsRank 2 of 35, unchanged

All categories · Mid-market

Category	September 2026	Now	Change	Reading	Rank
AI security	0%	13%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 13% now.	New this edition	Rank 2 of 233, unchanged
CNAPP	30%	23%	▼−7Since September 2026: 30% → 23%, −7 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.	Within noise	Rank 2 of 70, unchanged
CSPM	14%	19%	▲+5Since September 2026: 14% → 19%, +5 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.	Within noise	Rank 3 → 2 of 80
Client-side protection	0%	5%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 5% now.	New this edition	Rank 6 of 120, unchanged
Endpoint protection	22%	17%	▼−5Since September 2026: 22% → 17%, −5 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.	Within noise	Rank 1 → 3 of 86
DLP	0%	2%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 2% now.	New this edition	Rank 17 of 89, unchanged
EDR	14%	13%	▼−1Since September 2026: 14% → 13%, −1 point. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.	Within noise	Rank 5 → 4 of 55
Container security	0%	0%	=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.	Within noise	Rank 46 → 16 of 77
DSPM	0%	0%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 0% now.	New this edition	Rank 42 of 105, unchanged
Vuln management	0%	0%	=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.	Within noise	Rank 24 → 33 of 77
NDR	0%	0%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 0% now.	New this edition	Rank 36 of 102, unchanged
XDR	0%	0%	=heldSince September 2026: 0% → 0%, ±0 points. Inside the 11-point floor: within noise. Read over the models both editions asked.	Within noise	Rank 27 → 36 of 58
NAC	0%	0%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 0% now.	New this edition	Rank 94 of 111, unchanged
Threat intel	0%	0%	newNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 0% now.	New this edition	Rank 62 of 119, unchanged

Shares here are read over the models both editions asked, so they can differ by a point or two from the standing above, which counts every model in this edition.

The floor is 11 points of share, measured: how far the models move a leader on their own when the same questions are asked twice with nothing changed. A larger change is movement; a smaller one is noise, and both are shown. Movement is read over the twelve models both editions asked; GPT-6 Luna, Muse Glimmer 30B joined this edition and are in the standing but not yet in the comparison. How the floor is measured · The editions

By model

How each model treated Microsoft Defender for Cloud across every prompt where it was named for a mid-market B2B company. Fourteen models, six prompts per category.

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Model	First choice	Alternative	Mention	Negative	Labels
Claude Haiku 4.5	1	5	1	1	8
GPT-5.4 mini	6	2	1	1	10
Gemini 3.5 Flash	2	6	0	1	9
Perplexity Sonar	1	8	0	1	10
Grok 4.20	5	6	3	2	16
Mistral Small	4	3	3	1	11
DeepSeek V4 Flash	5	6	2	1	14
Llama 4 Maverick	0	0	2	0	2
Qwen 3.7 Flash	5	6	1	4	16
Kimi K2	5	5	0	1	11
GLM 4.7 FlashX	7	5	1	2	15
MiniMax M2.5	5	4	3	0	12
GPT-6 Luna	3	10	2	1	16
Muse Glimmer 30B	3	8	2	0	13

By framing

Which of the six questions produced the naming. By model says how often; this says asked what. The first-choice count on the right carries the marks of the models that produced it.

FramingLabels by classFirst choices

Direct107 labels38

Paraphrase85 labels30

Comparative112 labels32not counted in share

Budget-constrained163 labels110

Scale-constrained50 labels8

Negative87 labels13not counted in share

First choiceAlternativeMentionNegative604 labels in all, every segment counted; 186 of the 231 first choices count toward share, since the comparative and negative framings do not. The bar is one segment per label class, to scale within the framing.

What the models said for it

Verbatim evidence the judge attached to positive labels.

“My top advice: If you are not already using Microsoft 365, Microsoft Defender for Business is still a strong contender because it is the most cost-effective way” GLM 4.7 FlashX · Endpoint protection · budget prompt · first choice

“If you want the best value and least friction for a mid-size B2B firm already in the Microsoft ecosystem, start with Microsoft Defender for Business” GLM 4.7 FlashX · Endpoint protection · paraphrase prompt · first choice

“Already on Azure or want a zero-cost baseline: Start with Defender for Cloud Foundational CSPM free and augment with Prowler for ad-hoc audits.” Muse Glimmer 30B · CSPM · budget prompt · first choice

“Microsoft Defender for Business stands out as one of the best AI security platforms due to its low cost, ease of use, and robust features” Grok 4.20 · AI security · budget prompt · first choice

And against it

Verbatim evidence attached to negative labels. A warning on a product with few labels is a warning; on a product with many, it is one voice among them.

“The Trap: Relying exclusively on AWS Security Hub or Microsoft Defender for Cloud... Vendor Lock-in.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · CNAPP · negative prompt · hard negative

“Avoid blindly adopting: Microsoft Defender for Cloud if you are multi-cloud (not Azure-first)” DeepSeek V4 Flash · CSPM · negative prompt · hard negative

“only deeply address their own environments ... Avoid native-only tools.” Kimi K2 · CSPM · negative prompt · hard negative

“Pure-Play Single-Cloud Tools (For Multi-Cloud Users) ... Why avoid” Qwen 3.7 Flash · CSPM · negative prompt · hard negative

Named alongside

The products named in the same answers as Microsoft Defender for Cloud, over the 598 answers that named it. Took the first choice instead counts the answers where the other product was the first choice and Microsoft Defender for Cloud was named but was not.

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ProductSame answerTook the first choice insteadHead to head

Wiz311 of 598117Compare →

Orca Security242 of 59829Compare →

Prisma Cloud232 of 59816Compare →

CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security106 of 5981Not among the top eight

Sysdig Secure99 of 5984Not among the top eight

SentinelOne Singularity97 of 5986Compare →

Huntress Managed EDR86 of 59823Compare →

AWS Security Hub74 of 5986Compare →

Aikido Security62 of 59821Compare →

Prowler61 of 59811Compare →

A head-to-head page exists where both products are among a category's top eight. The other rows are the same fact without a page behind them, so they link to the product instead.

What carried it into the answer

The sites and pages cited by the answers that named Microsoft Defender for Cloud. A fact about retrieval, not a lever on the model.

Citations exist only for the models that return a source list, five of the fourteen in this edition, so these counts come from 569 of the 598 answers that named Microsoft Defender for Cloud and are not a share of its labels.

Domains cited

g2.com230

cyberpress.org204

expertinsights.com159

gbhackers.com149

sentinelone.com148

techrepublic.com143

microsoft.comYour site134

wiz.io127

orca.security126

cybersecuritynews.com118

1,404 of the 1,538 domain citations in answers naming Microsoft Defender for Cloud came from somebody else's page.

Pages cited

cyberpress.org/cnapp-platforms-by-business-size-293

complyjet.com/blog/best-cspm-tools77

orca.security/resources/blog/best-cspm-tools74

expertinsights.com/application-security/the-top-cloud-native-application-protection-platfo68

techrepublic.com/article/best-cspm-tools67

huntress.com/internal-it-cybersecurity-guide/best-endpoint-protection-for-small-businesses62

fidelissecurity.com/threatgeek/cloud-security/top-cnapp-vendors58

cloudaware.com/blog/top-cloud-security-posture-management-vendors56

Pages are listed as the models cited them.

Search and answers

microsoft.com ranks first on Google for the category's searches. In the answers, Microsoft Defender for Cloud takes 21% of first choices and Wiz takes 37%.

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In search

Google, US estimates

Position for “cnapp”

–

not in the top ten

Position for “cnapps”

Searches for its name, Google: 1,300 a month (“microsoft defender for cloud”)
AI search demand for its name, est.: 147 a month
Its company's site: microsoft.com shared with Microsoft Defender's other products; the figures are the site's
Organic visits to its site: about 145,358,109 a month
Searches its site ranks for: 2,421,769 · 793,520 in the top three
Sites linking to it: 2,904,433
Paid Google search: 56 searches its ads show for, about 705 clicks and $12,455 a month (estimate)

Ads on GoogleDetailLess

103+ ads · 93 text, 8 video, 2 image · 103 shown in the last 30 days

First shown August 2022, as Microsoft Corporation, verified. Ads started 2025-10 to 2026-09: 26 in the year, 77 before. 17 more by other advertisers linking to it.

On Google's pages: 1 2 3 4

In answers

This edition

Share of first choices

21%

rank 2 of 70 in CNAPP

Segment leader

37%

Wiz

First choices: 186 across its categories
Named in: 598 answers
Its own site cited: in 569 of the answers that named it

Search figures are US estimates from DataForSEO, read September 28, 2026; AI search demand is its modeled, directional estimate, not a count of queries to any assistant. The answers are this edition's. Two measurements side by side: neither is read as the cause of the other.

Names read as Microsoft Defender for Cloud

What the judge wrote, as written, with how often. The vendor table decides that these count as Microsoft Defender for Cloud; a claim can dispute any of them.

Microsoft Defender for Business 32Defender for Business 3Azure Defender 2Microsoft 2Microsoft Defender for Cloud Foundational CSPM 2Azure Security Center 1Defender for Cloud 1Microsoft Defender for Business / Microsoft Defender XDR 1Microsoft Defender for Business / Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Azure Security Center) 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Azure) 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Foundational CSPM Plan) 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Foundational CSPM) 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Foundational Tier) 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Free Tier) 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud (MDC) 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud / Microsoft Sentinel NDR 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud / Sentinel 1Microsoft Defender for Cloud's Foundational CSPM 1

Follow Microsoft Defender for Cloud

An email the morning each edition publishes: where this product moved, where it held, and by how much against the noise floor. One address, confirmed by a click; a stop link in every email.

Already following? Everything you follow, with a stop for each.

The company

Microsoft Defender is the company behind Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

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On record

Company records

Also from Microsoft Defender: Microsoft Defender ATP, Microsoft Defender Attack Simulation Training, Microsoft Defender Experts, Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR, Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management, Microsoft Defender TI, Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence, Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management and 12 more

In its own words

Stated by the vendor, not checked

Customers named: HP
Not stated on the pages read: Positioning, who it is for, price, starting price, free plan or trial, integrations, certifications, hosting

What Microsoft Defender for Cloud's own pages state, read September 28, 2026: microsoft.com/bg-bg/microsoft-365/enterprise/cloud-endpoints, microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/enterprise/cloud-endpoints, microsoft.com/es-es/microsoft-365/enterprise/cloud-endpoints, microsoft.com/fi-fi/microsoft-365/enterprise/cloud-endpoints, microsoft.com/fr-fr/microsoft-365/enterprise/cloud-endpoints. A claimed page can correct any of them.

Is this your product?

Claim this page

Claiming is free and changes nothing in the data. A claimed page shows a verified contact who is told when each edition publishes and when Microsoft Defender for Cloud's standing changes by more than the noise floor; the right to propose corrections to the vendor table, meaning names the judge wrote that should or should not read as Microsoft Defender for Cloud, applied by version and listed in the change log; and a one-line description supplied by the vendor and marked as such.

What a new claim receivesHide what a new claim receives

A new claim receives the current edition's vendor brief for Microsoft Defender for Cloud by email, built from the raw record of the edition. It shows:

where Microsoft Defender for Cloud is named, by buyer and by framing, and which cells hold its first choices;
the claims the models make when they name it, ranked, with the strongest and the weakest quoted;
its vocabulary against the segment leader's, and the pages the models cited;
who was chosen in the answers that did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and every reason the record gives;
a battlecard for each top rival: the head-to-head split, why they win, and the reservation quoted against them;
one page of published figures cleared to show a buyer.

Badges

Wins only: a badge exists where Microsoft Defender for Cloud is ranked in a category's top three this edition. Three sizes, one file each, light and dark; the code is under each.

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Cloud-native application protection

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is among the products AI models recommend first in Cloud-native application protection this edition. Each badge says so in the buyer's words, names the edition, and links to the standing. The next edition issues a new badge; this one stays true as a record of October 2026.

Wide · 320 × 104 Website, beside other badges

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/cloud/cloud-native-application-protection/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--cloud-native-application-protection-wide.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Cloud-native application protection, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="320" height="104"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Cloud-native application protection standing, where the claim can be checked.

Square · 240 × 240 LinkedIn, slides

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/cloud/cloud-native-application-protection/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--cloud-native-application-protection-square.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Cloud-native application protection, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="240" height="240"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Cloud-native application protection standing, where the claim can be checked.

Compact · 200 × 56 Email signature, footer

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/cloud/cloud-native-application-protection/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--cloud-native-application-protection-compact.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Cloud-native application protection, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="200" height="56"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Cloud-native application protection standing, where the claim can be checked.

Cloud security posture management

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is among the products AI models recommend first in Cloud security posture management this edition. Each badge says so in the buyer's words, names the edition, and links to the standing. The next edition issues a new badge; this one stays true as a record of October 2026.

Wide · 320 × 104 Website, beside other badges

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/cloud/cloud-security-posture-management/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--cloud-security-posture-management-wide.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Cloud security posture management, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="320" height="104"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Cloud security posture management standing, where the claim can be checked.

Square · 240 × 240 LinkedIn, slides

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/cloud/cloud-security-posture-management/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--cloud-security-posture-management-square.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Cloud security posture management, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="240" height="240"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Cloud security posture management standing, where the claim can be checked.

Compact · 200 × 56 Email signature, footer

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/cloud/cloud-security-posture-management/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--cloud-security-posture-management-compact.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Cloud security posture management, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="200" height="56"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Cloud security posture management standing, where the claim can be checked.

Endpoint protection

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is among the products AI models recommend first in Endpoint protection this edition. Each badge says so in the buyer's words, names the edition, and links to the standing. The next edition issues a new badge; this one stays true as a record of October 2026.

Wide · 320 × 104 Website, beside other badges

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/operations/endpoint-protection/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--endpoint-protection-wide.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Endpoint protection, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="320" height="104"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Endpoint protection standing, where the claim can be checked.

Square · 240 × 240 LinkedIn, slides

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/operations/endpoint-protection/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--endpoint-protection-square.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Endpoint protection, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="240" height="240"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Endpoint protection standing, where the claim can be checked.

Compact · 200 × 56 Email signature, footer

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/operations/endpoint-protection/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--endpoint-protection-compact.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in Endpoint protection, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="200" height="56"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the Endpoint protection standing, where the claim can be checked.

AI security platforms

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is among the products AI models recommend first in AI security platforms this edition. Each badge says so in the buyer's words, names the edition, and links to the standing. The next edition issues a new badge; this one stays true as a record of October 2026.

Wide · 320 × 104 Website, beside other badges

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/security/ai-security-platforms/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--ai-security-platforms-wide.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in AI security platforms, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="320" height="104"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the AI security platforms standing, where the claim can be checked.

Square · 240 × 240 LinkedIn, slides

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/security/ai-security-platforms/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--ai-security-platforms-square.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in AI security platforms, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="240" height="240"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the AI security platforms standing, where the claim can be checked.

Compact · 200 × 56 Email signature, footer

Show the code

<a href="https://it-ai-index.com/security/ai-security-platforms/"><img src="https://it-ai-index.com/badges/2026-10/microsoft-defender-for-cloud--ai-security-platforms-compact.svg" alt="Among AI models' top three in AI security platforms, October 2026 Edition, IT AI Recommendation Index" width="200" height="56"></a>

Copy the code as it is. The link is part of the badge: it points at the AI security platforms standing, where the claim can be checked.

Badges read on light and dark pages. Alt text carries the claim, the category, the edition and the index, so it stays a citation where the image does not load.