Digital risk protection platforms: AI search visibility ranking (2026)
How AI search engines rank digital risk protection platforms by visibility and citations. 19 brands measured monthly across Google AI Mode: which brands the AI names in answers, which domains it cites as sources, and how the leaders compare. Digital risk protection platforms used to monitor exposed assets, brand abuse, phishing, credential leaks, and external cyber risk across the internet. Composite score: 70% visibility (% of AI answers naming the brand) + 30% citation rate (% citing the brand's domain). Full methodology →
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When asked about Digital risk protection platforms, AI engines consistently name ZeroFox as the leader, with Recorded Future and Netcraft also appearing frequently. ZeroFox leads in visibility with a notable 12.5% visibility across AI responses, a testament to its prominence in the field. The brands are distinguished by AI based on their reputation and recognition within the industry.
The rankings reflect the frequency with which AI engines cite certain sources. Key domains such as gartner.com and netcraft.com are top cited sources, providing both expert reviews and aggregated consumer insights. When these sources are favored by the AI, it underlines their influence and authority, shaping the visibility and perception of each platform among potential buyers.
For a buyer reading this page, understanding AI engines' preferences can offer valuable insights into each brand's standing. Consider how recent reviews, third-party validations, and the brand's authority on specific aspects of Digital risk protection influence rankings. These factors can guide you in choosing a platform that not only fits your needs but is also validated by trusted sources.
At a glance
What we observed in this category
ZeroFox holds the top composite score at 23.8, ahead of Recorded Future and Netcraft who are tied at 20.0. The gap between rank 1 and ranks 2 to 3 is narrow on composite score, but ZeroFox's citation rate of 50.0% is meaningfully higher than the 37.5% shared by its nearest rivals. More telling is that ZeroFox's visibility has fallen from 37.5% to 12.5% since the previous period, meaning its lead is narrowing while Recorded Future and Netcraft have each risen from 0.0% visibility to 12.5%.
CloudSEK and Fortra PhishLabs illustrate a divergence between being cited and being visible. CloudSEK carries a 25.0% citation rate despite 0.0% visibility, meaning Google AI Mode references it as a source without surfacing it prominently in named responses. This pattern suggests citation and visibility are measuring different things: a brand can be trusted enough to anchor an answer without being the subject of one. Seven of the 19 brands tracked, including Group-IB, Flashpoint, and CybelAngel, register zero on both metrics.
Google AI Mode is the top engine for every single brand in this category, with no other engine appearing as a top performer for any brand. Among cited sources, gartner.com appears first, followed by netcraft.com and reputation.house, with zerofox.com and recordedfuture.com also listed. The presence of netcraft.com as both a ranked brand and a top cited source is notable, as it suggests Netcraft benefits from being treated as an authoritative reference rather than just a vendor, which likely contributed to its jump from rank 17 to rank 3.
Movers & shakers since last refresh
Biggest visibility risers
-
Recorded Future 0% → 12% · rank #4 → #2+12pp
-
Netcraft 0% → 12% · rank #17 → #3+12pp
Biggest visibility fallers
-
ZeroFox 38% → 12% · rank #1 → #1-25pp
The ranking
| # | Brand | Visibility | Citation | Top engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
zerofox.com
|
12% | 50% | Google AI Mode |
ZeroFox leads with a composite score of 23.8 and a 50.0% citation rate, but its visibility has dropped from 37.5% to 12.5%, signalling a weakening position despite holding rank 1. |
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| 2 |
recordedfuture.com
|
12% | 38% | Google AI Mode |
Recorded Future climbed from rank 4 to rank 2 after moving from 0.0% to 12.5% visibility and 0.0% to 37.5% citation, making it the joint largest riser in the category this period. |
||||
| 3 |
netcraft.com
|
12% | 38% | Google AI Mode |
Netcraft jumped 14 places from rank 17 to rank 3, reaching 12.5% visibility and 37.5% citation, aided by its appearance as a directly cited source in Google AI Mode answers. |
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| 4 |
cloudsek.com
|
0% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
CloudSEK holds a 25.0% citation rate with 0.0% visibility, placing it above the 9.2% category citation average despite never appearing as a named brand in AI-generated responses. |
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| 5 |
fortra.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
Fortra PhishLabs has a 12.5% citation rate and 0.0% visibility, matching Bolster at rank 6 on citation but scoring 3.8 composite, well below the top three brands. |
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| 6 |
bolster.ai
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 7 |
group-ib.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 8 |
flashpoint.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 9 |
cybelangel.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 10 |
constella.ai
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 11 |
memcyco.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 12 |
brandshield.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 13 |
darkowl.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 14 |
searchlightcyber.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 15 |
kela.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 16 |
intel471.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 17 |
riskiq.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 18 |
flare.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 19 |
digitalshadows.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Sources AI engines trust in this category
Across the 8 buyer-intent queries we ran on digital risk protection platforms, these are the domains Google AI Mode cited most often. If you're not on this list — or if your competitors are — that's a concrete PR / linkbuilding target.
How to read this ranking
Four things worth knowing before you act on the numbers above. These are the same definitions across every industry page — for category-specific observations, see the What we observed section above (where available) and the per-brand insights inline in the ranking.
Visibility = being named
A brand's visibility % is the share of AI answers that mention it by name in the response prose. This is who AI engines actively recommend to the buyer. More on visibility →
Citation rate = being trusted
Citation rate is the share of AI answers that include the brand's domain as a clickable source link. This is what the AI treats as authoritative evidence, different from being named. More on citation rate →
Top engine differs by brand
The "top engine" column shows which AI surface each brand performs best on. Big gaps between a brand's score across engines usually points to specific content or schema gaps. How AI engines pick sources →
Rankings move month to month
AI engines re-crawl and re-rank on shorter cycles than classical search. We re-audit every brand on this list at least every 30 days and refresh this page automatically. How AI search ranking works →
Get your own digital risk protection platforms brand audited
The brands above were curated from public market-leader lists. Want the same measurement against your own brand — including the queries you appear on, which competitors get named instead, and a prioritised fix list? Run a free preview.
Frequently asked about digital risk protection platforms AI visibility
Who leads AI visibility in digital risk protection platforms?
ZeroFox leads with a composite score of 23.8 and a 50.0% citation rate, though its visibility has fallen from 37.5% to 12.5% since the previous audit period.
Which brands are rising fastest in AI visibility for this category?
Recorded Future and Netcraft are the joint biggest risers, both moving from 0.0% to 12.5% visibility and gaining 37.5 percentage points in citation rate in a single period.
What sources does Google AI Mode cite most for digital risk protection research?
Gartner.com appears first among cited sources, followed by netcraft.com, reputation.house, cybernx.com, slashdot.org, zerofox.com, guideflow.com, and recordedfuture.com.
Can a brand be cited by AI without appearing in named AI responses?
Yes. CloudSEK has a 25.0% citation rate but 0.0% visibility, meaning Google AI Mode references it as a source while not surfacing it as a named brand in direct answers.
How concentrated is AI visibility across the 19 brands tracked?
Visibility is highly concentrated. Only 3 brands hold any visibility at all, each at 12.5%, against a category average of 2.0%, and 7 brands register zero on both visibility and citation.
Which AI engine dominates coverage of digital risk protection platforms?
Google AI Mode is listed as the top engine for every brand in the category, with no other engine appearing as a primary driver for any of the 19 brands audited.