iCOUNTER, the leader in Third-Party Risk Intelligence and Counter Threat Operations, today announced it has been named the winner of the Best Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Platform category in the 2026 Cybersecurity Stars Awards presented by The Hacker News.
Selected by an independent panel of cybersecurity experts and industry judges, the award recognizes organizations delivering significant innovation, measurable impact, and leadership in protecting enterprises from modern cyber threats.
The recognition highlights iCOUNTER’s ability to help organizations continuously identify, assess, and operationalize risk across third-party ecosystems, supply chains, vendors, partners, and connected digital infrastructure.
“Security leaders are confronting a fundamental reality: third-party ecosystems have become the largest and fastest-growing attack surface in the enterprise,” said John P. Watters, Chairman and CEO of iCOUNTER. “Traditional third-party risk management programs were designed around periodic assessments, questionnaires, and posture reviews. Adversaries move much faster than that. iCOUNTER enables organizations to detect active threats targeting their ecosystem, determine which risks are relevant to their environment, and operationalize remediation before those threats become incidents. This is the future of Counter Threat Operations.”
Unlike traditional vendor risk management solutions that rely primarily on questionnaires and annual reviews, iCOUNTER delivers continuous third-party risk monitoring and threat intelligence across an organization’s extended enterprise. The platform helps security, risk, and compliance teams identify active targeting, emerging supply chain threats, compromised vendors, and ecosystem exposures in real time.
The company’s Counter Threat Operating System™ (CTOS) continuously analyzes intelligence from across third-party ecosystems to help organizations:
- Detect active threats targeting vendors, suppliers, partners, and service providers
- Determine which third-party risks are relevant to their specific environment
- Prioritize remediation based on actual business impact
- Route intelligence directly into operational workflows
- Reduce exposure across the extended enterprise before attacks occur
iCOUNTER was recognized for advancing the practice of Third-Party Risk Management beyond static assessments and toward a more operational model focused on continuous monitoring, threat intelligence, risk determination, and response.
“We’re pleased to recognize iCOUNTER as the winner of the Best Third-Party Risk Management Platform award,” said a spokesperson for the Cybersecurity Stars Awards. “The company has built a platform that continuously monitors third-party ecosystems and connected systems, helping organizations identify threats and take action before risks become incidents. Their approach brings a new level of operational visibility and response capability to supply chain security.”
The award comes as organizations face growing pressure to secure increasingly complex third-party ecosystems. According to industry research, nearly half of reported breaches now involve a third party, making supply chain cybersecurity and vendor risk management strategic priorities for boards, CISOs, and risk leaders worldwide.
By combining continuous monitoring, cyber threat intelligence, ecosystem risk analysis, and operational remediation, iCOUNTER enables organizations to move beyond passive risk management and toward preemptive defense.
The full winner profile for iCOUNTER is available at:
https://awards.thehackernews.com/winners/2026/icounter-compromise-intelligence-tprm/
About the Cybersecurity Stars Awards
The Cybersecurity Stars Awards, presented by The Hacker News, recognize the most innovative and impactful companies, technologies, and cybersecurity solutions worldwide. Winners are selected by an independent panel of judges based on innovation, contribution to the industry, and demonstrated customer impact.
About iCOUNTER
iCOUNTER is pioneering the Third Wave of Cybersecurity through its Counter Threat Operating System™ (CTOS), the first platform purpose-built to transform intelligence into action across third-party ecosystems. The platform enables organizations to detect adversary intent early, determine risk at the edge of collection, and operationalize remediation across vendors, suppliers, partners, and connected systems.
By combining Third-Party Risk Intelligence, Continuous Monitoring, Third-Party Detection and Response (TPDR), and Counter Threat Operations, iCOUNTER helps enterprises reduce exposure, strengthen supply chain security, and proactively counter threats across their extended digital ecosystem.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260625608571/en/
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