Cybersecurity companies are operating in one of the most competitive markets in the world. Customer expectations are rising, acquisition costs are climbing, and product innovation cycles are accelerating faster than ever.
For one global cybersecurity vendor, the challenge wasn’t demand — it was sustainable growth.
They needed a way to expand revenue, improve retention, and strengthen profitability without taking on major internal development costs.
That solution came through a strategic partnership with RealDefense.
Even established cybersecurity leaders are facing new market realities.
Customer Acquisition Costs Are Surging
With increasing media costs and new privacy and tracking restrictions introduced by Apple, customer acquisition costs across the industry have ballooned by more than 200% over the past five years. This shift directly reduced subscriber ROI and placed pressure on profitability.
Limited Pricing Flexibility
At the same time, competitive market dynamics made it difficult to increase prices without impacting demand. The company needed new ways to protect margins while continuing to grow.
A Product Portfolio Gap
Like many cybersecurity vendors, the partner recognized an opportunity to meet evolving customer needs with new offerings — but lacked the internal resources and expertise to build and scale them quickly.
They needed a partner who could help them move faster, expand their portfolio, and unlock new revenue streams without adding operational burden.
RealDefense enabled the cybersecurity vendor to rapidly broaden its product portfolio and drive new growth within its existing subscriber base.
The partnership introduced several key capabilities:
Moment of Truth Messaging
RealDefense provided “Moment of Truth” messaging via SmartScan™ directly into the partner’s core product experience. These messages increased customer engagement and monetization, achieving click-through rates as high as 44% and converting 2.4% of the customer base to paid subscriptions in the most recent quarter.
Telemetry-Driven Subscriber Insights
By incorporating telemetry data capture, the partner gained deeper visibility into subscriber behavior and product usage patterns. This allowed them to identify high-LTV customers, optimize the user experience, and implement targeted retention strategies.
Flexible Licensing and Conversion Optimization
The partnership also implemented dynamically timed license periods aligned with billing cycles. This strategic adjustment significantly improved sell-through and renewal performance.
Once launched, the partnership delivered major financial and customer impact:
An eight-figure revenue increase, generating tens of millions of dollars in new annually recurring revenue
A 10% increase in quarterly profits across the division
50%+ trial-to-paid conversion rates through optimized licensing strategy
Improved retention driven by deeper customer insights and engagement
Most importantly, this revenue-sharing model allowed the partner to generate incremental revenue without annual licensing fees or heavy internal resource commitments — making the collaboration both scalable and mutually beneficial.
This case highlights a key truth for today’s cybersecurity market:
Growth isn’t just about acquiring more customers — it’s about monetizing and retaining the customers you already have.
By partnering with RealDefense, the company was able to:
Expand into new markets quickly
Increase customer engagement inside the product experience
Drive meaningful ARR growth with minimal overhead
Improve retention and profitability through data-driven strategies
With more than 20 years of experience, RealDefense is a market leader in privacy, security, and productivity solutions.
Its flagship product, System Mechanic, has been recognized as a PC Magazine Editor’s Choice Winner for eight consecutive years, demonstrating RealDefense’s long-standing commitment to excellence.
RealDefense helps partners worldwide unlock recurring revenue growth through proven monetization tools, customer engagement technology, and scalable product integrations.
For cybersecurity vendors navigating rising acquisition costs and increasing competitive pressure, partnerships like this offer a clear path forward:
Increase retention. Expand value. Unlock new revenue — without reinventing your core business.
If you’d like to explore how RealDefense can support your growth strategy, reach out to learn more.