Unifying Cyber Risk and Compliance

Defense.com and Axiol announce strategic alliance to deliver inside-out and outside-in compliance for financial services

Axiol and Defense.com today announced a strategic alliance aimed at addressing the growing need for both inside-out and outside-in compliance within the financial services sector.

With cyber threats at record levels and new regulations such as DORA now in place, the focus has shifted decisively toward resilience. The operational risk that cyber attacks pose to businesses of all sizes is now impossible to ignore.

As cybersecurity increasingly becomes a board-level concern, senior stakeholders expect simplicity, assurance, and measurable outcomes, not another set of tools. Defense.com identifies and manages cybersecurity risk, while Axiol structures and embeds those risks into operational registers, policies, and evidence workflows. Together, they enable organizations to move from identifying problems to proving they are resolved, closing the loop on governance and cyber risk management.

Oli Pinson-Roxburgh, CEO of Defense.com, commented:

"Partnering with Axiol is a game changer when it comes to Governance, risk, compliance and security in the finance sector. Their approach to operational compliance inside the business mirrors our view of compliance from a cybersecurity perspective. Everyone reads about the major cyber incidents affecting well-known brands, but it's important to recognise that similar attacks happen to organizations of every size and in every sector. What makes financial services different is the complex ecosystem built around service-centric supply chains, where the failure of one business to maintain compliance can have serious implications on all those connected to it. Which is why simplifying the process of securing the ecosystem with our partnership is an important mission for 2026." Oli Pinson-Roxburgh, CEO of Defense.com

The partnership links cyber risk and compliance in a way that moves beyond the tech-centric language that dominates the sector. Rather than adding more technology, the alliance focuses on building confidence, creating efficiency, and delivering peace of mind through a connected, outcome-driven ecosystem.

Richard Jones, VP of Alliances at Defense.com, added:

"The payments industry was ahead of the game, as you might expect. We learned a huge amount about the practicalities of helping organizations of all levels achieve and maintain compliance. When we began conversations with Axiol, we quickly realised they shared the same mindset, just applied to the operational side of the business." Richard Jones, VP of Alliances at Defense.com

This alliance covers the full spectrum of external cyber visibility and internal governance control, giving boards and investors a holistic view of risk. By exchanging data and insights between platforms, organizations gain a single source of truth across both cyber and operational compliance, replacing fragmentation with clarity.

Dan Harasemchuk, Co-Founder of Axiol, commented:

"The regulatory and risk landscape for financial services has shifted decisively. Boards are no longer asking whether risks exist—they are demanding evidence that those risks are actively understood, controlled, and managed across the entire organization and its extended ecosystem.

Axiol was created to meet that expectation from the inside out. Our mission has always been to help firms embed governance, risk and compliance directly into day-to-day operations, practically, transparently, and in a way that reflects how modern businesses actually function. Our new partnership with Defense.com extends that commitment beyond internal operations, connecting governance frameworks with real-world cyber intelligence.

By uniting Axiol's operational GRC platform with Defense.com's external threat visibility, organizations gain clarity in areas traditionally marked by fragmentation. The outcome is not simply additional tooling, it is improved results: stronger accountability, deeper assurance, and a more resilient risk posture.

This collaboration reflects the direction of travel for regulated industries. Compliance is no longer a static checkpoint; it is a dynamic system that must continuously adapt to evolving threats, rising regulatory expectations, and increasingly interconnected supply chains. Together with Defense.com, Axiol is committed to supporting organizations as they navigate this new reality with confidence." Dan Harasemchuk, Co-Founder of Axiol

For many organizations, compliance has traditionally been managed in silos—cybersecurity teams focused on external threats, while governance and risk functions handled internal policies and controls. This fragmented approach often leaves gaps that regulators and auditors are quick to identify. By connecting these disciplines through a unified approach, this partnership enables organizations to demonstrate compliance holistically, with evidence that flows seamlessly between operational controls and cybersecurity posture.

Steve Sullivan, Head of Business Development at Axiol, explained:

"Compliance today sits at the intersection of business, technology and risk, both inside the organization and across its entire ecosystem. By bringing together internal and external compliance, through controls and assurance to create a single source of truth, Axiol and Defense.com bridge business and IT to deliver joined-up, auditable compliance. The result is total visibility, stronger control, and a level of resilience that modern financial services organizations can't afford to operate without." Steve Sullivan, Head of Business Development at Axiol

Axiol and Defense.com share a vision: to simplify, unify, and elevate how organizations manage cyber risk and compliance. The partnership aims to deliver measurable assurance to boards and investors and set a new standard for resilience in regulated industries.

About Axiol

Axiol is a modern governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform built by practitioners. It centralizes risk registers, compliance controls, and evidence in one no-code platform, giving compliance officers and senior leaders confidence that obligations are being met and demonstrated.