MSP SignalBETA
Company record · observed Oct 2, 2026 · confidence 1.00
UnclaimedManaged security providerFounded 2012256 staffLocal
Critical Start logo

Critical StartIT service provider profile · Plano, TX

MDR with fast response, full visibility, and expert action. Built to cut noise and help your team stay in control.

Ownership: not observedPublic: NoTicker: not observedAcquisition: not observedClosed: not observed
MSP score · confidence 1.00
87.5OF 100
30-day change: not observed · 4 of 4 change types in 180 days
National rank#11of 46,016 · top 1%
TX#2of 4,365 · top 1%
Plano#1of 234 · top 1%
Google 4.7★ (18)Organic ~1,341/moSecurity headers DHosting CloudflareDomain 19 yrsNAICS 541512

MSP Signal ranks Critical Start #11 of 46,016 IT service providers nationally. Critical Start is an IT service provider in Plano, TX, founded 2012, with 256 staff. It offers Managed Detection Response, Vulnerability Management, Managed SIEM.

Source: MSP Signal, Critical Start company profile, Oct 2, 2026, https://mspsignal.com/msp/critical-start

01

Score breakdown

5 pillars · weighted · 87.5 / 100
REPUTATION79PRESENCE82CREDIBILITY100SCALE89MOMENTUM100Local median overlay: not observed · how the score works
Weighted contribution · how 87.5 is builtscore × weight = points
87.5of 100 · 12.5 unearned
0255075100
PillarScore / 100WeightPoints
Reputation
×30%23.6
Presence
×25%20.5
Credibility
×20%20.0
Scale
×15%13.4
Momentum
×10%10.0
▲ Reputation yields the fewest points per weight, the pillar with the most headroom.
30-day score Δ–no comparable history
30-day rank Δ–no comparable history
Change types · 180 d4 / 4momentum 100
Local rivals · 25 mihow chosen
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providers in this cell36 providers in this cell65 providers in this cell98 providers in this cell128 providers in this cell309 providers in this cellCRITICAL STARTPROVIDERS PER CELL1309
1,435 IT service providers within 25 miBasemap © Esri, HERE, Garmin, OpenStreetMap contributors
Claim · free · local benchmarkPreview
rivals by score band · gap to nearest higher / lower · counts, locked rows are previews, not published facts
02

Signal feed

19 events · 26 wks ending Oct 1, 2026
Activity · returned samplelatest week: 4 events
Counts the returned sample; empty weeks do not prove complete monitoring coverage.
Oct 1, 2026
Audience ChangeIndustries served: 2 items to 3 itemssource: their website
medium
Oct 1, 2026
Service AddedServices: 5 items to 7 itemssource: their website
medium
Oct 1, 2026
Security Posture ChangeSecurity Headers Grade: B to D
medium

Showing the 3 latest of 19.

Signal planSignal plan · full rival watch: every change at every nearby rival.See the Signal plan
03

Reputation

Google · 18 reviews
4.7
Listing: Critical Start · Computer security service · Maps ↗review velocity: 0 in the last 365 days
Distribution · listing sample of 18
1
1★
0
2★
0
3★
1
4★
16
5★
4–5★ 17 · 94.4% 3★ 0 · 0.0% 1–2★ 1 · 5.6%, not the same population as the 18 reviews
What reviewers mention
not observed
Listings
not observed
Sentimentnot observed
HoursMon–Fri 9 AM to 5 PM · Sat–Sun closed
Other sources · BBB: not observed · Facebook rating: not observed
04

Services and offer

from their site
MManaged Detection Response
VVulnerability Management
MManaged SIEM
DDigital Forensics
IIncident Response
TThreat Detection
SSOC Analyst Advisory
Industries
Financial ServicesHealthcareFinance
Availability
24/7 support claimed their site
Guarantees
5-minute threat detection average12-minute response time averageContractual SLA commitments
Compliance
PCI DSSHIPAACMMC
Works with
not observed
Partners
CiscoMicrosoft · Solutions Partner
Certifications
SOC 2ISO 27001Comptia Security Plus
05

Web & search

MSPSIG.RPT search scan · technical record
Organic visits~1,341/ month est.
Domain authority32/ 100
Top keywords · position
Organic keywords, top keywords, backlinks, referring domains and paid search: Signal plan. Owners see their own.
Website technology
6senseAIAWS AnalyticsAdobeAdobe Marketo Engagedata providerAkamai Identity CloudAmazon AWSAmazon CloudfrontAmazon CloudwatchAndroidAnthropic Claude
▸ Open technical record · web maturity 82 / 100
SEO15/15
Pricing0/10
Reviews5/10
Socials10/10
Longevity10/10
Email Auth15/15
Site Depth10/10
Brand Assets5/5
unmeasured components: blog
Performance · SEO · Accessibility59 · 92 · 95
Email authSPF · DKIM · DMARC p=quarantine
CDNCloudflare
HostingCloudflare
Blognot observed
Subdomains27
Security headersD
06

Record & location

HQ
5 mi10 miHQMap of Critical Start headquarters in PlanoHeadquartersBasemap © Esri, HERE, Garmin, OpenStreetMap contributors
Critical Start website snapshot
Website
Location
6100 Tennyson Pkwy #200, Plano, TX 75024
Founded
2012
Staff
256 staff · national median 10
Languages
English
Annual revenue
$10M to $50M · range · exact estimate on the Signal plan
NAICS
541512
Also from
not observed
States served
not observed
07

People & hiring

25 tracked · 2 leaders
Staff by department
Engineering
86
Support
18
Operations
15
Sales
14
Human Resources
9
Consulting
8
Product Management
7
Business Development
7
Hiring · 1 open role
4job postings in 90 days
Cybersecurity Engineer, Managed SIEM
Tallahassee, FL · Oct 20, 2026
Cybersecurity Engineer, Managed SIEM
Atlanta, GA · Oct 20, 2026
Cybersecurity Engineer, Managed SIEM
Raleigh, NC · Oct 20, 2026
Careers page ↗ · jobs observed via Icims · 3 postings shown, not a directory
08

Recognition, news & about

public sources
Awards & rankings
CRN Solution Provider 500
10 listings · most recent 2026, #420 · list ↗
CRN MSP 500
8 listings · most recent 2025, Security 100 · list ↗
Peer mentions in 90 days: 1 · BBB: not observed
In the news
Plano-Based Critical Start Taps Veteran Software Exec to Lead Company
Jul 29, 2026 · Dallas Innovates
Plano-based Critical Start named one of the Best Places to Work in 2024 Built In award program
Jan 23, 2024 · Plano Magazine
Plano’s Critical Start Expands Global Footprint with New Offices in Utah, India
Jun 26, 2023 · Dallas Innovates
Aboutnot observed
Leadership
Service areas
not observed
Partner badge
not observed
09

What they say about themselves

site quotations · unconfirmed
Guarantee

“Critical Start MDR combines AI-powered triage with human-led investigation to resolve every one, and backs every response time with a contractual SLA.”

Longevity

“Introduction The DPRK has dispatched skilled IT workers abroad for years, with the United States and international partners issuing the first public advisories on the scheme in 2022 and 2023.”

“Just as valuable are the conversations with CISOs and other security leaders about what they are seeing inside their own environments and where they are focusing their roadmaps in the coming years.”

Compliance

“All alert investigations, response actions, and dispositions are documented in the CORR platform with timestamps and analyst attribution, providing continuous monitoring evidence for PCI DSS requirements.”

up to three quotations per category
10

Frequently asked questions

reuses public facts · FAQ schema
Where is Critical Start located?

6100 Tennyson Pkwy #200, Plano, TX 75024.

How many people work at Critical Start?

Critical Start has 256 staff.

What services does Critical Start offer?

Managed Detection Response, Vulnerability Management, Managed SIEM, Digital Forensics, Incident Response, Threat Detection, SOC Analyst Advisory.

What compliance frameworks does Critical Start serve?

PCI DSS, HIPAA, CMMC.

How does Critical Start rank among IT providers in Plano?

#1 of 234 observed providers in Plano; #11 of 46,016 nationally.

Is Critical Start claimed on MSP Signal?

Not claimed.

Claimed · not shown (unclaimed) · Verified data · conditional on field sources · Registered entity · conditional on legal-entity nameLast observed Oct 2, 2026 · Citation: Critical Start company profile · https://mspsignal.com/msp/critical-start
Correct this recordClaim this company