Qualys Named a Leader in 2026 Forrester Wave™ for Cloud-Native Application Protection Solutions

MUMBAI – March 15, 2026 – Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS), a pioneer in cloud-based IT, security, and compliance solutions, today announced its recognition as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Cloud-Native Application Protection Solutions (CNAPP), Q1 2026.

In an extensive evaluation of 14 providers, Qualys emerged as one of only three companies to receive the Leader designation. The report assessed vendors based on current offerings, strategic vision, partner ecosystems, and customer feedback.

Navigating a Complex Threat Landscape

The recognition arrives as global enterprises face a “perfect storm” of security challenges. The convergence of cloud misconfigurations, identity exposures, and AI-driven threats across hybrid environments has made unified visibility a business imperative.

According to the Forrester evaluation, Qualys earned the highest possible marks across nine criteria, including:

Unified Platform Integration: The report gave Qualys top marks for its administrative management. The Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Platform integrates CSPM, agentless CWP, and container protection into a single backend, significantly reducing operational complexity.
Pricing Innovation: Qualys received the highest possible score for pricing flexibility. Its QFlex™ licensing model allows organizations to shift usage between different CNAPP capabilities under a single SKU, eliminating procurement delays as security needs evolve.
Market-Leading Partner Ecosystem: With nearly half of its revenue partner-driven, Qualys secured the top score in the partner ecosystem category. This includes the Managed Risk Operations Center (mROC) program, which bridges the gap between traditional SOCs and preventive risk management.
Unmatched Scan Versatility: Qualys was one of only two vendors to achieve a perfect 5/5 score in both agent-based and agentless Cloud Workload Protection (CWP). Its FlexScan™ technology allows firms to combine snapshot, API, and agent-based assessments without technical tradeoffs.
The Rise of Agentic AI: Qualys earned top marks for its Cyber Risk Marketplace, where organizations can “hire” specialized AI agents to automate the discovery, prioritization, and remediation of risks.

A Strategic Shift in Cloud Security

For modern CISOs, the selection of a CNAPP is increasingly viewed as a strategic investment in enterprise resilience rather than a simple tool purchase.

“CNAPP success is no longer defined by feature breadth alone, but by platform coherence, pricing transparency, and operational maturity,” the company stated regarding the report results.

As software supply chains and AI risks continue to converge, Qualys remains committed to delivering a platform that unifies risk data into actionable intelligence.