---
title: "Customers’ Choice 2026: security and cloud-service records concern different reports"
canonical_url: "https://techstartup.directory/news/gartner-customers-choice-2026-security-cloud-records/"
last_updated: "2026-10-30"
last_verified: "Not yet verified"
---

# Customers’ Choice 2026: security and cloud-service records concern different reports

Picus Security, Cymulate and Pentera have Customers’ Choice records for Adversarial Exposure Validation. HCLTech’s 2026 entry concerns Public Cloud IT Transformation Services, a different report category.

## Key Facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Award programme | [Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice](https://techstartup.directory/awards/gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice/) |
| Edition year | 2026 |
| Organizer | Gartner |
| Results covered | 4 |
| Published | 2026-10-30 |

## Three records in exposure validation

Picus Security, Cymulate and Pentera appear under Voice of the Customer for Adversarial Exposure Validation. Each record retains Customers' Choice as its result level. The linked evidence includes vendor report pages and a recipient press release, so the source type matters when interpreting the recognition. [1](#source-1) [2](#source-2) [3](#source-3)

## A separate cloud-services category

HCLTech's entry uses the same result label but names Voice of the Customer for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services. It should therefore be cited as a different report context, rather than a fourth entry in the exposure-validation group. Its attached source is HCLTech's own report page. [4](#source-4)

## A label needs its report context

The useful distinction is between the recognition wording and the subject of the report. Repeating only Customers' Choice loses information about which market or service the record addresses. Conversely, replacing the label with Winner would introduce wording that these records do not use.

Readers considering a vendor can follow the attached report sources and inspect the scope and basis of the recognition there. This briefing identifies the directory's four recorded entries; it is not an independent product comparison, an endorsement of a vendor or a complete catalogue of every company in the reports. Programme, report title and year should travel with the claim.

## Results covered in this article

| Year | Category | Result | Company | Product | Source number |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [2026](https://techstartup.directory/awards/gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice/2026/) | Voice of the Customer for Adversarial Exposure Validation | Customers' Choice | [Picus Security](https://techstartup.directory/companies/picus-security/) | Not applicable | [\[1\]](#source-1) |
| [2026](https://techstartup.directory/awards/gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice/2026/) | Voice of the Customer for Adversarial Exposure Validation | Customers' Choice | [Cymulate](https://techstartup.directory/companies/cymulate/) | Not applicable | [\[2\]](#source-2) |
| [2026](https://techstartup.directory/awards/gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice/2026/) | Voice of the Customer for Adversarial Exposure Validation | Customers' Choice | [Pentera](https://techstartup.directory/companies/pentera/) | Not applicable | [\[3\]](#source-3) |
| [2026](https://techstartup.directory/awards/gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice/2026/) | Voice of the Customer for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services | Customers' Choice | [HCLTech](https://techstartup.directory/companies/hcltech/) | Not applicable | [\[4\]](#source-4) |

## Award organizers

- Gartner

## Sources

1. <a id="source-1"></a> [Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice — programme source](https://www.picussecurity.com/resource/report/gartner-voice-of-the-customer-aev-2026)
2. <a id="source-2"></a> [Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice — 2026 results](https://cymulate.com/report/gartner-voice-of-the-customer-aev-2026/)
3. <a id="source-3"></a> [Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice — 2026 results](https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/pentera-named-a-customers-choice-in-the-2026-gartner-peer-insights-voice-of-the-customer-for-adversarial-exposure-validation-302867788.html)
4. <a id="source-4"></a> [Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice — 2026 results](https://www.hcltech.com/en-us/analyst-reports/hcltech-2026-gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice)

Last updated: 2026-10-30

Last verified: Not yet verified

Editor: [Tech Awards Team](https://techstartup.directory/about/)

Publication dates describe this article. Award edition years and existing source verification dates are separate; this briefing does not represent a fresh verification of the linked sources.

Tech Awards Team

## Related pages

- [News](https://techstartup.directory/news/)
- [Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice](https://techstartup.directory/awards/gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice/)
- [Picus Security](https://techstartup.directory/companies/picus-security/)
- [Cymulate](https://techstartup.directory/companies/cymulate/)
- [Pentera](https://techstartup.directory/companies/pentera/)
- [HCLTech](https://techstartup.directory/companies/hcltech/)
- [Editorial Policy](https://techstartup.directory/editorial-policy/)