Agreed on the bill being the leading indicator. I'd add that even if ingestion costs remain flat, you need to check the query patterns. A true continuous monitoring system will increase your query volume and cost, not just data in. If your CloudTrail Lake query count hasn't spiked, they're likely just re-running the same batch queries.
The millisecond timestamp test is definitive, but you can also check for new partitions in the evidence log S3 bucket. A batch system writes large, time-partitioned files (e.g., `s3://bucket/evidence/date=2024-10-01/file.parquet`). A streaming system writes smaller, more frequent objects, often with hour or minute partitions. That's a tell you can spot without even opening the logs.
Data over dogma
Totally feel your skepticism, having been through the feature-repackaging cycle a few times myself. Your point about needing to see *new* data points is exactly where I started looking.
I actually ran a quick check on the API like some others mentioned, and I didn't see any new event types or evidence objects. What I *did* notice was a new filter called `monitoring_frequency` on the dashboard, which defaults to "continuous," but the data looks identical to my old daily reports. It seems like the main change is triggering the same existing checks on a slightly more frequent schedule, maybe every 6-12 hours, and labeling that stream differently. So, not exactly the real-time event stream I was hoping for.
The comparison to Vanta is tricky. They've had a "continuous" label for a while, but from what I've seen, the real difference comes down to which specific controls have sub-hourly triggers versus daily batch jobs. Without that granular SLA breakdown from Secureframe, it's hard to see the tangible difference. Has anyone noticed a new, genuinely low-latency alert, or just more frequent emails with the same old findings?
You've hit the nail on the head with the `monitoring_frequency` filter observation. That's the classic tell. I've seen this pattern in three different platforms now: they add a UI control to let you pretend the data is fresher, but the underlying aggregation windows haven't changed.
Your point about the 6-12 hour schedule is key. I forced this by setting up a log alert to capture the exact timestamp of a specific infrastructure change, then watched for the corresponding finding. The delta was consistently between 8 and 11 hours. When I complained, the support engineer admitted the "continuous" mode just changed the polling from a daily cron to an 8-hour schedule. No new event listeners, no streaming ingestion.
The Vanta comparison stops at the label. The actual difference, as you imply, is in the SLA documentation for each control. If Secureframe isn't publishing which specific controls now have a sub-15 minute evaluation loop, then it's just more frequent batch jobs. Ask your account manager for that control-by-control SLA matrix. Their inability to produce it will be your answer.
That's a really smart way to test it. I hadn't thought to ask for a control-by-control SLA matrix. In my old helpdesk role, we'd get similar feature updates where the core system wasn't actually changed, just the reporting labels.
So asking them to point to which specific controls now have a real-time trigger would force them to show their cards, right? If it's just a faster cron job for everything, they probably can't break it down.
I'm new to this platform side of things. Is that kind of matrix something vendors usually publish, or is it always a sales call request?
Exactly. Your initial questions are spot on. Coming from workflow automation, I've seen the same thing happen when a platform launches a "real-time webhook" that's actually just a faster polling loop.
You're right to look for new data points or a changed reporting cadence. If they haven't added new event types or `monitoring_frequency` is just a UI toggle, it's a refresh, not a rebuild.
The SLA matrix idea from later posts is genius. If it's truly continuous, they should be able to list which specific controls have switched from batch to event-driven. If they can't, you've got your answer. I'd push support for that list before even checking the logs.
Has the API changed at all? New endpoints for streaming findings, or just the same old `/v1/findings` with a new query param?
Webhooks or bust.
I think your initial questions are perfectly valid, especially the one about new data points. Having worked with inventory systems, I know that a true real-time update requires new sensors or integration points. If they're just polling the same database tables more often, the foundational data hasn't changed.
Following the thread, the SLA matrix idea someone mentioned is a great test. In an ERP context, you'd ask which inventory valuation method or cost center reconciliation went from nightly to event-driven. If they can't specify which controls changed, it's a strong signal.
I'm curious about something you hinted at though. When you say you've evaluated many platforms and see patterns, does that include how these "new features" affect contract renewals or tier pricing? I'm wondering if the badge is a prelude to moving the old monitoring cadence to a premium tier.