The Qualys logo is a red shield with a white letter Q cut into it, placed next to a black “Qualys” wordmark. It arrived in July 2017 with a new Qualys website and positioning, ahead of Black Hat 2017. Qualys is a cloud security and compliance company founded in 1999 and based in Foster City, California.
The mark is one of the more literal examples among tech company logos, since the shield tells you the category at a glance.
What is the Qualys Logo?
The Qualys logo is a combination mark: a red shield with a white Q inside it, followed by “Qualys” in black rounded sans-serif lettering. Qualys introduced this version in July 2017 and has not credited an agency or designer for it.
| Symbol | Red shield with a white Q cut into it |
| Designer/agency | Not publicly credited |
| Current version since | 2017 |
| Colors (hex) | Red #ED2E26 (listed by Simple Icons from Qualys’s site); black approx. #262626, sampled from the logo |
| Typeface | Not publicly named; a geometric sans-serif style. No confirmed free match |
| Previous major version | Pre-2017 logo; no reliable description found |
How Has the Qualys Logo Evolved Over Time?
Qualys announced “a new website with a fresh logo” in a July 24, 2017 blog post by CEO Philippe Courtot, as part of a new look and positioning. Brand New reviewed the change on July 27, 2017, tagging it with shield, monogram and red.
Previous Qualys Logo (before 2017)
I could not find a reliable source that describes or dates the logo used before 2017, and neither Qualys nor Brand New describes it in text.
Current Qualys Logo (2017 to 2026)
The 2017 logo combines the shield and Q with a black wordmark in title case. I found no change announced for 2024 to 2026, so it is still the current logo in 2026. A security blogger who covered the launch wrote that the new mark had no visible “Q” at first glance, which shows how abstract the monogram is.
What Do the Design Elements of the Qualys Logo Mean?
The shield is the standard shorthand for protection, and it fits a company whose products scan systems for vulnerabilities and check compliance. Inside it, the Q is drawn as a thick white ring with a tail that cuts across the lower right, so the shield and the first letter of the name become one symbol. Qualys has not published an official explanation, so these readings are interpretation.
What Colors Are in the Qualys Logo?
The shield is red, listed as #ED2E26 in the Simple Icons brand-color entry that points to Qualys’s own site. The wordmark is near-black, around #262626 when sampled from the logo, and a white version exists for dark backgrounds. Red is unusual for a security vendor, since many use blue, and it stands out in dashboards.
What Font Does the Qualys Logo Use?
Qualys has not named the font. The wordmark is a rounded geometric sans-serif with a single-storey “a” and a round “Q”, and I could not match it to a specific commercial typeface.
How Does the Qualys Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Several security brands use abstract marks instead of shields. The CrowdStrike logo centers on a falcon, and the Palo Alto Networks logo and Fortinet logo use their own symbols. Qualys is more literal with its shield, and the red-and-black pairing is easy to tell apart from the blue palettes common in the sector.
How Does the Qualys Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The logo appears in partner co-branding such as the Carahsoft banner above, where the red shield stands out on a dark navy background. In that setting the shield alone works as a compact badge, with the wordmark placed next to it.
How Should the Qualys Logo Be Used?
The Qualys name and logo are trademarks of Qualys, Inc., so commercial use or implied endorsement needs permission. Editorial references are normally fine. Qualys publishes its own logo files and guidelines on its website, so use those instead of redrawing the mark.
FAQ on the Qualys Logo
What does the Qualys logo look like?
The Qualys logo is a red shield with a white Q inside, next to a black “Qualys” wordmark in rounded sans-serif lettering.
Who designed the Qualys logo?
No designer or agency has been publicly credited for the current logo, which Qualys introduced in July 2017.
When did Qualys change its logo?
Qualys announced a fresh logo with its new website and positioning on July 24, 2017. Brand New reviewed it on July 27, 2017. I found no later change through 2026.
What was the old Qualys logo?
I could not find a reliable description of the pre-2017 Qualys logo. Neither Qualys nor Brand New describes it in text.
What colors are in the Qualys logo?
The shield is red, listed as #ED2E26, and the wordmark is black or near-black (approx. #262626, sampled from the logo). A white version is used on dark backgrounds.
What font does the Qualys logo use?
Qualys has not named the font. The wordmark is a rounded geometric sans-serif, and no confirmed commercial match is known.
What does the Qualys logo symbol mean?
The shield stands for protection, which fits a security and compliance company, and the white Q inside it is the first letter of the name. Qualys has not published an official explanation.
Why is the Qualys logo red?
Qualys has not explained its color choice. Red stands out in a sector that often uses blue, but that is an observation, not a statement from the company.
When was Qualys founded?
Qualys was founded in 1999 and is based in Foster City, California. Philippe Courtot became its CEO in 2001 and led it until March 2021.
Can I use the Qualys logo?
The Qualys name and logo are trademarks of Qualys, Inc. Editorial references are normally fine, but commercial use or implied endorsement needs permission.
Conclusion
The Qualys logo pairs a red shield and white Q with a black wordmark, a combination Qualys introduced in 2017 and still uses in 2026. It tells you the category quickly, and the red-and-black palette keeps it distinct from most security brands.
Sources
- Qualys Blog, Introducing the Qualys New Look and Positioning (July 24, 2017) – https://blog.qualys.com/qualys-insights/2017/07/24/introducing-the-qualys-new-look-and-positioning
- Brand New (UnderConsideration), New Logo for Qualys – https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_logo_for_qualys.php
- Alexander Leonov, Qualys new look and new products (tag archive: Rackspace) – https://avleonov.com/tag/rackspace
- Wikipedia, Qualys – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualys
- Dashboard Icons, Qualys (Simple Icons) – https://dashboardicons.com/icons/external/simpleicons/qualys
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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