specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Censys
providerId: censys
created: '2026-05-29'
modified: '2026-05-29'
reconciled: false
tags:
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
  - Security
  - Internet Intelligence
  - Attack Surface Management
description: 'FOCUS-aligned FinOps for Censys: tiered subscription with credit-based metering for search, view, aggregate, scan, and CensEye operations across the Platform and Asset Graph APIs.'
sources:
  - https://censys.com/pricing/
  - https://docs.censys.com
  - https://docs.censys.com/reference
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Censys, Inc.
serviceCategory: Security Intelligence
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Tiered Subscription + Credit-Based Usage
  billingFrequency: Monthly (Individual) / Annual (Security Operations, Threat Hunting)
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Usage
    - Purchase
    - Tax
    - Adjustment
    - Refund
    - Credit
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Censys Platform
  ServiceCategory: Security Intelligence
  ProviderName: Censys
  PublisherName: Censys, Inc.
  InvoiceIssuerName: Censys, Inc.
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  RegionId: global
meters:
  - name: search_queries
    unit: query
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - api
      - tag
      - result_count
  - name: aggregate_queries
    unit: query
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - api
      - tag
  - name: host_views
    unit: lookup
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - host_id
  - name: certificate_views
    unit: lookup
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - certificate_id
  - name: webproperty_views
    unit: lookup
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - webproperty_id
  - name: on_demand_scans
    unit: scan
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - scan_id
      - target
  - name: censeye_jobs
    unit: job
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - job_id
  - name: asset_graph_executions
    unit: execution
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - graph_id
  - name: collections_active
    unit: collection
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - collection_uid
  - name: seats_active
    unit: seat
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - organization_id
      - user_id
  - name: credits_consumed
    unit: credit
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - organization_id
      - user_id
      - operation
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use /v3/accounts/{org_id}/credits and /v3/accounts/{org_id}/credits/usage to monitor tenant- and member-level credit consumption. Audit events stream via /v3/accounts/{org_id}/audit-log-events. The Censys Platform UI dashboards mirror these endpoints.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Tag spend by organization_id, user_id, and Collection. Per-member credit usage endpoint (/v3/accounts/{org_id}/members/{user_id}/credits/usage) supports chargeback to specific analysts or teams.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Use Collections to memoize frequent queries; prefer aggregate over result-set pagination when only counts are needed; bound history windows to your plan; reserve on-demand scans and CensEye jobs for genuinely high-value pivots.
  - name: Accountability
    description: Assign a Censys Platform Administrator persona who owns the Personal Access Token inventory, monitors credit burn, and reviews audit logs. Configure RBAC on Security Operations and Threat Hunting tiers to enforce least-privilege and prevent credit-budget overruns.