How to use the Security Market Data Lookup agent skill

What an agent skill is and what this one does

An agent skill is a folder of instructions and optional scripts that an AI agent such as Claude loads when a request matches the skill's description. This one is named SecurityMarketData and is licensed MIT.

Once installed, the agent queries Return on Security's Signal data through a live, authenticated connection (the signal-mcp MCP server) instead of answering from memory or scraping web pages. It keeps observed records separate from forecasts and scores, and reports data freshness and usage quota as the provider returns them.

• Covers: cybersecurity funding, cyber M&A, companies, investors, market maps and deal activity.
• Does not cover: vulnerability research, security news or investment advice.

Check whether this skill fits your work

The skill suits analysts and investors studying funding trends and M&A, and market researchers mapping vendors by category, investor or acquirer. It requires a Return on Security Signal account (Free, Pro or Enterprise tier) because the data is paywalled and the tools you can call depend on your plan.

• Good fit: funding trend research, category M&A mapping, company and investor enrichment.
• Poor fit: vulnerability or threat intelligence, news monitoring, or buy-and-sell decisions.
• Forecasts, suggested acquirers and scores are analytical outputs, not facts.

Install the skill from the ZIP

Download the SecurityMarketData ZIP from this directory page and unzip it. Place the SecurityMarketData folder in your personal skills directory, ~/.claude/skills/, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want it limited to one project.

Alternatively, upload the skill in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

• Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/SecurityMarketData/
• Project install: .claude/skills/SecurityMarketData/ inside your project
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload

Connect the signal-mcp server and sign in

The skill cannot run until the signal-mcp server is connected and you have signed in, because the data sits behind your account. The source's preferred transport is Streamable HTTP at the address below. Sign-in uses OAuth 2.1. Codex is supported too; the setup guide covers its commands.

Setup details are in the Setup.md file included with the skill. Optionally, set ROS_API_KEY to enable the REST fallback.

• Requirements: Return on Security Signal account, signal-mcp configured in Claude Code or Codex, OAuth 2.1 sign-in.
• Optional: ROS_API_KEY for the REST fallback.
• Optional: Bun runtime to run the SignalCheck.ts setup and shape check script.

Trigger the skill with natural requests

The skill loads when your request matches its trigger words, such as security market data, cybersecurity funding, cyber M&A, market maps, deal activity, Return on Security or The Signal. Name the category, time window and what you want compared.

Ask for observed rounds separately from forecasts, since the skill is built to keep them apart and labels them when you ask.

• Funding trend: Show quarterly funding trends for cloud security and distinguish observed rounds from forecasts.
• Company enrichment: Enrich this security company and report its category, funding, investors, lifecycle, and data freshness.
• Category M&A: Map identity-security M&A activity, acquirers, and observed consolidation signals for the last three years.

Understand the limits and safety notes

The skill runs scripts and uses the network. Its tools are reached over the network through your signed-in account, and the setup script runs with Bun. Review the included files before installing if that matters to you.

Access is limited by plan. The source lists Free access at 180 calls per day across 12 tools, Pro adding 21 tools, and Enterprise adding one more. OAuth tokens last 24 hours, so you may need to sign in again.

• Runs scripts: yes. Uses network: yes.
• Free: 180 calls/day and 12 tools. Pro adds 21 tools. Enterprise adds one.
• OAuth 2.1 tokens last 24 hours.
• Check the freshness and quota the answer reports before relying on it.

Tips for better answers

Name specific categories, countries and time windows. The skill checks valid category and country values against the provider's lists rather than guessing, so ask for them in plain words and let it map them.

Ask the agent to label each figure as observed, forecast or score, and to keep the freshness note in the answer.

• State the time window (for example, the last three years).
• Ask for the tools used, so you can see which live calls backed the answer.
• If a request falls outside funding, M&A, companies, investors or market maps, expect the skill not to answer it.