The Vaikora blog

Field guides on AI agent security, runtime policy enforcement, LLM threat detection, and AI compliance.

Every article goes a level deeper than an overview: implementation guides, framework-level compliance, and SOC-operational detail for the people who build, secure, and audit enterprise AI.

Product Updates

Your AI agent's identity risk is external. Here is what TacitRed monitors and what your SOC can act on.When an AI agent authenticates to an external API, it uses a credential. If that credential appears in a dark-web dump, your agent is now operating with a...Classification decides what your controls can see. If it happens after ingestion, you are already behind.If your data security controls fire after data has moved, you are enforcing policy on copies, extracts, and derivatives that may already be out of scope....Staging-phase detection: how Cyren identifies malicious infrastructure before a campaign reaches your usersA threat actor registers a domain, configures mail infrastructure, and tests delivery routes days before sending a single phishing email. By the time that...Cyren catches phishing infrastructure before it fires. Here is where that intelligence lands in your stack.Phishing campaigns fail at a specific point in their lifecycle: the staging phase, before the malicious URL or payload is ever delivered to a target....AI agents act before you can review them. Here is how runtime enforcement changes that.AI agents do not wait for approval. They call APIs, write files, query databases, and send requests at machine speed, and by the time a human notices...Your AI agent can read a file, call an API, and exfiltrate data before any alert fires. Vaikora stops it at the gate.An AI agent operating inside your environment does not need elevated privileges to cause a serious incident. It needs only the permissions your existing...Vaikora adds an enforcement gate to your email security layer. Here is what that means for Microsoft 365.Email is still the most common entry point for credential theft and malware delivery. Vaikora's email security component for Microsoft 365 connects...Vaikora Guard MCP is now open source: what the proxy does, how to run it, and what it enforcesTool calls in MCP-based agent workflows execute by default. There is no built-in mechanism to check whether a call should be allowed before it runs....Classification without enforcement is just metadata: how to make data labels actually do somethingSecurity teams spend real effort classifying data. Labels get applied, spreadsheets get updated, and dashboards show coverage percentages. Then a user...Cyren GlobalView sees a billion transactions a day. Here is what your SOC gets from that volume.Threat intelligence is only as good as the signal behind it. A feed built on a small sensor network produces indicators that arrive late, miss regional...Cyren GlobalView telemetry: what a billion daily transactions actually detect that your perimeter tools missPerimeter security tools operate on what they can see at the moment a threat arrives. By the time a phishing URL reaches an inbox or a malicious file is...What happens inside Vaikora Guard MCP when an agent makes a tool call: a technical walkthroughEvery agent tool call is a decision point. Before Vaikora Guard MCP runs, that decision defaults to "execute." The proxy changes the default to "evaluate...Source classification is not a metadata exercise. It is where your enforcement chain either starts or breaks.Most enterprise data security failures share a structural problem: the data existed, moved, and was accessed before any control had a chance to act on it....TacitRed monitors compromised credentials and dark-web exposure. Here is how it feeds enforcement.Credential theft rarely announces itself. A username and password appear on a dark-web forum, a leaked secrets repository, or a threat actor's private...Cyren catches phishing infrastructure before it fires. Here is what your SOC receives and how to use it.Phishing campaigns do not appear fully formed. Attackers register domains, stand up hosting, configure mail infrastructure, and test delivery days or...You can run a policy gate on every MCP tool call with nine lines of Python and a free open-source proxyAI agents built on the Model Context Protocol run tool calls by default. Nothing in the protocol itself checks whether a given call should be allowed...When an AI agent touches regulated data, who decides what it can do next?An AI agent that can read a customer record, query a database, or call an external API will eventually encounter data it should not be allowed to act on...MIT-licensed, self-hosted, nine-line setup: what you get when you open-source a policy gate for MCP agentsPublishing source code under an MIT license shifts something specific for security teams: you can read exactly what runs between your agent and your...vaikora-guard-mcp is MIT-licensed and on PyPI. Here is what it enforces and how to run it.Most MCP servers pass tool calls straight through to the model or the downstream service. vaikora-guard-mcp sits in front of that and refuses, modifies,...Dark web credential exposure without a response path is just noise. Here is how TacitRed closes the gap.Credential exposure is common. The gap is not detection, it is what happens after detection. Most organizations find out a user's account appeared in a...When TacitRed finds a compromised identity, here is exactly what happens nextFinding exposed credentials is only half the problem. The other half is what your security stack does with that signal in the next five minutes, before an...vaikora-guard-mcp: a self-hosted MCP proxy that blocks tool calls before they run, not afterPolicy enforcement that runs after a tool call completes is not enforcement. It is logging. The problem with most MCP server designs is that they pass the...TacitRed found a leaked secret in your environment. What does your response workflow do with that signal?Leaked secrets sitting in a dark-web dump or a public code repository are actionable only if the signal reaches a system that can do something with it....Data classification at the source: why it has to happen before access, not after a breachAn unclassified file sitting in a shared drive or an S3 bucket is not a neutral object. It is a file your access controls, retention policies, and audit...Vaikora Guard MCP is now open source: what it does, how to run it, and what it enforcesEvery tool call an AI agent makes is a decision point. Without a gate at that point, the agent executes whatever the model requests. Vaikora Guard MCP...What happens inside Vaikora between an AI agent request and the action that follows itWhen an AI agent calls a tool, something has to decide whether that call runs. Without a control point, the decision defaults to "yes, always." Vaikora...Cyren GlobalView processes a billion transactions a day. Here is what your SOC actually gets from that signal.Scale in threat intelligence only matters if it translates into something actionable at the analyst level. Cyren's GlobalView telemetry network processes...Cyren detects malicious infrastructure during staging. Here is how that signal reaches your enforcement layer.The gap between detecting a threat and blocking it is where incidents happen. Cyren Threat Intelligence closes that gap by identifying malicious URLs,...TacitRed flags a compromised credential before your SOC does. Here is what that signal covers and where it goes.A credential that appears in a dark web dump today can be used against your environment tonight. The window between exposure and exploitation is short,...How to add a policy enforcement layer to your MCP server in under ten minutesThe default behavior of any MCP server is to pass tool calls straight to execution. No check, no record, no way to prove after the fact what ran and what...Why data governance fails at enforcement: the three places policy stops being enforced before it mattersMost data governance programs can tell you what data they have. Far fewer can tell you what is being done with it right now, by whom, and whether that...Phishing campaigns are built before they launch. Here is where Cyren finds them.Phishing infrastructure has a staging window. Attackers register domains, configure mail servers, and test delivery before a campaign goes live. That...Data classification, access control, and AI agent governance: how they connect in practiceRegulated data gets exposed through three distinct failure points: it is stored somewhere you do not know about, access to it is broader than policy...Cyren processes a billion email and file transactions a day. Here is what it does with that signal.Threat intelligence is only as good as the raw telemetry behind it. A feed built from a few million daily observations will miss infrastructure that...Checking AI agent tool calls against policy before they execute: what the Vaikora MCP proxy doesPublishing a policy enforcement proxy as open-source code is a specific claim. Here is exactly what ships, how the enforcement works, and what you need to...What TacitRed actually monitors and how that signal reaches your enforcement layerAn identity provider saying a user is valid and that same user's credentials being sold on a dark-web forum are not mutually exclusive conditions. The gap...How TacitRed turns external identity exposure into enforcement signals your SIEM and EDR can act onA user's credentials appear in a dark-web dump. Your identity provider still says that account is valid. The gap between those two facts is where breaches...AI agents act faster than humans can review. Here is how Vaikora enforces policy before that happens.When an AI agent calls a tool, it does not pause to ask whether that action is allowed. It executes. The policy question arrives after the fact, if anyone...

Threats & Attacks

OWASP LLM06 Excessive Agency: AI Agent Risk ExplainedDeep dive on OWASP LLM06 Excessive Agency. What it means for production AI, why traditional least privilege fails, and how runtime control enforces it.Indirect Prompt Injection: Detection and Defense GuideHow indirect prompt injection works in RAG and tool-using AI agents. Real attack patterns, detection methods, and runtime defenses for enterprise deployments.Tool Poisoning Attacks: Malicious MCP Servers and AI AgentsHow tool poisoning works in MCP and agentic AI. Attackers embed hidden instructions in tool definitions to redirect agent behavior. Detection and defense guide.AI Jailbreak Taxonomy: Attack Categories and DefensesA complete taxonomy of AI jailbreak techniques used against enterprise LLMs. Encoding attacks, roleplay exploits, multi-turn manipulation, and runtime defenses.Prompt Engineering Security: Common Developer MistakesThe security mistakes developers make when building AI prompts. Design prompts that resist injection, leakage, and manipulation at scale.AI Agent Adversarial Attacks in Multi-Agent SystemsHow adversarial inputs propagate across multi-agent AI systems. Attack patterns, detection signals, and runtime defenses for agent orchestration security.AI Reasoning Model Security: Risks from o1, o3, Llama 4Security analysis of reasoning models. How chain-of-thought reasoning creates new attack vectors, changes jailbreak resistance, and requires different defenses.

Developer Guides

MCP Server Security: Implementation Guide for DevelopersPractical guide to securing MCP servers and tool calls. Access control, audit logging, and runtime enforcement for enterprise AI deployments.RAG Security: Protecting Retrieval-Augmented AI SystemsSecurity risks in RAG architectures and how to address them. Covers data access control, prompt injection via retrieved content, and runtime enforcement.Secure AI Agent Architecture: Developer Patterns GuideProven architecture patterns for building AI agents with security built in. Covers policy enforcement, access scoping, audit trails, and HITL design.Microsoft Copilot Studio Security: Enterprise AppSec GuideSecurity architecture and controls for Microsoft Copilot Studio. Covers data access, prompt risk, SharePoint exposure, and enterprise governance controls.LangChain Agent Security: Runtime Controls Guide | VaikoraStep-by-step guide to securing LangChain agents with runtime policy enforcement. Block PII, prevent prompt injection, and enforce access controls.OpenAI-Compatible Gateway, Security Best PracticesConfigure an OpenAI-compatible AI gateway with enterprise security controls. Policy enforcement, routing, and compliance without rewriting your app.Zero Trust for AI Agents: Architecture and ImplementationHow to apply zero trust principles to AI systems. Identity verification, least privilege enforcement, and continuous runtime inspection for AI agents.AutoGen Security Guide: Secure Multi-Agent WorkflowsSecure Microsoft AutoGen multi-agent workflows with runtime controls. Enforce policies, block data leakage, and audit agent-to-agent communications.AI Agent Red Teaming: Testing LLM Applications for RiskHow to red team AI agents and LLM applications before production. Covers prompt injection, jailbreaks, data leakage, and tool misuse testing.AI Supply Chain Security: Models, Weights, and DependenciesAssess and mitigate risk in third-party AI models and open-source components. Covers model scanning, supply chain threats, and runtime enforcement controls.AI Budget Controls: Prevent LLM Cost Overruns and API AbuseSet spend limits, rate controls, and per-key budgets for LLM APIs. Prevent runaway costs, API key abuse, and unauthorized AI usage in enterprise deployments.CrewAI Security: Controlling Multi-Role AI Agent WorkflowsSecure CrewAI multi-role agent workflows with runtime controls. Block unauthorized tool use and enforce access policies without modifying application code.Vaikora Python SDK: AI Runtime Control Setup GuideGet started with Vaikora's Python SDK for AI runtime control. Add policy enforcement, PII redaction, and audit logging to your AI application in minutes.OpenAI Realtime API Security: Enterprise Guide 2026Security considerations for the OpenAI Realtime API in enterprise. Session control, content filtering, and real-time policy enforcement for voice AI.AI Cloud Security: Architecture for AWS, Azure, and GCPSecurity architecture patterns for AI workloads across AWS, Azure, and GCP. Network isolation, IAM for AI, and inline policy enforcement for cloud AI agents.

Frameworks & Standards

EU AI Act 2026: Enterprise AI Security Compliance GuideWhat the EU AI Act means for enterprise AI systems. High-risk AI requirements, human oversight mandates, technical documentation, and compliance controls.NIST AI RMF Implementation Guide: Step-by-StepHow to implement NIST AI RMF in your organization. All four functions, Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage, with practical controls and priorities.AI TRiSM Explained: Gartner's Framework for AI SecurityWhat AI TRiSM is, why Gartner created it, and how CISOs use it to evaluate AI security vendors and build internal governance programs.MITRE ATLAS: AI Threat Techniques Mapped to Security ControlsHow to use MITRE ATLAS to model AI threats in your enterprise. Maps adversarial ML techniques to detection controls and runtime enforcement capabilities.ISO 42001: AI Management System Standard for EnterpriseWhat ISO 42001 requires for AI management systems and how to achieve certification. Governance, risk controls, documentation, and audit readiness.CSA AI Controls Matrix: Vendor Assessment FrameworkHow to use the Cloud Security Alliance AI Controls Matrix to assess AI security vendors. Control domains, assessment process, and key questions to ask.

Compliance & Audit

HIPAA and AI: Protecting PHI in Healthcare AI SystemsDeploy AI in healthcare while maintaining HIPAA compliance. PHI in LLM prompts, audit trail requirements, minimum necessary standard, and safe harbor.AI Audit Trails: What Regulators Expect from Enterprise AIWhat regulators expect from AI audit trails in 2026. Evidence requirements for SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and EU AI Act, plus tamper-evident AI log design.AI Governance for Financial Services: Compliance GuideAI governance requirements for banks, insurers, and financial institutions. SR 11-7, SEC AI guidance, model risk management, and runtime controls.AI Agent Observability: Logs, Traces, and Audit TrailsHow to build complete observability into AI agent systems. Covers structured logging, event tracing, anomaly detection, and compliance-ready audit records.AI SBOM: Building a Software Bill of Materials for AIWhat an AI SBOM includes and how to build one. Covers models, dependencies, training data provenance, and how SBOM supports AI supply chain security.

Detection & SOC

AI Agent IOCs: Detection Rules for AI Threats in SIEMHow to build detection rules for AI agent threats in your SIEM. AI-specific IOCs, behavioral anomalies, and alert logic for autonomous agent activity.Microsoft Sentinel for AI Security: Integration GuideIntegrate AI agent telemetry with Microsoft Sentinel. KQL queries, detection rules, workbooks, and alert logic for AI agent security monitoring.AI Incident Response Playbook: Compromised AI AgentsIncident response playbook for compromised AI agents. Containment, investigation, evidence collection, and recovery steps for SOC and IR teams.Detecting Shadow AI: Unauthorized LLM Usage in EnterpriseHow to find unauthorized LLM API usage in your network. Traffic analysis, DNS signals, and endpoint indicators that reveal shadow AI usage.AI Threat Hunting: Hunting AI-Based Attacks in EnterpriseHow SOC teams hunt for AI-based attacks. Data sources, hunting hypotheses, behavioral anomalies, and tools for investigating AI agent threats.AI and CASB: Extending DLP to LLM TrafficWhy traditional CASB and DLP cannot inspect LLM traffic, and how to extend data loss prevention coverage to AI agents, copilots, and LLM applications.MITRE ATLAS for SOC Teams: AI Attack Detection GuideHow SOC teams apply MITRE ATLAS to AI-specific threats. Maps adversarial ML techniques to detection rules, alert priorities, and response actions.AI Behavioral Analytics: Detecting Anomalous Agent ActivityHow behavioral analytics detects AI agent anomalies before they become security incidents. Baseline modeling, anomaly categories, and alerting patterns.AI Security Data Sources: Logs and Telemetry for SOCWhat telemetry SOC teams need to detect and investigate AI security incidents. Log types, data formats, retention, and SIEM ingestion for AI.AI Threats in MDR: How Security Teams RespondHow managed detection teams handle AI security threats. Investigation workflows, evidence collection, and reporting for AI agent security incidents.Cyber Deception for AI: Honeypots for Prompt InjectionHow honeypot techniques detect prompt injection in production AI. Use deceptive prompts and canary tokens to catch attackers targeting your AI systems.

Governance & Risk

Building an AI Security Program: CISO Roadmap 2027A practical CISO roadmap for building an enterprise AI security program. Governance structure, risk assessment, controls, and program metrics.AI Governance Maturity Model: Ad Hoc to Continuous ControlAssess and improve AI governance maturity. Five levels from ad hoc to continuous control, with practical milestones and key metrics for each stage.AI Risk Board Reporting: What CISOs Need to CommunicateHow to communicate AI risk to boards of directors. The metrics, frameworks, and language that boards understand, plus common questions to prepare for.AI Risk Quantification: Measuring and Reporting AI RiskHow to quantify AI security risk for boards and risk committees. Risk scoring, appetite frameworks, and business-impact metrics for enterprise AI.

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