HiddenLayer in the News
See how our research, leadership, and innovations are shaping the global conversation on AI security.
min read
HiddenLayer Unveils Agent Harness Security to Protect AI-Powered Software Development at Runtime
HiddenLayer announces Agent Harness Security, a runtime security solution that protects AI coding agents from prompt injection, secret exposure, unsafe commands, and other runtime threats while preserving developer productivity.
Austin, TX, August 3, 2026 - HiddenLayer, the leading AI security company, today announced Agent Harness Security, a new solution that extends the HiddenLayer AI Security Platform’s Runtime Security module to secure AI coding agents at runtime. The new solution gives security teams the runtime control they need to safely scale AI-assisted software development by protecting source code, secrets, and infrastructure from unsafe agent actions without slowing developers down. Built on HiddenLayer's AI Security Platform and powered by HiddenLayer's adversarial AI threat research, Agent Harness Security integrates directly into each coding agent's native hook surface to detect and stop prompt injection, sensitive data exposure, and unsafe command execution as they occur.
AI coding agents are rapidly becoming central to enterprise software development. Gartner predicts that by 2028, 90% of enterprise software engineers will use AI code assistants, up from less than 14% in early 2024. But these tools have moved far beyond mere code suggestions. They can now run shell commands, modify repositories, install dependencies, and act on context pulled from files, tool outputs, and external sources.
That shift turns every developer's machine into an AI execution environment, where prompt injection embedded in a README or a poisoned tool response can turn legitimate developer access into the attack path. Organizations cannot safely scale AI coding agents unless they can see what those agents are doing and stop unsafe actions when needed. They also cannot rely on controls that sit outside the workflow and slow developers down, breaking the productivity gains AI coding tools were meant to deliver.
Agent harnesses are the execution environments that enable AI agents to plan, reason, and take actions by connecting models with context, memory, tools, skills, and orchestration logic. As organizations increasingly adopt AI agents, these harnesses create a new runtime attack surface where indirect attacks can influence agent behavior and lead to data exposure, unauthorized actions, or other security risks.
For AI coding agents, Agent Harness Security provides inline runtime control within the coding agent workflow. It gives security teams visibility into agent activity across prompts, tool calls, shell commands, file edits, and repository interactions. It can redact sensitive information before a model sees it, steer agents away from poisoned tool responses, and stop unsafe actions before they pose a risk. Because every coding agent exposes different controls, HiddenLayer applies the strongest enforcement each platform supports and clearly shows security teams what is working, where it is working, and why.
"AI coding agents are now among the most active AI systems inside the enterprise. They run on developer machines, execute commands, modify source code, and act on sensitive context in real time," said Chris Sestito, CEO of HiddenLayer. "Securing them takes more than deciding whether to allow or block an action. Security teams need to control what agents see, reason over, and act on before something goes wrong. That is what our Agent Harness Security solution delivers, securing AI coding agents today, and it's what enterprises need to scale AI coding agents with confidence."
With Agent Harness Security, organizations can:
- See what AI coding agents are doing in the codebase. Follow coding agent activity from the prompt that started the task through the files opened, commands run, dependencies installed, code changed, and pull requests prepared. Security and AppSec teams get the session context they need to quickly investigate behavior.
- Catch threats inside the development workflow. Detect prompt injection embedded in source files and tool outputs, secrets flowing into AI tool calls, unsafe command execution, malicious or unexpected dependency installs, and obfuscated payloads designed to evade review.
- Keep developers moving while reducing risk. Redact secrets before they reach the model and steer agents away from poisoned tool responses with corrective context. Where block-only enforcement would interrupt a long-running CI/CD pipeline and force a developer to step in, content-shaping lets the agent continue safely on its task and preserves the productivity gains AI coding agents were brought in to deliver.
- Trust what is actually enforced. Get clear reporting on which controls are active for each coding agent and the enforcement level supported by each platform. Security teams can see whether an action was detected, redacted, blocked, or limited by the underlying agent platform.
“As we scale the use of AI coding agents across our engineering organization, maintaining visibility and control is essential. Our focus is not only on enabling engineers to benefit from AI, but also on empowering citizen developers to experiment with confidence — all while ensuring agent activity can be monitored, governed, and constrained when necessary. That’s what gives us the confidence to move fast in a space where security and compliance can’t be an afterthought.” - Jaclyn Miller, CPO & Vanessa DeGennaro, VP of Engineering at Zivian Health.
HiddenLayer’s Agent Harness Security solution is available today as a stand-alone solution, securing AI coding agents and extending HiddenLayer’s runtime protection directly into developer environments where AI agents read code, execute commands, and interact with enterprise systems.
Learn more about Agent Harness Security and how it secures AI coding agents at runtime. Visit hiddenlayer.com/coding-agents or contact sales@hiddenlayer.com to schedule a demo.
About HiddenLayer
HiddenLayer secures agentic, generative, and predictive AI applications across the entire AI lifecycle, from discovery and AI supply chain security to attack simulation and runtime protection. Backed by patented technology and industry-leading adversarial AI research, our platform is purpose-built to defend AI systems against evolving threats. HiddenLayer protects intellectual property, helps ensure regulatory compliance, and enables organizations to safely adopt and scale AI with confidence.
min read
HiddenLayer Awarded Phase 2 SBIR Contract by the U.S. Department of Defense
The leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract in the amount of $1.25 million focused on implementing their Machine Learning Security (MLSec) Platform to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
Machine learning security platform will secure government AI systems
AUSTIN, Texas — Oct. 24, 2023 — HiddenLayer, the leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract in the amount of $1.25 million focused on implementing their Machine Learning Security (MLSec) Platform to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on September 22, 2023, HiddenLayer will deploy their innovative security solution to further strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"HiddenLayer is honored to continue our partnership with the US Air Force through our second SBIR contract award. This partnership brings our cutting-edge threat detection capabilities to specific Air Force scenarios in operation and will ensure that our military’s use of next-generation technology is secure. Everyone at HiddenLayer is committed to ensuring our government's AI is secure today and always," said Chris Sestito, CEO and co-founder of HiddenLayer.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
About HiddenLayer
HiddenLayer, a Gartner-recognized AI Application Security company, helps enterprises safeguard the machine learning models behind their most important products with a comprehensive security platform. Only HiddenLayer offers turnkey AI security that does not add unnecessary complexity to models and does not require access to raw data and algorithms. Founded in March of 2022 by experienced security and ML professionals, HiddenLayer is based in Austin, Texas. For additional information, including product updates and the latest research reports, visit www.hiddenlayer.com.
About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Sole organization leading the planning and execution of U.S. Air Force & U.S. Space Force science & technology programs. Orchestrates a world-wide government, industry & academia coalition in the discovery, development & delivery of a wide range of revolutionary technology. Provides leading-edge warfighting capabilities keeping air, space and cyberspace forces the world's best. Employs 10,800 military, civilian and contractor personnel at 17 research sites executing an annual $4B budget. For more information, visit: www.afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory brings cutting edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2B to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
min read
HiddenLayer Appoints Malcolm Harkins as Chief Security and Trust Officer
The leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, has welcomed Malcolm Harkins as its Chief Security and Trust Officer. He is responsible for enabling business growth through trusted infrastructure, systems, and peer outreach to evangelize best practices for mitigating AI risk
Harkins brings more than two decades of experience in risk management and security
AUSTIN, Texas — Oct. 17, 2023 — HiddenLayer, the leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, has welcomed Malcolm Harkins as its Chief Security and Trust Officer. He is responsible for enabling business growth through trusted infrastructure, systems, and peer outreach to evangelize best practices for mitigating AI risk.
Harkins brings more than two decades of experience in information security leadership roles at top technology companies, including Intel, Cymatic, Cylance, and others. Earlier this year, he was named the Top Chief Security and Trust Officer by Cyber Defense Magazine. He is also an independent board member and advisor to several organizations, including TrustMAPP, Cyvatar, and the Cyber Risk Alliance.
“Malcolm is one of the most innovative security leaders in the industry, and I’ve seen first-hand why he’s the right person for this job,” said Chris Sestito, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at HiddenLayer. “Malcolm’s passion for security and his track record with the public sector will help advance HiddenLayer’s mission to protect enterprise and our nation’s most critical AI systems.”
Harkins has testified before the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. He is a Fellow with the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, a non-partisan think tank providing cybersecurity expertise to the House of Representatives, Senate, and various federal agencies. Earlier this year, Harkins served on a task force led by the Center for Strategic International Studies to provide direction and leadership for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s evolving mission to protect the federal government.
“The recent revolution of AI innovation can be a great advancement for society, but only if we ensure those systems are secured,” said Harkins. “HiddenLayer’s approach to protecting AI systems is crucial to enabling them. Helping organizations detect suspicious activity and prevent attacks on AI assets allows them to fully harness this powerful technology.”
Harkins has written multiple books on risk management, information security, and IT and earned awards from the RSA Conference, ISC2, Computerworld, and the Security Advisor Alliance. He previously taught at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and Susquehanna University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California at Irvine and an MBA in finance and accounting from the University of California at Davis.
About HiddenLayer
HiddenLayer, a Gartner-recognized AI Application Security company, helps enterprises safeguard the machine learning models behind their most important products with a comprehensive security platform. Only HiddenLayer offers turnkey AI security that does not add unnecessary complexity to models and does not require access to raw data and algorithms. Founded in March of 2022 by experienced security and ML professionals, HiddenLayer is based in Austin, Texas. For additional information, including product updates and the latest research reports, visit www.hiddenlayer.com.
min read
HiddenLayer Raises $50M in Series A Funding to Safeguard AI
The leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, has raised $50 million in Series A funding to expand its talent base, increase go-to-market efforts, and further invest in its award-winning Machine Learning Security (MLSec) Platform. The investment marks the largest Series A funding raised by a cybersecurity company focused on protecting AI this year, and was led by M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, and Moore Strategic Ventures, with participation from Booz Allen Ventures, IBM Ventures, Capital One Ventures, and Ten Eleven Ventures.
New funding round led by M12 and Moore Strategic Ventures will accelerate company growth as demand for solutions to secure AI continues to increase globally
AUSTIN, Texas — Sept. 19, 2023 — HiddenLayer, the leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, has raised $50 million in Series A funding to expand its talent base, increase go-to-market efforts, and further invest in its award-winning Machine Learning Security (MLSec) Platform. The investment marks the largest Series A funding raised by a cybersecurity company focused on protecting AI this year, and was led by M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, and Moore Strategic Ventures, with participation from Booz Allen Ventures, IBM Ventures, Capital One Ventures, and Ten Eleven Ventures.
HiddenLayer consistently demonstrated growth and market leadership since it emerged from stealth in July 2022. The company added to its industry recognition by initiating partnerships with Intel and Databricks, as well as earning accolades such as Most Innovative Startup at RSAC and Most Promising Early-Stage Startup by SC Media. The company nearly quadrupled its headcount over the past year and plans to add 40 more experts to its staff by the end of the year. The company defends Fortune 100 companies’ AI models across several verticals, including finance, government and defense, and cybersecurity.
“AI's unparalleled rate of adoption fuels us to move even faster in achieving our mission to give every organization the right tools and expertise to leverage AI securely,” said Chris Sestito, CEO and Co-Founder at HiddenLayer. "We know almost every enterprise in the world is already using AI in multiple forms today, but we also know that no other technology has achieved such widespread adoption without security protections in place. We're committed to creating the most frictionless security solutions on the market to satisfy this unmet need."
Research from Forrester commissioned by HiddenLayer, shows an overwhelming 96% of organizations find machine learning (ML) to be important or critical to business operations, but, concerningly, the majority of respondents rely on manual processes to address ML model threats. In response, 80% of respondents want to invest in a solution that manages ML model integrity and security in the next 12 months.
HiddenLayer’s MLSec Platform consists of a suite of products that provide comprehensive security for AI to protect ML models against adversarial attacks, vulnerabilities, and malicious code injections. Each product deployed within MLSec has been designed with unique strengths and capabilities for detection and response, culminating in a multifaceted defensive approach.
HiddenLayer’s flagship Machine Learning Detection and Response (MLDR) product provides a noninvasive, software-based approach to monitoring the inputs and outputs of AI algorithms. MLDR offers real-time defense to an otherwise unprotected asset and flexible response options, including alerting, isolation, profiling, and misleading.
“Inspired by their own experience with an adversarial AI attack, HiddenLayer’s founders built an essential platform for any enterprise working with AI and ML,” said Todd Graham, Managing Partner at M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund. “Their first-hand knowledge of these attacks, combined with their vision and novel approach, position the company as the go-to solution to protect these models. From the moment we met the founders, we knew this was a big idea in security and wanted to help them scale.”
“As AI continues to proliferate society, Booz Allen is on the front lines of developing and supplying solutions to governments and enterprise that are secure. This is paramount to protecting national security, extending economic power, and enabling companies in competitive markets,” said Travis Bales, Managing Director at Booz Allen Ventures. “HiddenLayer’s powerful platform and expert team has proven effective in securing AI from a broad range of threats, so we quickly identified them as a partner that can support and protect our AI deployments. From our early discussions, it was clear to us that the HiddenLayer team has the vision and execution to continue developing security for the emerging AI market.”
About HiddenLayer
HiddenLayer, a Gartner-recognized AI Application Security company, helps enterprises safeguard the machine learning models behind their most important products with a comprehensive security platform. Only HiddenLayer offers turnkey AI security that does not add unnecessary complexity to models and does not require access to raw data and algorithms. Founded in March of 2022 by experienced security and ML professionals, HiddenLayer is based in Austin, Texas. For additional information, including product updates and the latest research reports, visit www.hiddenlayer.com.
About Moore Strategic Ventures
Moore Strategic Ventures, LLC is the privately held investment company of Louis M. Bacon, Founder and CEO of Moore Capital Management, LP.
About Ten Eleven Ventures
Ten Eleven Ventures is the original cybersecurity-focused, global, stage agnostic investment firm. The firm finds, invests, and helps grow top cybersecurity companies addressing critical digital security needs, tapping its team, network, and experience to help build successful businesses. Since its founding, Ten Eleven Ventures has raised over $US 1 billion and made over 45 cybersecurity investments across stages worldwide, including KnowBe4, Darktrace, Axis Security, Twistlock, Verodin, Cylance, and Ping Identity. For more information, please visit www.1011vc.com.
Let’s Secure AI Together
Join HiddenLayer in shaping the standards, defenses, and future of AI security. Whether you’re a researcher, partner, or enterprise innovator, we’re stronger together.