Guide Compares Security Tools for LLM Applications
Summary
The guide compares application-layer and model-guardrail tools for LLM security, outlining risks such as AI-generated code flaws, hallucinated-package attacks and exposed workflow tokens. It recommends combining code, supply-chain, developer-environment and runtime def
Key points
- The article distinguishes application-layer security—code, dependencies, developer environments and infrastructure—from model guardrails and red-teaming at runtime, arguing that the two approaches complement each other.
- Aikido’s PromptPwnd research reported that untrusted input in GitHub Actions workflows reached Gemini CLI and other agents, which used privileged tokens to leak secrets; it said at least five Fortune 500 companies were affected.
- A cited USENIX 2025 study tested 16 models across 2.23 million code samples and found 19.7% contained at least one hallucinated package name; 43% of those names recurred in all 10 repeated queries.
- The guide describes slopsquatting: attackers pre-register package names hallucinated by AI assistants and may publish malware under those names.
- It recommends scanning AI-generated code in the IDE, blocking malicious packages at installation, protecting developer environments from malicious MCP servers and extensions, and tracking model use in production.
- The comparison evaluates tools across capabilities including code scanning, supply-chain controls, developer-environment protection, data security, production usage tracking and AI application testing; its vendor rankings and capability assessments are the article’s claims.
Article Details
- Topic
- Application-layer security for LLM applications and tools for protecting AI development and runtime
Vendors
AikidoFor AI application security across code, the supply chain, the developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layerCheck PointLakera Guard Runtime guardrails and prompt injection detection, plus Lakera Red for red-teaming Part of Check Point (acquired 2025)Endor Labsthe developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtime modelHiddenLayerHiddenLayer Model detection and response, model scanning, red-teaming IndependentLakerawidest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtime model behavior, and most teams need both halves.Lasso SecurityLasso Security GenAI runtime protection and monitoring IndependentNvidiaNeMo Guardrails Programmable conversation and safety guardrails Open source (NVIDIA)Palo Alto NetworksPrisma AIRS AI runtime security, model and agent protection Palo Alto NetworksPrompt SecurityPrompt Security GenAI runtime protection, shadow AI monitoring, data leakage prevention Part of SentinelOne (acquired 2025)Semgrepchain, the developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtimeSentinelOnePrompt Security GenAI runtime protection, shadow AI monitoring, data leakage prevention Part of SentinelOne (acquired 2025)Snykthe supply chain, the developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS coverWizenvironment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtime model behavior, and
Products
AI Pentestand Garak. The line is not absolute: pentesting the deployed application and its agents, as Aikido's AI Pentest does against the OWASP Top 10 for LLM and agentic applications, tests runtime behavior like promptAikido SecurityFor AI application security across code, the supply chain, the developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layerDevice ProtectionAt the environment layer, Device Protection watches the machines where AI-assisted development happens. AI coding tools connect to MCP servers, install extensions, and pull packages, and each of those is a channel anEndor Labsthe developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtime modelLakera Guardwhich covers the LLM's behavior at runtime and is handled by guardrails and red-teaming tools like Lakera Guard, Prisma AIRS, NeMo Guardrails, and Garak. The line is not absolute: pentesting the deployedNeMo Guardrailsat runtime and is handled by guardrails and red-teaming tools like Lakera Guard, Prisma AIRS, NeMo Guardrails, and Garak. The line is not absolute: pentesting the deployed application and its agents, as Aikido'sPrisma AIRSwith Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtime model behavior, and most teams need both halves.Safe Chainget caught at the point of creation instead of surfacing in a pull request or, worse, in production. Safe Chain sits alongside it, blocking malicious and hallucinated npm packages at install time and cutting off theSemgrepchain, the developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtimeSemgrep GuardianLLM reasoning to reduce triage load and generate step-by-step remediation guidance in pull requests. Semgrep Guardian, launched in May 2026, is real-time security scanning for AI-generated code that runs inside ClaudeSemgrep Multimodalis customizable rules. Teams can write their own detection logic for LLM-specific code patterns. Semgrep Multimodal, released in March 2026, pairs Semgrep's deterministic rule engine with LLM reasoning to reduceSnykthe supply chain, the developer environment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS coverWizenvironment, and runtime, Aikido Security offers the widest coverage, with Snyk, Semgrep, Endor Labs, and Wiz as strong options. Model-layer guardrails like Lakera and Prisma AIRS cover runtime model behavior, andWiz Codethat discovery into vector stores and prompt logs where sensitive AI-adjacent data tends to accumulate. Wiz Code, launched to expand into the developer workflow, covers SAST, SCA, secrets detection, and IaC scanningZenAnd in production, Zen provides in-app LLM usage tracking that shows exactly which AI models your application is calling in real time, tracks where data is going down to the region level, and enforces AI usage