CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Assail vs Salt Security

Assail sells Ares, an autonomous offensive security platform that tests applications, APIs, mobile apps and AI systems and shows what an attacker could actually reach. Salt Security provides security for the APIs, MCP servers and data infrastructure where agents execute. CISO Tribune files both under API security. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Assail
  • Salt Security
Assail vs Salt Security: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
AssailAssail sells Ares, an autonomous offensive security platform that tests applications, APIs, mobile apps and AI systems and shows what an attacker could actually reach.assailai.comSalt SecuritySalt Security provides security for the APIs, MCP servers and data infrastructure where agents execute.salt.security
What it sells
  • Ares[1][3][4][5][6][7][9][10][11][12]Continuous autonomous red teaming across web applications, APIs, and mobile apps.
  • Reaper[3]Autonomous offensive cyber operations built for military, federal, and intelligence missions.
  • Assail Anywhere[3]Deployment option for the entire platform, including the AI model.
  • Agentic Security Graph[4][8]Maps and correlates the full environment out-of-band.
  • Salt Surface[5][9]Provides agentless, outside-in discovery of MCP servers and APIs.
  • Salt Connect[5][9]Provides cloud and code inventory.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesPalo Alto, United States[1][3]
Founded
Not stated on its pages2016[1][11]
Ownership and funding
Privately heldNot stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • November 4, 2026Assail, Inc. announced Cassandra, a proactive AI agent integrated into its Ares platform, along with expanded threat modeling capabilities tied to autonomous security testing.[11]
  • July 7, 2026Assail Inc. launched Sidewinder, a rebuilt second-generation version of its Ares offensive security platform running on a new 31 billion-parameter model.[12]
  • June 1, 2026Salt Security launched Salt Code, a component that enforces security policies on AI-generated code across the development lifecycle.[17]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[7]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Assail sells mainly to security teams in manufacturing, financial services, federal and state government, automotive, retail, and defense. Its industry pages address manufacturers, banks and fintech firms, government agencies, vehicle makers, retailers, and defense programs. Assail also says it supports on-premises, air-gapped, own-cloud, and SaaS deployment for organizations that need to keep data under their control.From its own pages, the company shows an industry solution for Finance, described as stop fraud and abuse. It lists one for Healthcare, described as HIPPAA-grade protection. Transportation is also listed, with secure logistics APIs. Retail is listed, with protect PII at scale. Software is listed, with API-first app security. Its whitepaper page also says security teams face a challenge in which the action layer goes unmonitored.
Last verified
October 21, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Assail and Salt Security are both filed under API security.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Assail's primary category is Breach simulation and automated pen-testing; Salt Security's is API security.
  • Assail is also filed under Mobile security. Salt Security is also filed under AI model and agent security.
  • Assail lists Ares, Reaper and Assail Anywhere. Salt Security lists Agentic Security Graph, Salt Surface and Salt Connect.
  • Salt Security is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States.
  • Salt Security was founded in 2016.
  • Assail is privately held.

What it sells: Assail

What Ares does[1][3][4][5][6][7][9][10][11][12]
Ares uses coordinated AI agents to discover weaknesses and validate what an attacker could actually reach. It tests authenticated applications through the existing identity provider and tracks changes across known and shadow APIs. Ares delivers the evidence behind each confirmed risk.
What Reaper does[3]
Assail describes Reaper as built for military, federal, and intelligence missions. Assail has expanded Reaper's sovereign deployment architecture to AWS GovCloud and Google Cloud Assured Workloads.

What it sells: Salt Security

What Agentic Security Graph does[4][8]
Salt's Agentic Security Graph maps and correlates the full environment out-of-band. Salt describes its agentic security platform as one graph of agents, the MCP servers they use and the APIs they call, with the context behind each one.
What Salt Surface does[5][9]
Salt Surface provides agentless, outside-in discovery of MCP servers and APIs. Salt Surface discovers these from the outside, without an agent.
What Salt Connect does[5][9]
Salt Connect provides cloud and code inventory. Salt names Salt Connect together with collectors that are used where runtime analysis is needed.

Questions about Assail and Salt Security

What do Assail and Salt Security sell?
Assail sells Ares, Reaper and Assail Anywhere. Salt Security sells Agentic Security Graph, Salt Surface and Salt Connect.
Are Assail and Salt Security in the same category?
They share API security. Assail's primary category is Breach simulation and automated pen-testing and Salt Security's is API security.
Where are Assail and Salt Security headquartered?
Salt Security is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States.
When were Assail and Salt Security founded?
Salt Security was founded in 2016.
Who owns Assail and Salt Security?
Assail is privately held.
Who are Assail and Salt Security sold to?
From its own pages, Assail sells mainly to security teams in manufacturing, financial services, federal and state government, automotive, retail, and defense. From its own pages, the company shows an industry solution for Finance, described as stop fraud and abuse.
What have Assail and Salt Security announced recently?
November 4, 2026: Assail, Inc. announced Cassandra, a proactive AI agent integrated into its Ares platform, along with expanded threat modeling capabilities tied to autonomous security testing. June 1, 2026: Salt Security launched Salt Code, a component that enforces security policies on AI-generated code across the development lifecycle.

About Assail

Assail sells Ares, an autonomous offensive security platform that tests applications, APIs, mobile apps and AI systems and shows what an attacker could actually reach.[1]

Assail says Ares continuously tests applications, APIs, mobile apps, and AI systems as they change. Ares follows attack paths, exploits weaknesses, and proves what an attacker could actually reach. Coordinated AI agents extend testing capacity, and Ares tests authenticated applications through the customer's existing identity provider. Ares also tracks changes across known and shadow APIs and delivers the evidence behind each confirmed risk.[3]

Assail describes Ares as combining autonomous red teaming, attack surface management, and Shadow AI discovery across web, API, mobile, and supported AI environments, with applicable MITRE ATLAS coverage. The Ares platform is powered by Assail's domain-adapted model for security reasoning and tool use.[3][7]

On deployment, Assail says Ares can run within the customer's own infrastructure, even in disconnected environments. With Assail Anywhere, the entire platform, including the AI model, deploys on-premises, inside isolated and air-gapped networks, in the customer's own cloud, or through Assail's SaaS. Assail has also announced that it expanded Reaper's sovereign deployment architecture to AWS GovCloud and Google Cloud Assured Workloads.[3]

Assail names Ares, Reaper, and Scorpion as the products taken to the fight. Reaper is described as autonomous offensive cyber operations built for military, federal, and intelligence missions.[3]

Assail publishes industry pages for manufacturing, financial services, federal and state government, automotive, retail, and defense. In manufacturing, Ares validates systems such as ERP, MES, PLM, supplier portals, industrial APIs, and connected products. In financial services, Ares validates APIs, payment rails, mobile banking apps, and open banking integrations. For retail, Ares validates e-commerce web apps, mobile shopping apps, loyalty APIs, and gift card platforms. In automotive it covers telematics APIs, OTA infrastructure, and mobile companion apps.[4][5][6][9][10]

Assail says its team brings 26 years of offensive security experience. Assail also publishes original research on attack techniques and the exploitation of AI and API surfaces. A customer, Branch, says Ares helps its security team increase penetration testing frequency and validate remediations faster.[1][2][3][4][5][6][8]

Assail on the record

Sources

Assail full record

  1. [1]assailai.comAssail · assailai.com · undated page, accessed October 21, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Press releasesAssail · assailai.com · undated page, accessed October 21, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Assail | Autonomous Offensive AI for the modern application stackAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Assail | Autonomous Offensive AI for the modern application stackAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Assail | Autonomous Offensive AI for the modern application stackAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Assail | Autonomous Offensive AI for the modern application stackAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Automotive | AssailAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Assail | Autonomous Offensive AI for the modern application stackAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Assail | Autonomous Offensive AI for the modern application stackAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Assail | Autonomous Offensive AI for the modern application stackAssail · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Assail Introduces Cassandra, a Proactive AI Agent Connecting Threat Modeling with Autonomous Security TestingPR Newswire · published November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Assail launches Sidewinder, an offensive security AI that fixes its own mistakesSiliconANGLE · published July 7, 2026 · Tier B

Salt Security full record

  1. [1]Salt security raises 140 million series d round led by capitalg at 1 4 billion valuationSalt Security · salt.security · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Salt security extends its agentic security platform with native ai detection and responseSalt Security · salt.security · published September 22, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Contact usSalt Security · salt.security · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]The Agentic Security Graph: A New Framework for the AI EraSalt Security · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Salt Security: Agentic AI Security, MCP Discovery, and API SecuritySalt Security · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]EU AI Act Compliance 2026: What High-risk AI Systems Must Do Now | Salt SecuritySalt Security · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Salt Security Reviews & Product Details - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier C
  8. [8]Onyx Security vs Salt Security | Secure the Agentic Action LayerSalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Securing APIs - API Attack Surface Management SolutionSalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Salt Security Master Services AgreementSalt Security · published May 20, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]API Security Company - About Us Salt Security API SecuritySalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Agentic Security Platform - Complete AI & API Protection PlatformSalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]API Security Software - API Security Management SoftwareSalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Proactive API Security - “Shift Left" API DevelopmentSalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]API Security Customers - Salt Security CustomersSalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]API Security Trends - API Attacks, Breaches & Threats ReportSalt Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Salt Security launches Salt CodeSalt Security · published June 1, 2026 · Tier A

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