CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Imperva vs Salt Security

Imperva sells an Application Security Platform that protects against application and API attacks without impacting legitimate users. 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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  • Imperva
  • Salt Security
Imperva vs Salt Security: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
ImpervaImperva sells an Application Security Platform that protects against application and API attacks without impacting legitimate users.imperva.comSalt SecuritySalt Security provides security for the APIs, MCP servers and data infrastructure where agents execute.salt.security
What it sells
  • Web Application Firewall (WAF)[9][12]Imperva WAF protects applications in any environment, cloud or on-premises.
  • Advanced Bot Protection[4][5][9][11][17]Imperva Advanced Bot Protection protects websites, mobile apps and APIs from sophisticated automated attacks.
  • API Security[4][5][9][17]Imperva API Security provides continuous protection of all APIs.
  • DDoS Protection[5][9][12]Imperva’s advanced DDoS protection defends against volumetric, protocol-based and Layer 7 attacks.
  • Client-Side Protection[9][13]Imperva Client-Side Protection safeguards against client-side attacks like formjacking, digital skimming and Magecart.
  • AI Application Security[5][14]Imperva AI Application Security is engineered for the unique architecture of LLMs.
  • Data Security Fabric[15]Imperva Data Security Fabric is purpose-built for hybrid multicloud environments.
  • Content Delivery Network[9]Imperva's Secure Content Delivery Network (CDN) accelerates the delivery of content and applications.
  • 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
Redwood Shores, United States[3]Palo Alto, United States[1][3]
Founded
Not stated on its pages2016[1][11]
Ownership and funding
Owned by Thales[1][5][7][8][10]Not stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • August 24, 2026Thales Imperva introduced the SSL Integration Center, a framework connecting Imperva Cloud WAF with certificate lifecycle management platforms, launching with a DigiCert integration.[19]
  • August 3, 2026Thales launched Imperva for AWS, which provides web application, API and bot protection for AWS environments.[6]
  • 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: listed, seen November 6, 2026[7]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 6, 2026[8]
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[7]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Imperva sells mainly to organizations that need to protect applications and APIs in public or private cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments. Imperva addresses retail organizations that need to protect customers' data and secure applications, APIs, and cloud networks. Imperva addresses businesses aiming to comply with PCI DSS 4.0 standards while defending against client-side attacks. Imperva describes support for compliance in highly regulated industries across hybrid and multicloud environments. Imperva describes a purpose-built solution to secure AI applications for homegrown GenAI.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
September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Imperva and Salt Security are both filed under API security.
  • Both are headquartered in the United States.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Imperva's primary category is WAF and WAAP; Salt Security's is API security.
  • Imperva is also filed under Bot and abuse management and DDoS protection. Salt Security is also filed under AI model and agent security.
  • Imperva lists Web Application Firewall (WAF), Advanced Bot Protection, API Security, DDoS Protection, Client-Side Protection and 3 more. Salt Security lists Agentic Security Graph, Salt Surface and Salt Connect.
  • Imperva is headquartered in Redwood Shores, United States. Salt Security is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States.
  • Salt Security was founded in 2016.
  • Imperva is owned by Thales.

What it sells: Imperva

What Web Application Firewall (WAF) does[9][12]
Imperva says managed rules written and tested by the Imperva Threat Research team before deployment allow more than 94% of Imperva customers to deploy the Imperva WAF in blocking mode. Imperva’s Attack Analytics automatically correlates thousands of security alerts into narratives. Imperva’s Terraform provider automates Cloud WAF deployments.
What Advanced Bot Protection does[4][5][9][11][17]
Advanced Bot Protection safeguards websites, mobile apps and APIs from bot attacks, including all OWASP 21 Automated Threats. Imperva says its multi-layered approach detects malicious bots by combining direct client interrogation, behavior analysis, machine learning, connection characteristics and threat intelligence feeds.
What DDoS Protection does[5][9][12]
Imperva offers a guaranteed 3-second mitigation SLA for Layers 3 and 4 DDoS attacks. Imperva DDoS Protection for Networks shields entire infrastructures with 13 Tbps of multi-terabit scrubbing capacity. Imperva DDoS Protection for Websites works alongside a cloud web application firewall (WAF) to block attacks and malicious bots.
What Client-Side Protection does[9][13]
Imperva Client-Side Protection enables security teams to manage client-side resources and JavaScript while streamlining compliance with PCI DSS 4.0 requirements 6.4.3 and 11.6.1. Client-Side Protection automatically blocks known malicious domains based on data from the Imperva Threat Research Team.
What Data Security Fabric does[15]
Imperva Data Security Fabric protects all your data assets. Imperva data security reveals critical insight including sensitive data location, users, access, and risk. Imperva offers out-of-the-box support for over 100 data repositories, on-prem or in cloud.

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 Imperva and Salt Security

What do Imperva and Salt Security sell?
Imperva sells Web Application Firewall (WAF), Advanced Bot Protection, API Security, DDoS Protection, Client-Side Protection and 3 more. Salt Security sells Agentic Security Graph, Salt Surface and Salt Connect.
Are Imperva and Salt Security in the same category?
They share API security. Imperva's primary category is WAF and WAAP and Salt Security's is API security.
Where are Imperva and Salt Security headquartered?
Imperva is headquartered in Redwood Shores, United States. Salt Security is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States.
When were Imperva and Salt Security founded?
Salt Security was founded in 2016.
Who owns Imperva and Salt Security?
Imperva is owned by Thales.
Who are Imperva and Salt Security sold to?
From its own pages, Imperva sells mainly to organizations that need to protect applications and APIs in public or private cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments. From its own pages, the company shows an industry solution for Finance, described as stop fraud and abuse.
What have Imperva and Salt Security announced recently?
August 24, 2026: Thales Imperva introduced the SSL Integration Center, a framework connecting Imperva Cloud WAF with certificate lifecycle management platforms, launching with a DigiCert integration. June 1, 2026: Salt Security launched Salt Code, a component that enforces security policies on AI-generated code across the development lifecycle.

About Imperva

Imperva sells an Application Security Platform that protects against application and API attacks without impacting legitimate users. Imperva Web Application Firewall (WAF) protects applications in any environment. Imperva Advanced Bot Protection protects websites, mobile apps and APIs from sophisticated automated attacks without impacting legitimate users.[4][9]

Imperva API Security provides continuous protection of all APIs using deep discovery and classification of sensitive data. Imperva DDoS Protection automatically mitigates DDoS attacks, safeguarding applications and networks while minimizing downtime. Imperva Client-Side Protection safeguards against client-side attacks like formjacking, digital skimming and Magecart and streamlines regulatory compliance with PCI DSS 4.0. Imperva's Secure Content Delivery Network (CDN) accelerates the delivery of content and applications while protecting against attacks.[9][13]

Imperva WAF protects applications in any environment, cloud or on-premises, and offers automated policy creation. Imperva says managed rules written and tested by the Imperva Threat Research team before deployment allow more than 94% of Imperva customers to deploy the Imperva WAF in blocking mode. Imperva’s Attack Analytics automatically correlates thousands of security alerts into narratives. Imperva’s Terraform provider automates Cloud WAF deployments.

Advanced Bot Protection safeguards websites, mobile apps and APIs from bot attacks, including all OWASP 21 Automated Threats. Imperva says its multi-layered approach detects malicious bots by combining direct client interrogation, behavior analysis, machine learning, connection characteristics and threat intelligence feeds. Imperva’s advanced DDoS protection defends against volumetric, protocol-based and Layer 7 attacks, with a 3-second SLA. Imperva offers a guaranteed 3-second mitigation SLA for Layers 3 and 4 DDoS attacks. Imperva DDoS Protection for Networks shields entire infrastructures with 13 Tbps of multi-terabit scrubbing capacity. Imperva DDoS Protection for Websites works alongside a cloud web application firewall (WAF) to block attacks and malicious bots.[11][12]

Imperva Client-Side Protection enables security teams to manage client-side resources and JavaScript while streamlining compliance with PCI DSS 4.0 requirements 6.4.3 and 11.6.1. Client-Side Protection automatically blocks known malicious domains based on data from the Imperva Threat Research Team. Client-Side Protection deployment uses the Imperva Cloud Application Security solution, with a fast detection process that starts within minutes. Imperva AI Application Security is engineered for the unique architecture of LLMs. AI Application Security operates as a SaaS reverse proxy positioned between applications and Large Language Models.[13][14]

Imperva Data Security Fabric is purpose-built for hybrid multicloud environments. Imperva provides centralized data security across legacy and modern cloud environments. Imperva data security reveals critical insight including sensitive data location, users, access, and risk. Imperva data security offers over 260 built-in integrations on an open platform to speed investigation and response. Imperva offers out-of-the-box support for over 100 data repositories, on-prem or in cloud.[15][16][18]

BSE uses Imperva Application Security and Imperva Data Security to help fortify its applications, APIs and data. Imperva Web Application Firewall, Advanced Bot Protection and API Security work together to stop malicious automation and protect retail business logic. Imperva Data Risk Analytics helps retailers comply with GDPR and CCPA requirements by using machine learning to identify suspicious data access. Imperva Cloud Security supports PCI and GDPR compliance mandates.[2][14][17]

Imperva on the record

Sources

Imperva full record

  1. [1]Thales completes acquisition imperva creating global leaderThales Group · thalesgroup.com · published December 4, 2023 · Tier A
  2. [2]AboutImperva · imperva.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Greg clark joins imperva board of directorsImperva · imperva.com · published June 4, 2014 · Tier A
  4. [4]Application securityImperva · imperva.com · published August 23, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Cyber Security Leader | Imperva, Inc.Imperva · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Thales Launches Imperva for AWS to Help Organizations Protect Applications and APIsBusiness Wire · published August 3, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Imperva Data Security Fabric Reviews & Product Details - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier C
  8. [8]Thales Group (Imperva) Reviews - Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier C
  9. [9]Best Application Security | Imperva WAAP ProtectionImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Web Application Firewall (WAF) | Cloud & On-Prem | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Advanced Bot Protection | Stop Advanced Bots | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Advanced DDoS Protection & Mitigation Services | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Client-Side Protection | PCI 4.0 Compliance | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Enterprise AI & LLM Security | Stop Prompt Injection | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Data Security Solutions | Protecting Data Everywhere | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Plans and Services | Imperva Cyber SecurityImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Retail & eCommerce Cyber Security | Secure Online Transactions | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Data Security Fabric | Protect All Data Types | ImpervaImperva · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]Bring Your Own CA: Introducing the Thales Imperva SSL Integration Center, Featuring DigiCert Trust Lifecycle ManagerImperva · published August 24, 2026 · Tier A

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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