CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Knostic vs Scrut Automation

Knostic discovers and secures agents, coding assistants, and their supply chain, from MCP to skills and Code to Cowork. Scrut Automation sells a platform that brings compliance, risk and reporting together for every entity, with role-based access. CISO Tribune files both under AI governance. 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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  • Knostic
  • Scrut Automation
Knostic vs Scrut Automation: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
KnosticKnostic discovers and secures agents, coding assistants, and their supply chain, from MCP to skills and Code to Cowork.knostic.aiScrut AutomationScrut Automation sells a platform that brings compliance, risk and reporting together for every entity, with role-based access.scrut.io
What it sells
  • Kirin[4][5][6][7][11]Runs on the endpoint inside supported agents. Denies or blocks unsafe agent actions.
  • AgentMesh[4][5][6][7][11]Rates every skill, server, and extension.
  • Scrut Platform[2][3][5][10]A platform that brings compliance, risk and reporting together for every entity, with role-based access.
  • Scrut Watchdog Agent[10]An agent deployed to monitor key security settings and sync device data.
  • Scrut MCP Server[2]A server for querying a compliance program from Claude, Cursor or any MCP client.
Categories
Headquarters
Reston, United States[3]Not stated on its pages
Founded
2023[2][7]Not stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Privately held[5]Not stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • June 12, 2026Knostic was recognized in the Cloud Security Alliance's first Agentic AI Security Innovator Market Map.[10]
Not stated on its pages
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 14, 2026[14]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, the company sells mainly to developers and teams that use AI coding agents and IDEs, with plans written for individual developers, growing teams, and engineering managers. Its pages describe developers and business users who install agents, extensions, MCP servers, and skills from open ecosystems. It lists an inventory export described as a register of AI systems for compliance and risk reporting. Its stated support covers macOS and Windows.From its own pages, Scrut Automation sells a compliance platform built for startups. Scrut Automation pitches a scalable, risk-first security program to growing companies. Scrut Automation addresses enterprises with flexible solutions fitted to enterprise needs. Scrut Automation supports enterprises that manage compliance across multiple business units with custom workspaces. Scrut Teammates are described as built for lean teams handling a lot of data.
Last verified
September 27, 2026November 13, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Knostic and Scrut Automation are both filed under AI governance.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Knostic's primary category is AI model and agent security; Scrut Automation's is Compliance automation.
  • Scrut Automation is also filed under Third-party risk and security ratings and Identity governance and administration.
  • Knostic lists Kirin and AgentMesh. Scrut Automation lists Scrut Platform, Scrut Watchdog Agent and Scrut MCP Server.
  • Knostic is headquartered in Reston, United States.
  • Knostic was founded in 2023.
  • Knostic is privately held.

What it sells: Knostic

What Kirin does[4][5][6][7][11]
Kirin runs on the endpoint inside supported agents and sees the tools, extensions, servers, and skills actually installed and used. Kirin denies a destructive command before it executes, tells the developer why, and logs a Prevented alert for the SOC. Kirin blocks the connection to an MCP server before it is established, after AgentMesh scans and rates the server. Kirin deploys as an extension for Cursor and VS Code.
What AgentMesh does[4][5][6][7][11]
AgentMesh rates every skill, server, and extension. AgentMesh scans MCP servers for prompt injection, malicious behaviour, and supply-chain risk. AgentMesh detects prompt injection in skills, MCP servers, and extensions before install. Every paid AgentMesh plan includes Kirin IDE security.

What it sells: Scrut Automation

What Scrut Platform does[2][3][5][10]
The Scrut Platform supports SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 preparation with prebuilt controls and automated evidence gathering. The Scrut Platform integrates with cloud infrastructure, application stacks and security toolkits. The Scrut Platform lets customers create audit projects and get direct access to SOC 2 auditors. Workforce security training, onboarding and offboarding, and endpoint device compliance tracking run on the Scrut Platform.
What Scrut Watchdog Agent does[10]
Customers can deploy the Scrut Watchdog Agent or integrate MDM tools to monitor key security settings and sync device data in one place. Scrut gives real-time device compliance updates whether a customer uses external MDM tools or the Watchdog Agent.
What Scrut MCP Server does[2]
The Scrut MCP Server lets customers query their compliance program from Claude, Cursor or any MCP client. Customers can file evidence through the Scrut MCP Server without leaving their AI workspace. Readiness, staleness and coverage can be queried from Claude or Cursor via MCP.

Questions about Knostic and Scrut Automation

What do Knostic and Scrut Automation sell?
Knostic sells Kirin and AgentMesh. Scrut Automation sells Scrut Platform, Scrut Watchdog Agent and Scrut MCP Server.
Are Knostic and Scrut Automation in the same category?
They share AI governance. Knostic's primary category is AI model and agent security and Scrut Automation's is Compliance automation.
Where are Knostic and Scrut Automation headquartered?
Knostic is headquartered in Reston, United States.
When were Knostic and Scrut Automation founded?
Knostic was founded in 2023.
Who owns Knostic and Scrut Automation?
Knostic is privately held.
Who are Knostic and Scrut Automation sold to?
From its own pages, the company sells mainly to developers and teams that use AI coding agents and IDEs, with plans written for individual developers, growing teams, and engineering managers. From its own pages, Scrut Automation sells a compliance platform built for startups.
What have Knostic and Scrut Automation announced recently?
June 12, 2026: Knostic was recognized in the Cloud Security Alliance's first Agentic AI Security Innovator Market Map.

About Knostic

Knostic discovers and secures agents, coding assistants, and their supply chain, from MCP to skills and Code to Cowork. Knostic enforces rules by checking every action against policy before it runs, so allowed actions proceed and risky ones are blocked or sent to a human. Knostic applies least privilege to what agents do, watches every action as it happens, and blocks the unsafe ones before they execute.[1][6]

Kirin is the Knostic product that runs on the endpoint inside supported agents. Kirin sees the tools, extensions, servers, and skills actually installed and used. In one example, Kirin denies a destructive command before it executes, tells the developer why, and logs a Prevented alert for the SOC. AgentMesh rates every skill, server, and extension. Every paid AgentMesh plan includes Kirin IDE security.[4][6][11]

Knostic discovers every agent, model, and AI tool running across endpoints, attributes each to people and teams, and brings them under one policy. Knostic finds agents, extensions, MCP servers, and skills where they run, on the endpoint, rather than inferring from network logs. Discovery is passive, and policy can run in Monitor mode before anything is enforced. Discovered components are rated using AgentMesh verdicts and policy posture. Knostic maps which teams and individuals use which tools and what they can reach.[4][6]

Knostic describes one control plane for all agents, models, and AI tools. Knostic unifies and centrally governs agentic security policies and configurations. Teams can scope what agents may read, write, run, connect to, and install, per team. Knostic describes its guardrails for SaaS, in-house, coding, and Cowork agents.[1][6]

For prompt injection, Kirin catches the injection and blocks the action it would have caused. Kirin inspects what an agent is about to do, not just what it was told. Knostic scans prompts, retrieved context, and tool responses for injection and malicious instructions. Knostic catches credentials in prompts and outputs and blocks or redacts them, in Monitor or Enforce. Teams choose block, downgrade, route to a human, or log per rule and per team. For code, Knostic states that agents model threats before they code, follow secure coding rules, and have every package checked.[1][11]

Knostic keeps an up-to-date list of allowed MCP servers, with every connection validated in real time. Knostic flags deviations from policy or misconfigurations as they occur. AgentMesh continuously rescans the ecosystem, and Knostic research feeds new detections. Decision logs and runtime monitoring provide evidence for audits, incident response, and policy enforcement.[6]

Kirin supports Claude Code CLI, Claude Desktop and Cowork, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code + GitHub Copilot, on macOS and Windows, and Linux is in beta. Managers provision the console, push the endpoint client to the endpoints, directly or via an existing MDM, and start in Monitor mode. For Cursor and VS Code, Kirin deploys as an extension and requires the client for shadow AI visibility.

Kirin has three tiers, from individual developers to enterprise-wide rollouts. Knostic provides a package with SOC 2, pen test reports, and a data flow diagram in its trust center. Knostic Inc. is a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware.[4][8][9]

Knostic on the record

Sources

Knostic full record

  1. [1]Knostic - The control plane for agentic AI on the endpointKnostic · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Ending llm oversharing we raised 11 million to secure enterprise aiKnostic · knostic.ai · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Rsac 2025 innovation sandbox knostic reshaping the access control paradigm for enterprise ai securitySecurity Boulevard · securityboulevard.com · published April 25, 2025 · Tier B
  4. [4]Shadow AI Discovery & Governance - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Pricing - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]AI Agent Security - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]MCP Security Posture Management - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Terms of Service - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Knostic Knostic Trust Center | Powered by SafeBaseKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Knostic Featured Across Three Categories in CSA's Agentic AI Security Innovator Market MapKnostic · published June 12, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Prompt Injection Defense - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

Scrut Automation full record

  1. [1]scrut.ioScrut Automation · scrut.io · undated page, accessed November 13, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]AI Compliance Automation Platform | Scrut AutomationScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Scrut Teammates: AI-powered Risk & Compliance | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]GRC Platform Purpose-Built for Security-First Teams | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]SOC 2 Compliance Automation Software | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Cyber GRC Platform for Enterprises | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Trust Center: Demonstrate Security Posture | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Risk Management: Monitor Cyber Risk Proactively | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Vendor Risk Management: Assess & Monitor Third Party Risk | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Empower Employees: Security Training & Device Monitoring | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]DAST: Continuous, automated vulnerability management | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Cyber GRC Platform for Startups | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Cyber GRC Platform for Growth-Stage Companies | ScrutScrut Automation · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Scrut Automation Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & FeaturesG2 · undated page, accessed November 14, 2026 · Tier C

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