CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Knostic vs Trail of Bits

Knostic discovers and secures agents, coding assistants, and their supply chain, from MCP to skills and Code to Cowork. Trail of Bits sells security reviews and engineering services across application security, cryptography, blockchain, AI/ML, low-level systems, and software supply chain. CISO Tribune files both under AI model and agent 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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  • Knostic
  • Trail of Bits
Knostic vs Trail of Bits: 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.aiTrail of BitsTrail of Bits sells security reviews and engineering services across application security, cryptography, blockchain, AI/ML, low-level systems, and software supply chain.trailofbits.com
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.
  • Application Security[1][2][3]Code, cloud, and architecture review that finds the root cause and the fix for the whole bug class.
  • Blockchain[1][2][3]Review of every layer of a blockchain system, from smart contracts to nodes and bridges.
  • Cryptography[1][2][3]PhD-level cryptographers build and break real protocols.
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: Not stated on its pages
  • 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.Trail of Bits describes review work for blockchain systems, covering smart contracts, nodes, and bridges. Trail of Bits describes security work on AI systems, from training data to deployed agent loops. Trail of Bits describes advising on the security challenges that come with advancing health research infrastructure.
Last verified
September 27, 2026October 19, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Knostic and Trail of Bits are both filed under AI model and agent security.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Knostic's primary category is AI model and agent security; Trail of Bits's is Security consulting and advisory.
  • Knostic is also filed under AI governance. Trail of Bits is also filed under Static application security testing and Software supply chain security.
  • Knostic lists Kirin and AgentMesh. Trail of Bits lists Application Security, Blockchain and Cryptography.
  • 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: Trail of Bits

What Blockchain does[1][2][3]
Trail of Bits reviews every layer of a blockchain system, from smart contracts to nodes and bridges, backed by Slither, Echidna, and Medusa. Trail of Bits maintains Slither, Echidna, and Manticore alongside the Building Secure Contracts guide.
What Cryptography does[1][2][3]
Trail of Bits employs PhD-level cryptographers who build and break real protocols, from zero-knowledge proofs and MPC to post-quantum migrations. Trail of Bits pulls cryptographers, compiler people, and systems engineers onto the same review.

Questions about Knostic and Trail of Bits

What do Knostic and Trail of Bits sell?
Knostic sells Kirin and AgentMesh. Trail of Bits sells Application Security, Blockchain and Cryptography.
Are Knostic and Trail of Bits in the same category?
They share AI model and agent security. Knostic's primary category is AI model and agent security and Trail of Bits's is Security consulting and advisory.
Where are Knostic and Trail of Bits headquartered?
Knostic is headquartered in Reston, United States.
When were Knostic and Trail of Bits founded?
Knostic was founded in 2023.
Who owns Knostic and Trail of Bits?
Knostic is privately held.
Who are Knostic and Trail of Bits 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. Trail of Bits describes review work for blockchain systems, covering smart contracts, nodes, and bridges.
What have Knostic and Trail of Bits 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

Trail of Bits full record

  1. [1]trailofbits.comTrail of Bits · trailofbits.com · undated page, accessed October 19, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]About · Trail of BitsTrail of Bits · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Services · Trail of BitsTrail of Bits · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Ruby Security Field Guide — Guide · Trail of BitsTrail of Bits · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Offchain Security Council Rotation · Trail of BitsTrail of Bits · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

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