CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Knox Systems vs StratoKey

Knox Systems sells pre-authorized infrastructure on which SaaS vendors can inherit 60% to 80% of required controls. StratoKey sells the CDP Platform, which encrypts or tokenizes sensitive data before it reaches SaaS applications or AI systems and secures it within API payloads. CISO Tribune files both under Compliance automation. 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.

Change the companies

Up to four companies side by side.

  • Knox Systems
  • StratoKey
Knox Systems vs StratoKey: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
Knox SystemsKnox Systems sells pre-authorized infrastructure on which SaaS vendors can inherit 60% to 80% of required controls.knoxsystems.comStratoKeyStratoKey sells the CDP Platform, which encrypts or tokenizes sensitive data before it reaches SaaS applications or AI systems and secures it within API payloads.stratokey.com
What it sells
  • KnoxAI[2][5][6][7]Monitoring and remediation software that automates control mapping, vulnerability detection and real-time remediation.
  • Cloud Data Protection Platform[3][7][9][12]Secures sensitive data before it reaches the cloud and keeps it under the customer's control throughout its lifecycle.
  • Identity Gateway[3]Connects to identity providers to authenticate and authorize every user and system before they can reach sensitive data.
  • API Gateway[1][2][3]Enforces policy on machine-to-machine traffic and encrypts or tokenizes payloads before they are transmitted.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pages2014[1]
Ownership and funding
Privately heldNot stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
Not stated on its pagesNot 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
Knox Systems states that any cloud software that processes, stores, or transmits federal data must be FedRAMP authorized before an agency can purchase it. Knox Systems sells to customers deployed on a major hyperscaler and using CI/CD pipelines for deployments. Knox Systems says its customers inherit existing ATOs across federal and DoD agencies.In healthcare, the company names hospitals, clinics, research institutions, health technology providers, insurers and healthcare vendors. In defense, the company names regulated organizations including defense contractors, subcontractors, vendors and suppliers. In aerospace, the company names prime contractors, satellite manufacturers, avionics suppliers and parts manufacturers. The company works with manufacturing organizations using ERP, MES, CRM, PLM and cloud platforms and addresses utilities that connect operational technology (OT) environments to cloud applications, AI and API-driven services. Deployment is inside the customer's network behind a firewall or in a government cloud.
Last verified
November 5, 2026October 28, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Knox Systems and StratoKey are both filed under Compliance automation.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Knox Systems's primary category is Compliance automation; StratoKey's is Encryption, tokenization and key management.
  • StratoKey is also filed under SaaS security posture and API security.
  • Knox Systems lists KnoxAI. StratoKey lists Cloud Data Protection Platform, Identity Gateway and API Gateway.
  • StratoKey was founded in 2014.
  • Knox Systems is privately held.

What it sells: Knox Systems

What KnoxAI does[2][5][6][7]
KnoxAI is Knox's proprietary monitoring and remediation software, trained on 10 years of Federal audit data. KnoxAI automates control mapping, vulnerability detection and real-time remediation. Knox Systems provides a dedicated, isolated sub-account for each customer, protected by KnoxAI and with no shared tenant data.

What it sells: StratoKey

What Cloud Data Protection Platform does[3][7][9][12]
The Data Protection Gateway, Identity Gateway and API Gateway operate as a unified layer that governs access, enforces protection and controls what cloud, third-party and AI applications can see. The CDP Platform acts as a transparent gateway in the customer's environment. The CDP Platform sits between the customer's organization, users and cloud applications, applying protection before transmission to the cloud.
What API Gateway does[1][2][3]
The API Gateway extends the same protection and access policy to AI tools and integrations that consume data through APIs. Granular access controls restrict which users and systems can read, write or decrypt or detokenize sensitive data, and audit logs track how data moves across integrations.

Questions about Knox Systems and StratoKey

What do Knox Systems and StratoKey sell?
Knox Systems sells KnoxAI. StratoKey sells Cloud Data Protection Platform, Identity Gateway and API Gateway.
Are Knox Systems and StratoKey in the same category?
They share Compliance automation. Knox Systems's primary category is Compliance automation and StratoKey's is Encryption, tokenization and key management.
When were Knox Systems and StratoKey founded?
StratoKey was founded in 2014.
Who owns Knox Systems and StratoKey?
Knox Systems is privately held.
Who are Knox Systems and StratoKey sold to?
Knox Systems states that any cloud software that processes, stores, or transmits federal data must be FedRAMP authorized before an agency can purchase it. In healthcare, the company names hospitals, clinics, research institutions, health technology providers, insurers and healthcare vendors.

About Knox Systems

Knox Systems sells pre-authorized infrastructure on which SaaS vendors can inherit 60% to 80% of required controls. Knox Systems describes FedRAMP as the federal government's standardized security certification program for cloud products and services. Any cloud software that processes, stores, or transmits federal data must be FedRAMP authorized before an agency can purchase it, according to Knox Systems.[1][2][4][12]

Knox Systems states that the traditional authorization path takes 12 to 36 months, requires an agency sponsor to begin, and demands significant investment in dedicated infrastructure, staffing, and documentation. Customers of Knox Systems do not need to find their own sponsor. Customers inherit Knox's 15+ existing ATOs across federal and DoD agencies including DHS, FEMA, Marines, Treasury, VA, and others.[4][5]

Knox Systems states that its cloud is deployed on AWS, Azure, and GCP at FedRAMP Moderate, High, and DISA IL4, with 15 ATOs. After the scan, Knox Systems moves to evaluation of high and medium findings and a commercial agreement. Once the agreement is signed, the 90-day clock begins alongside remediation for low findings.[5]

Knox Systems requires customers to be deployed on one of the three major hyperscalers, AWS, Azure, or GCP, with as close to 100% infrastructure as code coverage as possible. Knox Systems requires CI/CD pipelines for deployments. Customers must ensure any third-party sub-processors that handle CUI data are FedRAMP authorized at the same impact level, or be prepared to find FedRAMP alternatives or self-host those components. Customers of Knox Systems can continue using existing CI/CD pipelines like GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or ArgoCD. Knox Systems requires that any runners executing deployments be self-hosted inside the Knox boundary rather than cloud-hosted runners.[5]

KnoxAI is Knox's proprietary monitoring and remediation software, trained on 10 years of Federal audit data. KnoxAI automates control mapping, vulnerability detection and real-time remediation. Knox Systems provides a dedicated, isolated sub-account for each customer, protected by KnoxAI and with no shared tenant data.[5][6][7]

Knox Systems describes FedRAMP 20x as replacing periodic assessments and static documentation with a continuous operating model. Knox AI evaluates every vulnerability against FedRAMP 20x requirements and prioritizes findings by risk. Knox AI ingests security telemetry across cloud environments in real time and evaluates every vulnerability against FedRAMP requirements as it is found. Knox AI scores and prioritizes vulnerabilities by operational risk. Knox AI produces both human-readable and machine-readable evidence automatically. Knox AI tracks and documents risk acceptance decisions with audit traceability. Customers connect their cloud environment to begin continuous ingestion of security telemetry across their infrastructure.[8][11]

Knox Systems describes itself as a team of FedRAMP and Mission Critical SaaS Security experts with 10+ consecutive years of running FedRAMP Clouds. Knox Systems states that it has over 10 years of experience running enterprise applications including Adobe, Celonis, and BigID. Adobe and Knox have partnered since 2014 to deliver secure, compliant cloud environments for government workloads.[1][3][5][9][13]

Knox Systems on the record

Sources

Knox Systems full record

  1. [1]knoxsystems.comKnox Systems · knoxsystems.com · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Knox systems awarded mission critical saas security company of the yearKnox Systems · knoxsystems.com · published January 12, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Knox systems raises 25m series a to scale largest ai managed cloud to deliver 90 day fedramp at 90 lower costPRNewswire · knoxsystems.com · published March 17, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]What Is FedRAMP Compliance? Guide for SaaS LeadersKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Platform | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Why Knox | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Knox Systems | FedRAMP in 90 Days for 90% LessKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Knox AI for FedRAMP 20xKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]About | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Adobe | Customer Stories | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]7AI | Customer Stories | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]6 FedRAMP Automation Solutions for SaaS Vendors Pursuing ATOKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Vannevar | Customer Stories | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

StratoKey full record

  1. [1]stratokey.comStratoKey · stratokey.com · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]StratoKey Cloud Data Protection and ComplianceStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]StratoKey Cloud Data Protection Platform OverviewStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Cloud EncryptionStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]NIS2 Compliance Solutions for SaaSStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]CPCSC Compliance Solutions for SaaSStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]FedRAMP Solution for SaaSStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Defense Industry Data Protection and Compliance SolutionsStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Healthcare Industry Data Protection and Compliance SolutionsStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Aerospace Industry Data Protection and Compliance SolutionsStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Utilities Industry Data Protection and Compliance SolutionsStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Manufacturing Industry Data Protection and Compliance SolutionsStratoKey · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

Spot a factual error? Request a correction.