Black Hat’s Startup Spotlight is the cybersecurity sector’s premier launchpad—highlighting trailblazing companies at the intersection of groundbreaking defense and game-changing innovation. In 2024, the Competition narrowed hundreds of submissions down to four elite finalists, culminating in one transformative winner. Here’s your inside look:
4 Finalists: Cutting‑Edge Solutions to Today’s Challenges
1) DryRun Security
Automates behavioral code reviews directly in developer pipelines. Enables DevSecOps teams to catch logic‑level flaws beyond static scanning.
2) LeakSignal
Real‑time data classification and in‑transit enforcement, halting leaks before they cross network boundaries.
3) RAD Security
Builds behavioral fingerprints of cloud infrastructure to detect anomalies, policy violations, and potential breaches.
4) Knostic
Winner! A need‑to‑know access-control layer for LLMs—preventing GenAI systems from over‑sharing sensitive data.
Winner: Knostic — Redefining LLM Privacy Controls
At Black Hat, Knostic was unveiled as the champion of the Startup Spotlight Competition. Their innovation lies in access policy enforcement layers for large language models—ensuring that only authorized data segments flow to GenAI systems. This solves a critical blind-spot for enterprises rushing to deploy AI with weak outbound controls.
Why It Matters to CISOs
- DryRun Security: Moves security left, injecting behavioral logic analysis into build cycles.
- LeakSignal: Tackles data exfiltration in motion—not just at rest.
- RAD Security: Applies intelligent behavior monitoring to cloud environments—a necessity in dynamic infra.
- Knostic: Brings disciplined access control to generative AI systems, meeting both security and compliance needs.
Together, these finalists represent a snapshot of modern defensive engineering: infrastructure-aware, dev-integrated, and AI-conscious.
Why Black Hat Spotlight Matters
Since its inception, the Startup Spotlight has propelled cyber startups toward strategic funding, key partner introductions, and rapid adoption. Most winners report new C-level interest and pilot deals in the weeks following Black Hat.
For CISOs and security leaders, this is your opportunity to:
- Evaluate truly novel part‑day solutions.
- Engage with technical founders amid intense, real-world scrutiny.
- Adopt disruptive approaches before they become mainstream.
Learnings for the CISO Community
- Integrate Security into Dev & Infra: The finalists emphasize embedding checks where engineers and ops teams work daily.
- Control the AI Supply Chain: With LLMs deployed across industries, need-to-know access governance becomes non-negotiable.
- Consider Behavioral Baselines: Radial detection tools (like RAD Security) will become critical as cloud infra mutates fast.
- Stay Ahead of Mass-Scale Automation: Tools like DryRun and LeakSignal show the value of adding automation to edge use cases.
What to Watch at Black Hat 2025
Tune into the Startup Spotlight again in Las Vegas. Don't miss out on what the next generation of innovators will bring.
- Connect with founders: they're eager to pilot with strategic partners.
- See demos live: experience systems under real-world pressure before they hit the market.
- Share your insights: give the CISO Platform community your post-event takeaways.
Want to join the conversation? Connect with 40,000+ CISOs at CISO Platform
By: Pritha Aash, Community Head, CISO Platform
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