Best AI tools for security (2026)

AI and ML-assisted security tools for code scanning, dependency risk and vulnerability detection. Listed alphabetically; we only include tools whose official sites we checked. Descriptions summarize what each maker says the product does. We have not run hands-on tests.

1. Aegis: Says it is a machine-wide firewall for AI tools that applies guardrails to every request and response.
2. AegisKernel: Open-source project that says it is a zero-trust, deterministic security runtime for autonomous AI agents.
3. aws-safebox: Proof of concept: local guardrails that allow or block commands an AI agent runs during AWS infrastructure work; the author says it is not a hardened sandbox.
4. Heldkeys: Open-source tool that lists the credentials an AI agent can reach on a laptop, sandbox or CI and flags risky agent steps in GitHub workflows.
5. Semgrep: Application security platform with AI-assisted SAST, SCA and secrets detection that scans source code for actionable issues.
6. Snyk: AI-focused security platform that says it secures the code AI writes, the agents it runs, and the apps it builds.
7. Socket: Supply chain security for JavaScript, Python and Go dependencies; says it helps block zero-day supply chain attacks.
8. Trivy: Open-source security scanner for vulnerabilities, infrastructure-as-code, SBOM discovery, cloud scanning and Kubernetes.

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