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Harness and Kong: Pioneering API and AI Security

In an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly integrating into business operations, the partnership between Harness and Kong brings forward a significant advancement in securing API and AI environments. This collaboration aims to tackle the escalating challenges associated with AI-driven architectures, ensuring that enterprises can strategically navigate their deployment of AI technologies.

Understanding the Strategic Partnership

Harness, known for its AI Software Delivery Platform™, and Kong Inc., a leader in API and AI connectivity technology, have announced an enhanced partnership focused on providing comprehensive security solutions tailored for modern AI infrastructures. The collaboration extends beyond traditional API security measures to encompass AI protection, addressing the critical need for robust security protocols as organizations increasingly rely on AI and autonomous agents.

The 2025 report titled The State of AI-Native Application Security reveals alarming statistics: 62% of enterprises lack visibility into where large language models (LLMs) are in use within their environments. Additionally, 74% acknowledge that the risks associated with AI deployment are outpacing those linked to traditional API use. Such findings highlight the urgency for embedded, infrastructure-level security that this partnership aims to provide.

Enhanced Security Solutions

The joint solution will expand the scope of the existing Kong API Gateway by introducing the Kong AI Gateway. This new integration will bring Harness's advanced AI security intelligence into the AI infrastructure layer, enabling businesses to discover, monitor, and secure every AI asset and workflow involved in their operations. The features of the new offerings promise to extend the depth and breadth of security measures employed by organizations, providing critical visibility and control over their technological deployments.

Ken Kim, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Kong Inc., emphasizes the importance of this collaboration, stating, "Our partnership with Harness has empowered joint customers with exceptional production-grade API security. Extending to include the Kong AI Gateway is a logical evolution, as these enterprises begin to integrate AI into their operations through our gateway, demanding the same level of oversight and control for AI traffic as they currently have for APIs."

The New Challenges of AI Security

As AI becomes more prevalent, the security landscape is changing. The unique nature of AI agents, which can behave differently upon successive runs, complicates traditional security strategies that rely on predictability. This is where the collaboration between Harness and Kong shines, implementing innovative solutions to identify and mitigate risks posed by AI agents and their interactions.

AI Discovery and Protection

The Harness integration with the Kong AI Gateway fundamentally changes the approach to AI-related security. It automates the inventorying of AI assets, including APIs, servers, tools, and resources. This automated inventory ensures that security teams maintain an updated catalog of their AI attack surface, eliminating blind spots and manual documentation that can leave vulnerabilities exposed.

Furthermore, the protection of AI systems is enhanced through real-time behavioral analysis and anomaly detection. This system is capable of identifying distinct threats, including prompt injection attacks and data exfiltration, that arise uniquely from AI interactions. With these capabilities, organizations can secure the same depth of visibility and preventative measures for their AI workloads that they previously enjoyed for traditional APIs.

Rahul Sood, GM of Application Security at Harness, emphasizes that "Shadow AI has emerged as a critical security blind spot for many organizations. Traditional security measures were not designed for dynamic AI systems, making it essential for businesses to adapt their strategies. This partnership with Kong directly integrates security intelligence into the AI connectivity layer, providing comprehensive oversight on how AI operates within corporate structures."

Conclusion

The partnership between Harness and Kong represents a significant step forward in the API and AI security landscape. With increasing reliance on AI technologies, ensuring robust security frameworks is paramount for organizations looking to advance their operations. This strategic alliance not only fills a pressing gap in security measures but also equips enterprises with the tools they need to safely navigate the complexities of modern technological ecosystems. The integration of Kong AI Gateway into the existing frameworks established by Harness promises to deliver unparalleled security solutions tailored for the unique challenges posed by the rise of AI applications.

For enterprise customers looking to maintain control and visibility as they pioneer new AI technologies, this expanded partnership provides an essential foundation for fostering secure innovation.