Tenet Security Secures $6 Million Seed Funding to Combat AI Agentic Threats in Real Time
Tenet Security, a cybersecurity firm with origins in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, and now based in the United States, has announced a significant milestone in its mission to detect and mitigate dangerous AI agentic behavior in real time. The company has successfully secured $6 million in seed funding, led by the Westly Group, which has previously invested in notable companies such as Tesla and SentinelOne.
Founders and Background
Founded by Barak Sternberg, the CEO, and Nevo Poran, the CTO, Tenet Security leverages a shared history of expertise in AI defense. The duo previously collaborated to establish Cisco’s AI Defense research team and both are alumni of Unit 8200, an elite Israeli intelligence unit known for its technological prowess. This strong foundation in cybersecurity and AI positions Tenet to address emerging threats associated with autonomous agents.
The Challenge of AI Agentic Behavior
Tenet Security operates a patent-pending technology designed to prevent harmful actions by AI agents, which can range from simple runaway agents to those maliciously hijacked. Once integrated into a network, the behaviors of these agents often become invisible to security teams, with potential threats only becoming apparent post-event. This invisibility creates a significant gap in traditional security measures.
Sternberg emphasizes the urgency of addressing these threats, stating, “AI agents may be the biggest productivity unlock enterprises have seen in decades, which is why organizations are moving so quickly to deploy them. But we’re also entering a world where autonomous agents are interacting with systems, data, and other agents in ways most security tools were never designed to understand.”
The Concept of Agentjacking
One of the critical threats identified by Tenet is “agentjacking,” a term used to describe the manipulation of AI agents by external adversaries who poison the data these agents rely on. This manipulation can lead to unauthorized actions and data breaches, making it imperative for organizations to have robust defenses in place.
The speed at which AI agents operate exacerbates the risk. By the time security teams detect a problem, it may be too late to intervene. Tenet’s solution includes a lightweight runtime sensor that monitors operating system behavior, network and API calls, and the reasoning processes of the agents. This comprehensive visibility allows organizations to understand the full scope of their agentic landscape, which Tenet estimates could be five times larger than what security teams currently recognize.
Proactive Threat Mitigation
When Tenet’s sensor identifies suspicious activity, it simulates and predicts the agent’s next move, allowing for preemptive action against potential threats. This proactive approach is grounded in the understanding that preventing harmful actions is far more effective than addressing their consequences.
Research from Tenet’s Threat Labs underscores the severity of the agentjacking threat. The team validated this technique across over 100 enterprise environments, revealing thousands of organizations potentially exposed through publicly accessible attack paths. These attacks often bypass traditional security controls since the agents operate within their authorized permissions, yet they can be intercepted by the Tenet platform.
Poran notes, “We’re increasingly seeing AI agents become part of the attack path itself. Attackers can manipulate agents to access sensitive data, abuse privileges, or take actions on their behalf in ways traditional security tools were never designed to detect.”
Early Success and Future Plans
Tenet Security reports early successes in its deployments. For instance, one legal-sector enterprise with an annual recurring revenue of $1 billion expanded its use of AI agents from two to over twenty within six months while utilizing Tenet’s platform. During this period, the company successfully detected and blocked more than ten attempted attacks, including a critical cross-site scripting (XSS) attack. In another instance, a Fortune 1000 enterprise deployment revealed a runaway AI agent that generated significant unnecessary costs over a single weekend.
The recent funding will be directed toward continued product development, the expansion of Tenet Threat Labs, and enhancing the company’s go-to-market operations in North America. This investment aims to broaden coverage across emerging AI agent frameworks and enterprise environments.
For further insights into the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, visit SecurityWeek.
Keep reading for the latest cybersecurity developments, threat intelligence and breaking updates from across the Middle East.
