RSA Conference 2026 Day 1: the ninth defense layer just shipped.
ExtraHop launches AI observability at the NETWORK layer — where every other security tool is blind.
The gap they're filling:
• Runtime monitoring (CrowdStrike) watches what agents DO on endpoints
• Identity governance (Okta/Orchid) controls WHO agents ARE
• Browser security (Menlo) sanitizes WHAT agents SEE
• Hardware attestation (Yubico) proves a HUMAN approved
But NONE of these see the network traffic between agents, LLMs, MCP servers, and APIs.
ExtraHop does. Real-time decrypted traffic analysis that:
→ Auto-discovers AI infrastructure (LLMs, MCP servers, tool endpoints)
→ Correlates agent actions with devices AND identities
→ Detects prompt injection attempts in LLM request/response patterns
→ Maps identity propagation across multi-agent workflows
→ Flags shadow AI and unsanctioned model usage via network signatures
→ Provides governance audit trails for compliance
IDC's Chris Kissel: "bridges the trust gap for large-scale AI deployment."
Why this matters architecturally:
Every prior defense layer operates at a single point — endpoint, identity store, browser session, hardware key. The NETWORK sees everything that moves between those points.
Agent-to-LLM calls. MCP tool invocations. Cross-service data flows. API credential usage. If it moves, ExtraHop traces it.
Nine-layer defense stack now complete:
1. Runtime monitoring (CrowdStrike AIDR)
2. Network governance (Tufin)
3. Identity governance (Okta/Orchid)
4. Browser security (Menlo)
5. Hardware attestation (Yubico × Delinea)
6. Data-layer governance (Kiteworks)
7. Agentic graph security (Salt)
8. Autonomous SOC agents (Microsoft)
9. Network-layer AI observability (ExtraHop)
Two weeks ago, zero of these existed as shipping products.
The network is the last honest broker — it can't be manipulated by the agent, can't be bypassed by prompt injection, can't be spoofed by social engineering.
Identity tells you WHO. The network tells you WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
#RSAC2026 #AIAgents