Pioneer of MLSecOps — AI model scanning, AI-SPM, and runtime security now part of Palo Alto Prisma AIRS
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About Protect AI
Protect AI was evaluated by our editorial lab for workflow efficiency and practical value. Protect AI was the pioneering company in the MLSecOps (Machine Learning Security Operations) category \u2014 founded in 2022 in Seattle, Washington by Ian Swanson (CEO), Daryan Dehghanpisheh, and Badar Ahmed, all former AWS/Oracle ML engineers. With $108.5 million in total fundin...
Protect AI was the pioneering company in the MLSecOps (Machine Learning Security Operations) category \u2014 founded in 2022 in Seattle, Washington by Ian Swanson (CEO), Daryan Dehghanpisheh, and Badar Ahmed, all former AWS/Oracle ML engineers. With $108.5 million in total funding and a portfolio of four AI security products, Protect AI defined the market for securing AI and ML systems across their full lifecycle. On July 22, 2025, Palo Alto Networks completed its acquisition of Protect AI for $700 million, integrating the team and technology into the newly launched Prisma AIRS AI security platform.
Protect AI\u2019s four flagship products addressed distinct stages of the ML security challenge: Radar provided AI security posture management (AI-SPM) with a complete AI bill-of-materials inventory; Guardian enforced zero-trust model scanning policies before production deployment; Layer monitored LLM applications at runtime for prompt injection, data leakage, and policy violations; and Recon automated adversarial red teaming against LLM applications. The company also released two widely adopted open-source tools \u2014 ModelScan (scans ML model files for malicious embedded code) and Rebuff (prompt injection defense library) \u2014 that remain freely available on GitHub post-acquisition. Post-acquisition, these capabilities were absorbed into Palo Alto Networks\u2019 Prisma AIRS 2.0, which combines AI model scanning, posture management, red teaming, runtime security, and AI agent security into one platform backed by PANW\u2019s global security infrastructure.
For organizations evaluating AI/ML security in 2026, Protect AI\u2019s MLSecOps framework and open-source tools remain influential reference points, while enterprise capabilities are now accessible through Palo Alto Networks\u2019 Prisma AIRS platform.
Key Features
- ModelScan — open-source tool scanning ML model files (pickle, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras) for embedded malicious code and supply chain vulnerabilities
- Radar (AI-SPM) — AI security posture management platform providing full AI bill-of-materials (AI-BOM) inventory across the ML stack
- Guardian — zero-trust model security scanner enforcing policies on model deployments and detecting vulnerabilities before production
- Layer — real-time LLM application monitoring for prompt injection, data leakage, and policy violations at runtime
- Recon — AI red teaming platform for automated adversarial testing of LLM applications and generative AI systems
- Prisma AIRS integration — technology now part of Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma AIRS lifecycle AI security platform
- AI supply chain security — detects compromised models, poisoned datasets, and malicious artifacts in the ML development pipeline
- Rebuff (open-source) — self-hardening prompt injection detection library for developers building LLM applications
- MLSecOps framework — pioneered the MLSecOps methodology for embedding security throughout the AI/ML development lifecycle
- AI agent security — runtime security controls for AI agent actions, tool calls, and autonomous system behaviors
Pros
- Pioneer of MLSecOps — coined the term and defined the market category for AI/ML security operations
- ModelScan open-source — free community tool for ML model file vulnerability scanning adopted by thousands of developers
- Acquired by Palo Alto Networks ($700M, July 2025) — technology now backed by the world’s largest pure-play cybersecurity company
- Prisma AIRS integration provides access to PANW’s full network + cloud + endpoint telemetry alongside AI security
- Comprehensive ML lifecycle coverage: supply chain → model scanning → runtime monitoring → red teaming in one platform
- AI-BOM (AI bill-of-materials) — first platform providing complete inventory of AI models, datasets, and dependencies
- Ian Swanson joined PANW as VP, Product for Prisma AIRS — original vision preserved under new ownership
Cons
- Acquired by Palo Alto Networks (July 2025) — original standalone products (Recon, Radar, Guardian, Layer) absorbed into Prisma AIRS, no longer available as independent tools
- Enterprise pricing now tied to PANW Prisma AIRS — requires Palo Alto Networks engagement rather than direct Protect AI sales
- For organizations not in the Palo Alto ecosystem, alternatives like Lakera or HiddenLayer offer more vendor-independent options
- Open-source ModelScan and Rebuff community tools remain available but commercial platform requires PANW relationship
- Market position still evolving post-acquisition as PANW integrates capabilities into Prisma AIRS product structure
Pricing & Plans
Open source AI security tools (NB Defense, ModelScan) are 100% Free — Enterprise platform custom quote
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Connect with Protect AI
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — Palo Alto Networks announced the acquisition of Protect AI on April 28, 2025 and completed it on July 22, 2025. The deal value was confirmed in Palo Alto Networks’ SEC filing as $700 million in cash and replacement awards. Protect AI’s team and technology were integrated into Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma AIRS AI security platform. Ian Swanson (former CEO) joined PANW as VP, Product for Prisma AIRS.
Protect AI offered four products: Radar (AI security posture management and AI bill-of-materials tracking), Guardian (zero-trust ML model security scanning), Layer (real-time LLM runtime monitoring for prompt injection and data leakage), and Recon (AI red teaming for adversarial testing of LLM applications). These capabilities are now integrated into Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma AIRS platform.
ModelScan is Protect AI’s open-source tool that scans machine learning model files (pickle, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, ONNX) for embedded malicious code and supply chain vulnerabilities. It remains freely available on GitHub as an open-source project even after the PANW acquisition. ModelScan is one of the most widely used ML security tools in the developer community.
MLSecOps (Machine Learning Security Operations) is a framework and practice coined by Protect AI for embedding security throughout the AI/ML development lifecycle — from data collection and model training through deployment and production monitoring. It applies DevSecOps principles to AI/ML systems, treating model files, training pipelines, and inference infrastructure as security-critical components that require continuous scanning, monitoring, and governance.
Protect AI’s enterprise capabilities are now available through Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma AIRS platform. Contact Palo Alto Networks through paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/airs for enterprise access. The open-source tools ModelScan and Rebuff remain freely available on GitHub at github.com/protectai.
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