Koi Security: Software Supply Chain Defense Platform

Company Overview

Funding: $48M (Series A led by Battery Ventures, Team8, Picture Capital, NFX)
Founded: 2024 by Unit 8200 veterans
CEO: Amit Assaraf
Scale: 500K+ endpoints protected, Fortune 50 clients

Core Problem: Unmanaged Developer Tool Risks

Critical Gap in Traditional Security

• EDR tools are blind to modern software supply chain threats
• Traditional tools designed for signed executables from known vendors
• Cannot detect package installations, extension permissions, model downloads, container layers
• Impact: Complete visibility gap for majority of enterprise software components

High-Risk Software Categories (Invisible to Traditional Tools)

1. npm packages - maintainers with unknown credentials
2. VSCode extensions - extensive file system access permissions
3. Docker images - arbitrary code from public repositories
4. AI models - unknown training data and potential backdoors
5. GitHub repositories - direct code integration into production
6. Operating system packages - system-level access capabilities

Proven Attack Vectors

VSCode Marketplace Vulnerability (Proof of Concept)

• Attack: Fake "Darcula Official" extension (mimicked popular dark theme)
• Payload: Source code theft and machine details exfiltration
• Impact: 300 organizations infected within 7 days
• Targets: Multibillion-dollar companies, national court network
• Success factors: Name squatting, marketplace trust model exploitation

Real-World Risk Scenarios

• SolarWinds supply chain compromise - Russian state actors compromised software updates
• Log4j vulnerability - Single Java library affected global infrastructure
• Malicious npm packages - Package name typosquatting and dependency confusion attacks

Technical Solution: Supply Chain Gateway

Core Capabilities

• Unified software inventory - Complete visibility across all software types
• Real-time risk analysis - Continuous threat assessment
• Automated policy enforcement - Blocking noncompliant components
• Preventative fixes - Pre-installation threat mitigation

Wings AI Engine Specifications

• Threat intelligence integration - Known malicious actor patterns
• Code classification - Automated risk categorization
• Sandboxing analysis - Behavioral threat detection
• Publisher reputation scoring - Trust-based filtering

ExtensionTotal Product

• Focus: Code editor extension security
• Detection: Risky permissions and malicious behavior
• Foundation: Expanded into broader endpoint security platform

Implementation Requirements

Resource Costs

• Time investment: Rapid deployment possible (based on 500K endpoint scale)
• Expertise required: Integration with existing security infrastructure
• Operational overhead: Policy configuration and maintenance

Technical Prerequisites

• Network integration: Central checkpoint for software access
• Endpoint agent deployment - Monitoring and enforcement capability
• Policy framework setup - Define acceptable software criteria

Critical Warnings

What Official Documentation Doesn't Tell You

• Developer resistance expected - Workflow disruption during implementation
• False positive management - Legitimate software may be blocked initially
• Performance impact - Real-time scanning adds latency to software installations

Breaking Points and Failure Modes

• Policy too restrictive - Development productivity collapse
• Policy too permissive - Security gap persistence
• Incomplete coverage - Attackers will find unmonitored channels

Decision Criteria

When to Implement

• Regulatory compliance requirements (finance, healthcare)
• Post-breach remediation (SolarWinds-style incidents)
• AI model governance needs (enterprise AI adoption)
• Container security gaps (Docker/Kubernetes environments)

Alternatives Comparison

• Traditional EDR: Binary-focused, supply chain blind
• Manual review processes: Cannot scale to modern package volume
• SAST/DAST tools: Limited to code analysis, miss runtime behavior

Market Timing Factors

Why Now

• Regulatory pressure increasing - Supply chain security mandates
• AI adoption acceleration - Model download security concerns
• Developer tool proliferation - VSCode marketplace, GitHub Copilot integration
• Remote work expansion - Reduced IT control over software installations

Enterprise Adoption Patterns

• Proactive buyers: Financial institutions, government contractors
• Reactive buyers: Post-breach panic purchasing (majority pattern)
• Wait-and-see: Cost-conscious organizations awaiting proven ROI

Operational Intelligence

Common Implementation Failures

• Insufficient developer buy-in - Tool adoption resistance
• Inadequate policy tuning - High false positive rates
• Incomplete threat intelligence - Unknown attack vector persistence
• Integration complexity - Existing security tool conflicts

Success Indicators

• Developer workflow preservation - Minimal productivity impact
• Threat detection accuracy - Low false positive rates
• Policy compliance rates - High legitimate software approval
• Incident reduction metrics - Measurable security improvement

Hidden Costs

• Policy management overhead - Ongoing rule refinement
• Security team training - New tool expertise development
• Developer education - Secure software selection practices
• Integration maintenance - Tool compatibility updates