The Inline Desk · Vendor pages read 7 October 2026
GenAI security finder: where to control employee and agent use of AI
In short
Controls for generative AI can sit in three places: in the SASE or SSE cloud that already carries your users' traffic, in a standalone AI security layer in front of models, apps and agents, or on a firewall or AI gateway you run yourself. Which fits depends on what worries you, whether you want to block, redact, coach or watch, what network security you run and where data may be inspected. The seven-question finder points you to an approach and shows which of 6 vendors' published facts match, with no scores or rankings.
By The Inline Desk · GenAI Security Finder · Published 2026-10-26
Desk research from the six vendors' own public pages, read on 7 October 2026. Profiles follow our published method; we did not run the products.
Where can a GenAI control sit?
- SSE · Security cloud (SASE or SSE)
- AIG · AI gateway and guardrails
- FWG · Firewall or self-hosted gateway
- SSE
AI controls in a SASE or SSE cloud
Adds GenAI discovery, prompt inspection and blocking to the security cloud that already carries users' web and SaaS traffic.
5 of 6 vendors describe it on the pages we read, 1 partly
Read about SSE - AIG
Standalone AI security layer
A dedicated AI gateway or runtime guardrail layer in front of models, homegrown AI apps and agents, managed as its own control point.
6 of 6 vendors describe it on the pages we read, 0 partly
Read about AIG - FWG
Firewall or self-hosted AI gateway
Enforcement on a firewall or AI gateway you run yourself, so AI traffic, data and logs stay on infrastructure you control.
1 of 6 vendors describe it on the pages we read, 1 partly
Read about FWG
What does the quiz ask?
- Q1
What worries you most about generative AI at work?
Pick every one that applies.
- Q2
When a risky AI interaction is found, what should happen first?
Most teams mix these; pick the one you would start with.
- Q3
What network security carries your users' traffic today?
SASE combines networking and security in one cloud service; SSE is its security half.
- Q4
Which of these vendors already runs that network security?
Pick one, or the last option.
- Q5
Where may AI traffic be inspected?
Some teams must keep prompts, data and logs on infrastructure they run.
- Q6
Which compliance requirement applies to the vendor?
Choose the strictest one that applies.
- Q7
How many people use AI tools for work?
A rough count is enough.
Example: a company of a few thousand people, worried about shadow AI and sensitive data in prompts, already on a SASE or SSE platform from another vendor, wanting to block risky prompts inline in the vendor's cloud, with SOC 2 or ISO 27001 as the bar.
Which vendors does the finder cover?
- Filled square: described on the vendor pages we read
- Hatched square: partly described (a narrower scope, or the enforcement point is not stated)
- Dashed square: not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it)
| Vendor | AI products | Path | Responses | Agents and MCP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cato Networks | Cato AI Security on the Cato SASE Cloud | Cato Networks states Watch, Redact and Block; Coach is not in our sources. | Stated | Not published | |
| Cisco | AI Access in Cisco Secure Access, and Cisco AI Defense | Cisco states Block; Watch and Coach are partly stated; Redact is not in our sources. | Partly stated | Not published | |
| Fortinet | FortiAI and FortiAIGate; FortiSASE | Fortinet states Watch, Coach and Block; Redact is not in our sources. | Stated | Not published | |
| Netskope | Netskope One and the Netskope AI products (AI Command Center, GenAI App Security, Agentic Broker, AI Gateway, AI Guardrails, Agent Action Control, AI Red Teaming) | Netskope states Block; Coach is partly stated; Watch and Redact are not in our sources. | Stated | Not published | |
| Palo Alto Networks | AI Access Security (Prisma SASE) and Prisma AIRS | Palo Alto Networks states Coach and Block; Watch and Redact are not in our sources. | Partly stated | Not published | |
| Zscaler | AI Access Security and Zscaler AI security (AI Gateway, AI Asset Management) on the Zero Trust Exchange | Zscaler states Coach and Block; Redact is partly stated; Watch is not in our sources. | Stated | Not published |
Why block, redact, coach or watch matters
The response decides how a control feels to the people using AI. Blocking inline stops a prompt before it reaches the model. Redacting removes the sensitive part and lets the rest through, so work continues. Coaching shows a warning and lets the person decide. Watching records use without changing it, which is how many teams start. The vendors here state different sets of these responses on their pages, and the finder checks for the one you pick.
Vendors that state each response on the pages we read: Watch Cato Networks and Fortinet; partly: Cisco; Coach Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler; partly: Cisco and Netskope; Redact Cato Networks; partly: Zscaler; Block Cato Networks, Cisco, Fortinet, Netskope, Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler.
How is this different from a ranking?
We do not score or rank vendors. The finder applies published rules to your answers: first to weigh the three approaches, then to check each vendor's published facts against your situation. Two companies with different answers see different orders, and vendors with the same fit are shown as equals. The rules are written out on Finder rules.
Where to go next
- GenAI security quiz
Answer seven questions
- Explainers
Shadow AI, prompt DLP, MCP risk and inline enforcement, explained
- Facts side by side
Put two to six vendors' facts side by side
- AI usage policy checklist
The policy to write before you buy a control
Questions
What does a GenAI security control do?
It sees, limits or records how employees and AI agents use generative AI: which AI tools are in use, what data goes into prompts, what agents do with tools and MCP servers, and how homegrown AI apps respond to attacks. It can block, redact, coach or only watch.
Do I need a separate product for AI security?
Not always. If a SASE or SSE platform already carries your users' traffic, AI controls may be part of it. A standalone AI layer or a self-hosted gateway fits other situations, such as protecting AI apps you build or keeping data on your own infrastructure. The quiz weighs this for you.
Does this site rank AI security vendors?
No. There are no scores, totals or winners. Vendors are listed alphabetically, or in order of fit to your quiz answers, and equal fits are shown as equals.
Where do the facts come from?
From each vendor's own public pages, read on 7 October 2026. Every fact carries its source link and read date, and vendor claims are marked as the vendor's statements.