Israeli Startup Cymphony Develops AI Agent Security Platform
Israeli cybersecurity startup Cymphony has launched a new platform designed to protect corporate data from unauthorized access by both human employees and increasingly sophisticated AI agents. The company notes that traditional security systems were built for human users with stable roles, whereas autonomous AI systems can connect to numerous services and process data at speeds far exceeding human capabilities.
The core of Cymphony's platform is a continuously updated 'workforce graph' that maps employee and AI agent identities, their access privileges, corporate data, and actual activity. This system aims to provide security teams with visibility into who, whether human or program, is accessing specific files, databases, and applications, assessing the necessity of that access and identifying potentially risky permission combinations.
Cymphony's solution operates without installing software agents on end-user devices, instead connecting directly to corporate systems like SharePoint, Box, Snowflake, and Salesforce. The challenge is particularly acute when generative AI is integrated into existing company infrastructure, as AI tools can inherit user permissions and quickly uncover sensitive information that users rarely access.
The company cited an example where connecting ChatGPT to SharePoint revealed that employees, including interns, could potentially access highly sensitive legal documents due to prior access control misconfigurations. In another instance, Cymphony identified approximately 85,000 files at a large U.S. public corporation that were accessible to AI tools, though subsequent checks confirmed no data had been read. A third case involved an external contractor installing an unauthorized AI tool that scanned thousands of confidential documents using their legitimate access rights.
Beyond detection, Cymphony's own AI agents can investigate incidents, prioritize threats, and automate the correction of certain access settings. Founded approximately two years ago by graduates of Israel's "Talpiot" program, Cymphony operates in Tel Aviv and New York and has secured $30 million in funding, with its valuation exceeding $100 million after a recent Series A round led by Sequoia Capital and SMBC Fin Atlas Beyond Fund. The company's emergence in the AI agent security market follows that of another Israeli startup, Oasis Security, also founded by "Talpiot" alumni, which focuses on machine identity and access management. In a related development, Cyera acquired Oasis for $1 billion in September 2026.
