NEW! Data443 Acquires Vaikora – Real-Time AI Runtime Control & Enforcement for AI Agent
Vaikora is a drop-in operator-facing proxy. Cisco’s Agent Runtime SDK is a developer SDK: you build enforcement into your agent code.
Cisco’s Agent Runtime is a developer-facing SDK announced as part of Cisco’s “security for the agentic workforce” initiative in March 2026. Developers integrate the SDK into agent code to add identity, policy enforcement, and runtime controls at the application level. Vaikora is operator-facing: it sits inline as a proxy or as a drop-in SDK, evaluates AI agent actions in under 500 milliseconds, and signs every decision into a SHA-256 audit chain. The Cisco model puts enforcement in the application; the Vaikora model puts enforcement in the network path or at the LLM-call boundary.
| Capability | Data443 Vaikora | Cisco Agent Runtime SDK |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment model | Inline proxy or 2-line SDK | Developer SDK integrated into agent code |
| Buyer role | Security operator / SOC | Application developer |
| Quantified latency | Sub-500ms p95 | Not published |
| Cryptographic audit chain | SHA-256, append-only | Not specified |
| Open-source reference | Yes, MIT-licensed gateway | Cisco-managed |
| Vendor platform dependency | None | Most natural with Cisco Security Cloud |
| Compliance presets | SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, ISO 27001 | Inherits Cisco compliance posture |
| AWS Marketplace | 3 Vaikora connectors live | Via Cisco distribution |
| Azure Sentinel | Vaikora-AzureSecurityCenter live | Via Cisco integrations |
| Pricing | $0 open source + control plane on request | Quote-based, Cisco platform context |
Buyer role. Cisco’s Agent Runtime SDK is sold to application developers. Integration happens at agent code time: import the SDK, add policy hooks, deploy the agent. Vaikora is sold to security operators. Integration happens at deployment time: drop the proxy in the network path or add a 2-line SDK call at the agent boundary. Different buyer, different integration touchpoint.
Enforcement architecture. Cisco’s model is application-level: enforcement lives inside agent code. This is precise (the agent author controls the rules) and limited (every agent must be re-coded). Vaikora’s model is network or boundary-level: enforcement lives in front of the agent. The agent does not need to know it is being mediated. This is broader (one deployment covers many agents) and necessarily coarser at the application semantic level.
Audit chain. Vaikora’s append-only SHA-256 audit chain is a vendor-managed feature. The Cisco SDK can emit audit events but cryptographic chaining is not a documented capability. For organizations requiring tamper-evident logs, this is a load-bearing differentiator.
Open source. Vaikora’s gateway is MIT-licensed and self-hostable. Cisco’s SDK is Cisco-managed. For teams that want to evaluate the engine before procurement, only Vaikora has that path.
Vaikora: MIT-licensed open-source gateway free. Commercial control plane quote-based.
Cisco Agent Runtime SDK: Quote-based, typically sold as part of a wider Cisco Security Cloud commitment.
How they compare: Vaikora has a free entry path. Cisco requires a procurement conversation; the SDK pricing is most often part of a Cisco platform purchase rather than a standalone line item.
When Cisco Agent Runtime SDK is the better fit:
When Data443 Vaikora is the better fit:
Vaikora’s adapters cover OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and OpenRouter at the LLM level. Distribution: AWS Marketplace (3 connectors), Azure Sentinel solution live, direct API.
Cisco Agent Runtime sits inside the Cisco Security Cloud portfolio. Integration with Cisco SecureX, Cisco XDR, and other PAN-Cisco products is the natural path. External integrations rely on standard Cisco APIs.
The two products can coexist. A team building agents with Cisco’s SDK for application-level controls could also run Vaikora at the LLM-call boundary for vendor-neutral enforcement and audit-grade receipts.
Typical Vaikora customer: Security-led operator role, vendor-neutral preference, AWS or Azure procurement path. Engineering team focused on the product, not on operating enforcement infrastructure inside agent code.
Typical Cisco Agent Runtime customer: Large enterprise standardized on Cisco Security Cloud, with developer teams building agent code in-house. Cisco platform commitment is the procurement backbone.
A migration from Cisco’s SDK to Vaikora trades application-embedded enforcement for boundary enforcement. The agent code can keep the SDK as a no-op or remove the integration entirely; Vaikora handles enforcement at the proxy or boundary layer.
A migration from Vaikora to Cisco requires the development team to integrate the Cisco SDK into agent code. The technical lift is higher.
Coexistence is viable when application-level controls and boundary-level enforcement both matter.
Cisco’s SDK is developer-facing: developers integrate it into agent code. Vaikora is operator-facing: it runs as an inline proxy or 2-line SDK at the agent boundary. Different deployment model, different buyer.
The SDK is most natural alongside Cisco Security Cloud. Standalone deployment is possible but the procurement and integration context is Cisco-centric.
The 2-line SDK path requires a small code change. The proxy path requires no agent code changes; agents are routed through the Vaikora gateway as a network operation.
Yes. Cisco SDK for application-level controls; Vaikora at the LLM-call boundary for vendor-neutral enforcement and audit-grade receipts.
Two lines of code in Python or Node.js for the inline SDK. The proxy mode runs as a sidecar or hosted endpoint. Most pilot deployments are enforcing policy within the same day.
Related Vaikora comparisons:
Parent product: AI Runtime Control: Vaikora
Open-source gateway: github.com/Data443/vaikora-llm-gateway
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