With AI’s rapid adoption—particularly the deployment of large language models (LLMs), agentic AI systems, and AI-driven APIs—organisations face novel security risks that traditional Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) are not equipped to handle
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries and accelerate digital transformation, securing AI-powered applications has become a top priority for enterprises. Addressing this growing need, Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), a global leader in cybersecurity and cloud computing, has announced the launch of Firewall for AI—a new multilayered solution designed specifically to safeguard AI models and APIs from modern, AI-driven cyberthreats.
With AI’s rapid adoption—particularly the deployment of large language models (LLMs), agentic AI systems, and AI-driven APIs—organisations face novel security risks that traditional Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) are not equipped to handle. These include adversarial inputs, model extraction, prompt injection attacks, and unauthorised scraping of sensitive data. Akamai’s Firewall for AI aims to fill this critical gap by offering dedicated protection to AI applications and ensuring that innovation does not come at the cost of security.
“Traditional security solutions do not stop AI threats,” said Rupesh Chokshi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Application Security at Akamai. “As enterprises embrace the AI era to unlock new levels of productivity, AI security must be a key enabler. Firewall for AI is a game changer for any enterprise adopting AI. Securing AI applications isn’t just about blocking attacks, it’s about enabling innovation without compromising security or performance. With Firewall for AI, enterprise models, data, and intellectual property are protected from evolving threats.”
Built For AI Age: Purpose-Designed Solution
AI models often contain proprietary knowledge, critical datasets, and sensitive business intelligence—making them lucrative targets for cybercriminals. Firewall for AI, unlike general-purpose defences, is tailored to protect the unique threat surfaces introduced by AI technologies. It acts as a security checkpoint for both inbound queries and outbound responses, mitigating the risks of manipulation, data leakage, and regulatory breaches.
Among the key capabilities of the Firewall for AI are:
Multilayered Protection: The system blocks unauthorised prompts, adversarial inputs, and large-scale data scraping attempts to prevent the misuse or theft of model data.
Real-time AI Threat Detection: Powered by adaptive security rules, it responds dynamically to evolving attack vectors like prompt injection and misuse of model outputs.
Regulatory Compliance Support: It monitors AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with privacy laws, ethical standards, and industry guidelines.
Flexible Integration: Whether through Akamai’s edge network, REST APIs, or reverse proxies, enterprises can seamlessly deploy the firewall within their existing security environments.
Output Risk Mitigation: The firewall also filters AI-generated responses to minimise toxic content, hallucinations, and accidental disclosure of confidential information.
Enhanced Protection With API LLM Discovery
Alongside Firewall for AI, Akamai also introduced a significant enhancement to its API Security platform: the API LLM Discovery feature. This functionality is engineered to identify and categorise generative AI and LLM-related API endpoints within enterprise environments. By automatically mapping these touchpoints, it helps organisations apply and update security policies in real time to prevent unauthorised access or misuse.
This automation is particularly crucial as LLM APIs—used for internal chatbots, customer-facing assistants, and agent-based decision systems—can be exploited for data leakage, privilege escalation, or model probing if left unprotected.
The API LLM Discovery feature adds a proactive layer to API management by enabling:
Continuous visibility into GenAI API activity
Classification of APIs based on risk and usage
Policy updates tailored to new threats and endpoints
Streamlined governance for AI-related services
Tackling AI Risks Without Slowing Innovation
As AI deployment accelerates across sectors—from banking and healthcare to retail and education—cybersecurity strategies must evolve in parallel. The challenge for businesses is finding a way to secure these systems without hampering their agility or performance.
Akamai’s new tools are aimed at striking this balance. By addressing AI-specific threats at both the perimeter and the core, they offer a blueprint for responsible AI deployment that meets business goals while upholding compliance and privacy standards.
The company’s focus on edge-based security also enables real-time, scalable protection closer to users—minimising latency and maintaining application speed even during peak load or under attack.
The introduction of Firewall for AI and API LLM Discovery signals a broader industry shift toward treating AI as not just a productivity enabler, but a critical component of enterprise risk. As more businesses rely on AI to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and engage customers, attackers are also adapting—using AI tools to scale attacks, generate more convincing phishing attempts, and probe vulnerabilities with greater precision.
Akamai’s latest offering sets a new benchmark in this landscape. With AI rapidly redefining both opportunity and risk, purpose-built defences such as Firewall for AI may soon become a standard part of the enterprise cybersecurity stack.
For those attending this year’s RSA Conference, Akamai will be showcasing Firewall for AI and its broader security portfolio at Booth N-6245.
