Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeFalcon sensor and browser collectors; agent discovery on Windows and macOS
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
CrowdStrike
Aona vs CrowdStrike
Choose Aona for employee AI security.
See what sets Aona apart, compare the details, and try it on your own devices.
30-day free trialSOC 2 Type II
The verdict
The Aona advantage
Aona is built for employee AI security. Its offer includes a guided 30-day trial, hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, native coverage of the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, real-time coaching, seven Aona-managed hosting regions and Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, with a first signal during the agreed evaluation. CrowdStrike is for endpoint security, SOC orchestration and FedRAMP High procurement: Falcon Guardian's prompt block and transform run in the Chrome and Edge extension delivered through the Falcon sensor, its Windows network inspection logs desktop-app prompts in report-only mode, employee coaching is not documented, and the module is sold behind a Falcon subscription, with the 15-day trial being the general Falcon platform trial rather than a Guardian trial.
About this comparison
Aona secures employee AI use on the device: hard block on prompts and uploads with no user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, real-time coaching and native coverage of the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, with a 30-day guided trial. CrowdStrike's Falcon platform is endpoint security, identity, cloud security and Next-Gen SIEM on one sensor; Falcon Guardian, introduced on 1 September 2026, continues Falcon AIDR (end of support 30 November 2026) with a Chrome and Edge browser extension that can report, transform or block prompts, Windows network inspection that logs desktop-app AI traffic in report-only mode, and agent discovery and controls for AI agents on Windows and macOS. This page shows where each one enforces and why a Falcon customer adds Aona for the prompt and the upload.
The Workforce AI Security platform for any company adopting generative AI, with broader endpoint coverage than the incumbents, a simpler trial, and one of the few that ships hard-block DLP for AI prompts and files.
CrowdStrike: Falcon endpoint security platform with cloud security, identity and Next-Gen SIEM, plus Falcon Guardian (introduced September 2026 as its AI detection and response solution, continuing Falcon AIDR).
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01You already run Falcon and a block has to hold in the ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude desktop app.
Aona
Falcon Guardian's block and transform actions are documented for the Chrome and Edge browser extension; the network inspection path that sees desktop apps and CLIs is Windows-only and report-only, so a prompt typed into the desktop app is logged, not stopped. Aona's native endpoint app runs beside the Falcon sensor and hard-blocks the prompt in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps with no user override.
02A DOCX or XLSX with personal data must reach an AI tool with the layout intact.
Aona
Falcon Guardian's transform action redacts, masks, encrypts or defangs prompt text, and its network inspection does not process file attachments; layout-preserving file redaction is not documented. Aona redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF uploads with length-matched replacement so the document keeps its layout and the rest of the file still goes through.
03You have no Falcon footprint and want AI usage control without adopting an EDR platform first.
Aona
Falcon Guardian requires the Falcon sensor and a Falcon subscription, and greenfield Falcon rollouts take weeks to months. Aona deploys with IT's existing tooling as part of the agreed evaluation, with a 30-day guided trial, seven Aona-managed hosting regions and a first signal on the agreed schedule.
04Your main ask is to prove ISO 42001 or EU AI Act readiness in 30 days, with employees coached at the prompt.
Aona
Falcon Guardian is a detection-and-response product: its documented actions are report, transform and block, with no policy templates and no employee coaching documented; ISO 42001 is CrowdStrike's own certification, not a template for your programme. Aona ships EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR policy templates, coaches the employee at the moment of a risky prompt and reports per-team violation trends over time.
05Your SOC needs AI prompt events inside its triage, hunt and respond queue.
Run both
Falcon Guardian correlates its detections in Falcon Next-Gen SIEM with Charlotte AI for triage, investigation and response, which Aona does not provide. Aona supplies the hard block, redaction and coaching at the prompt and streams every event to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, a REST API and HMAC-signed webhooks, so a Falcon SOC runs Aona's endpoint control beside the sensor and ingests its events; verify the feed against your SIEM during the trial.
06Your procurement requires FedRAMP High or IRAP today, or you are buying EDR and SOC orchestration.
CrowdStrike
Endpoint security, SOC orchestration and government authorisations are CrowdStrike's own category: the Falcon platform holds FedRAMP High, is IRAP assessed and runs EDR, identity, cloud security and Next-Gen SIEM on one sensor. Aona holds SOC 2 Type II and is not an EDR; for the employee prompt itself, verify what the Falcon extension blocks inside the desktop apps and whether the user can proceed, because that is where Aona's native app and no-override block apply.
Capability matrix
What each tool actually does
Choose a priority. Compare Aona’s browser plugin and native app with the other product.
| Capability | Aona browser plugin | Aona native app | CrowdStrike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Falcon sensor and browser collectors; agent discovery on Windows and macOS |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | Chrome and Edge extension via the Falcon sensor; standalone extension for Firefox |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | Windows network inspection sees desktop apps in report-only mode; no block |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Claude Code hooks, Copilot Studio, MCP proxy; Guardian agent controls |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Actions are report, transform and block; employee coaching not documented |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | No policy templates documented; ISO 42001 is CrowdStrike's own certificate |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | Falcon console detections and Next-Gen SIEM; per-team AI trends not documented |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Block and transform in the Chrome and Edge extension; override behaviour not documented |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | Transform masks prompt text; layout-preserving file redaction not documented |
| Operations | |||
| Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions | Supported | Supported | US-1, US-2 and EU-1 listed for AIDR; no Australian region announced |
| SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks | Supported | Supported | Falcon Next-Gen SIEM correlation; Charlotte AI for SOC orchestration |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | 15-day general Falcon platform trial; no Guardian-specific self-serve trial |
| Time to first signal | Agree during scoping | Agree during scoping | Days with Falcon deployed; weeks greenfield |
| EDR, identity and cloud security on the same sensor | Not included | Not included | Falcon platform; CrowdStrike's own category |
| FedRAMP High and IRAP-assessed platform | Not included | Not included | FedRAMP High, IRAP assessed, ISO 42001 certified |
Discover
Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeChrome and Edge extension via the Falcon sensor; standalone extension for Firefox
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeWindows network inspection sees desktop apps in report-only mode; no block
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
CrowdStrikeClaude Code hooks, Copilot Studio, MCP proxy; Guardian agent controls
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeActions are report, transform and block; employee coaching not documented
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeNo policy templates documented; ISO 42001 is CrowdStrike's own certificate
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeFalcon console detections and Next-Gen SIEM; per-team AI trends not documented
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeBlock and transform in the Chrome and Edge extension; override behaviour not documented
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeTransform masks prompt text; layout-preserving file redaction not documented
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeUS-1, US-2 and EU-1 listed for AIDR; no Australian region announced
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrikeFalcon Next-Gen SIEM correlation; Charlotte AI for SOC orchestration
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
CrowdStrike15-day general Falcon platform trial; no Guardian-specific self-serve trial
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
CrowdStrikeDays with Falcon deployed; weeks greenfield
EDR, identity and cloud security on the same sensor
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
CrowdStrikeFalcon platform; CrowdStrike's own category
FedRAMP High and IRAP-assessed platform
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
CrowdStrikeFedRAMP High, IRAP assessed, ISO 42001 certified
Based on vendor documentation as of September 2026. Email trust@aona.ai if you find a factual error.
Deployment
From evaluation to rollout.
Aona
- Shape
- Browser plugin for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari plus a native endpoint app for Windows and macOS, deployed by IT with its existing software deployment tools (Intune is one option). No network routing or DNS changes.
- Time to first signal
- Agree during scoping
- What IT must change
- Push the plugin and the endpoint app with your usual deployment tooling and connect Microsoft Entra for admin SSO and user or group sync. Nothing changes on the network, in the SSE or in Microsoft 365.
- Prerequisites
- A software deployment tool for managed devices (Intune, Jamf or equivalent)
- Microsoft Entra for admin SSO and user or group sync; general OIDC or SAML also works
CrowdStrike
- Shape
- Falcon sensor on the endpoint with the Falcon browser extension for Chrome and Edge (Windows and macOS) delivered through the sensor, Windows network inspection for desktop apps and CLIs in report-only mode, a standalone extension for Firefox, and the Falcon console in the cloud (US-1, US-2 and EU-1 for AIDR). AIDR reaches end of support on 30 November 2026 and continues as Falcon Guardian.
- Time to first signal
- Already deployed
- What IT must change
- None to add the module if Falcon is already deployed; devices must be joined to Active Directory or Entra ID, managed by MDM or enrolled in Chrome Browser Cloud Management for the extension. Greenfield Falcon rollouts take weeks to months.
- Prerequisites
- Active Falcon subscription with the AIDR or Falcon Guardian module
- Identity provider for SOC operator SSO
Scope, stated plainly
Know the scope. Plan with confidence.
Aona
- Aona is not an EDR, a cloud posture tool or a SOC platform. It adds dedicated controls for employee AI use.
- Aona has no SOC orchestration layer: no triage, investigation or threat-hunting queue of its own. Its events go to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, a REST API and webhooks.
- Aona has a SOC 2 Type II examination report. No FedRAMP, IRAP or ISO 27001 today.
- No iOS or Android coverage: AI use on phones is out of scope.
- AI agent and MCP inspection ships in limited rollout on the native endpoint app, not general availability.
CrowdStrike
- Block and transform are documented for the Falcon browser extension on Chrome and Edge; network inspection, the path that sees desktop applications and CLIs, is Windows-only and report-only, so a prompt typed into the ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude desktop app is logged, not blocked. As of September 2026.
- No employee coaching or end-user explanation is documented; the detector actions are report, transform and block, and override behaviour on a block is not documented. As of September 2026.
- Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX or PDF redaction is not documented: transform redacts, masks, encrypts or defangs prompt text, and file attachments are not processed on the network inspection path. As of September 2026.
- AIDR is listed in US-1, US-2 and EU-1; regional clouds were announced for Saudi Arabia, India and the UAE in January 2026, and no Australian region is announced. As of September 2026.
- No Guardian-specific self-serve trial: the 15-day trial is the general Falcon platform trial, and the module sits behind a Falcon subscription. AI Detection and Response reaches end of support on 30 November 2026 and continues as Falcon Guardian, introduced on 1 September 2026, so verify which module and console your subscription covers. As of September 2026.
Security review facts
Ready for your security review.
Certifications, data handling, and residency for both vendors, answered up front so your GRC and legal review can start from this page.
Certifications
Aona
SOC 2 Type II (observation period to January 2026, report issued March 2026; trust center at trust.aona.ai). No FedRAMP or IRAP today.
CrowdStrike
FedRAMP High, IRAP assessed, ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 certified (CrowdStrike's own certifications). As of September 2026.
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
CrowdStrike
No Guardian-specific self-serve trial: the 15-day free trial is the general Falcon platform trial, and the module is added to a Falcon subscription through CrowdStrike sales. As of September 2026.
Where prompts are processed
Aona
Choose backend hosting separately from Aona prompt processing. Host the backend in your cloud, on your premises or on Aona-managed servers. Process prompts on the user device/on-edge, in your cloud or on-premises, or on Aona-managed servers. Confirm the supported configuration, retention, telemetry and integrations for your rollout; these choices do not change a third-party AI provider's data handling.
CrowdStrike
The Falcon browser extension (Chrome and Edge, delivered through the Falcon sensor) applies report, transform or block to prompts; Windows network inspection logs prompts and responses from desktop apps and CLIs in report-only mode. AIDR is hosted in US-1, US-2 and EU-1; the processing location is not documented beyond the cloud region. As of September 2026.
Data residency
Aona
Aona-managed backend hosting has seven regions: Australia, France, UK, Germany, US, Singapore and Hong Kong. Select prompt processing separately; confirm storage, retention, telemetry and any cross-region transfers for the supported configuration. Third-party AI providers have their own data handling.
CrowdStrike
AIDR available in US-1, US-2 and EU-1. Regional clouds announced for Saudi Arabia, India and the UAE in January 2026; no Australian region announced. As of September 2026.
DPA and security docs
Aona
DPA available on request. Trust center at trust.aona.ai, security overview at aona.ai/security. SOC 2 report under NDA.
CrowdStrike
Global Data Protection Agreement published at crowdstrike.com/legal; Trust Center at trust.crowdstrike.com with SOC 2 Type II reports on request. As of September 2026.
Competitor facts come from public documentation and pricing pages. Where a vendor does not publish a fact, we say so rather than guess. Corrections: trust@aona.ai.
How they layer
How Aona and CrowdStrike work together
Aona enforces at the prompt and the upload; Falcon secures the endpoint and runs the SOC. Aona hard-blocks with no user override, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF with the layout intact, coaches the employee at that moment and streams every event to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF. The Falcon sensor keeps EDR, identity, cloud security, Next-Gen SIEM and Charlotte AI, and Falcon Guardian keeps its agent discovery and controls. Both agents run on the same device without conflict: Aona takes the employee's AI use, Falcon the endpoint and the SOC.
AI enforcement layer
Aona intercepts in the browser and native AI apps: hard block, layout-preserving redaction and coaching at the prompt.
Endpoint and SOC layer
The Falcon sensor handles EDR, identity and cloud security, Next-Gen SIEM and Charlotte AI for SOC orchestration; Falcon Guardian adds AI agent discovery and controls.
Enforcement at the prompt plus SOC context
Aona stops the prompt or upload on the device and sends the event to your SIEM; Falcon correlates it with endpoint telemetry and runs the response.
Sources & review notes ↗Page updated:
Aona publishes these comparisons to explain its fit for employee AI use. Competitor facts come from public documentation, are dated, and are stated as mechanisms you can verify. Corrections: trust@aona.ai.
- CrowdStrike Falcon Guardian AIDR
Product reference: Current AI Detection and Response product and runtime/endpoint positioning. This overview is not independent test evidence for every granular comparison claim.
- Aona coverage and deployment scope
Aona's client and action boundaries; validate the configuration and actual policy result during your Aona pilot.
Get started
Add hard-block AI prompt DLP on top of your Falcon stack
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
FAQ
Common questions from CrowdStrike customers
Do we need Aona if we already have CrowdStrike Falcon?
Yes. Aona enforces on the device at the moment an employee submits a prompt or uploads a file: hard block with no user override in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction and real-time coaching, with a first signal during the agreed evaluation. Falcon Guardian documents block and transform for its Chrome and Edge browser extension, its Windows network inspection logs desktop-app prompts in report-only mode, override behaviour on a block is not documented, and employee coaching is not documented. Aona's plugin and endpoint app run beside the Falcon sensor without conflict.
What changes with Falcon Guardian, introduced by CrowdStrike in September 2026?
Aona's hard block, layout-preserving file redaction and real-time coaching are in production today behind a 30-day guided trial. CrowdStrike introduced Falcon Guardian on 1 September 2026 as its AI detection and response solution: the Falcon sensor discovers known and shadow AI agents on Windows and macOS, Agent Access Controls decide which agents may run, and runtime detection covers attacks on agents; the AIDR documentation states that AI Detection and Response reaches end of support on 30 November 2026 and that its capabilities continue in Falcon Guardian. The documented employee-prompt controls remain the Chrome and Edge extension (report, transform, block) and report-only Windows network inspection, so re-check this comparison when Guardian's documentation covers desktop-app enforcement.
Does Aona compete with Charlotte AI?
No. Charlotte AI is CrowdStrike's SOC analyst agent: it triages, investigates and helps respond to detections inside the Falcon console. Aona has no SOC analyst layer; it enforces at the prompt and the upload and streams every event to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, a REST API and webhooks. A Falcon SOC keeps Charlotte AI for orchestration and adds Aona for the hard block, redaction and coaching at the moment of use.
If we deploy Aona, do we need to remove CrowdStrike Falcon?
No. Aona's browser plugin and native endpoint app for Windows and macOS run alongside the Falcon sensor without conflict. They sit at different layers, Aona at the employee-to-AI surface and Falcon at the operating system and endpoint security layer, and do not share a policy engine. IT pushes Aona with its existing deployment tooling and the first signal arrives during the agreed evaluation.
Does Aona match CrowdStrike on AI agent security?
Not on agent runtime security, which is CrowdStrike's own category: Falcon Guardian discovers AI agents on Windows and macOS, controls which agents may run and detects attacks on them, with collectors for Claude Code hooks, Copilot Studio and an MCP proxy. Aona's AI agent and MCP inspection ships in limited rollout on the native endpoint app. Where the question is the employee's own prompt or upload, Aona applies a hard block with no user override, layout-preserving redaction and coaching in the browser and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, which is where Falcon Guardian's documented controls are the browser extension and report-only network inspection. Organisations that need both run both.
How does Aona's trial compare to CrowdStrike's evaluation path?
Aona starts with a 30-day guided free trial: IT pushes the browser plugin and the endpoint app with its existing deployment tooling beside the Falcon sensor, and the first signal arrives during the agreed evaluation. CrowdStrike's 15-day free trial is the general Falcon platform trial; Falcon Guardian has no self-serve trial of its own and is added to a Falcon subscription through CrowdStrike sales, so a greenfield evaluation starts with the sensor rollout, which takes weeks to months. As of September 2026.
Where does CrowdStrike cover ground Aona does not?
On endpoint security and the SOC: EDR, identity and cloud security on the Falcon sensor, Next-Gen SIEM with Charlotte AI for triage and response, AI agent runtime security through Falcon Guardian, and FedRAMP High and IRAP for government procurement, none of which Aona does. That boundary stops at the enforcement Aona provides for employee AI use: a hard block with no user override in the browser and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, real-time coaching, seven Aona-managed hosting regions and a 30-day guided trial. Choose Aona for the prompt and the upload, and verify both surfaces against your own control list during the trial.