Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityShadow LLM discovery across 8,000+ AI tools, per Lasso
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
Lasso Security
Aona vs Lasso Security
Choose Aona for employee AI security.
30-day free trialSOC 2 Type II
The verdict
The Aona advantage
Aona combines a 30-day guided trial, hard-block DLP with no user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, and supported browser and desktop protection. Lasso AI Usage Control also markets workforce discovery, blocking, masking and coaching through browser, proxy and data integrations. Compare the exact app, file output and override behavior; Lasso's public page does not specify a no-override mode or layout-preserving document output. Aona lets you evaluate its supported controls on your own devices.
About this comparison
Aona secures employees' use of AI tools on the device: the browser plugin for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and the endpoint app for Windows and macOS inspect the prompt and the upload at submit, block hard when policy says so, redact DOCX, XLSX and PDF files with the layout intact, and coach the employee in the moment. Lasso Security addresses employee AI use with AI Usage Control, one product inside a broader AI security platform that also covers AI applications and agents, delivered through a browser extension, proxy integrations and data integrations and sold through a demo or assessment. This page shows where the two differ on trial, desktop coverage, file redaction and hosting.
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.
Lasso Security: AI security platform vendor whose AI Usage Control product covers employee and agent AI use through a browser extension, proxy integrations and data integrations; demo and assessment led.
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01You want a guided evaluation on an agreed pilot group before expanding.
Aona
Aona: Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed. Lasso Security's AI Usage Control page offers Book a Demo and Get a Free Assessment, with no self-serve trial (as of September 2026). Use the evaluation to compare the selected application, input path and policy outcome.
02Employees use the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, not only the browser.
Aona
Aona's endpoint app for Windows and macOS inspects the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps with the same hard block and file redaction as the browser plugin. Lasso Security lists its deployment paths as a browser extension, proxy integrations and data integrations and names desktop agents and MCP servers among the tools it monitors; the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps are not named, so which path enforces inside those apps, and on which operating system, is not documented (as of September 2026). Ask Lasso Security for that in writing, then compare with Aona's endpoint app on the trial.
03An employee uploads a contract or spreadsheet to an AI assistant and the file must stay usable.
Aona
Aona provides layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on supported uploads and a hard block with no user override when policy requires it. Lasso describes masking sensitive prompt and upload content and blocking risky actions, but does not specify document-layout preservation or employee-override behavior on this page. Compare the same synthetic document and selected policy action.
04You need in-region hosting in the EU, UK or APAC and SIEM evidence for the security review.
Aona
Aona offers seven Aona-managed hosting regions (Australia, France, the UK, Germany, the US, Singapore and Hong Kong), holds SOC 2 Type II and streams events to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, with a REST API and HMAC-signed webhooks. Lasso Security's AI Usage Control page shows ISO and AICPA badges without report scope, names Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike as integrations, and states no hosting regions, prompt-processing location or SIEM connectors (as of September 2026). Ask Lasso Security for those in writing, then compare with the region you pick in Aona at signup.
05A risky prompt should teach the employee, not only stop them.
Run both
Both coach at the prompt: Aona shows guidance at the moment of a risky prompt in the browser and in the desktop apps, and Lasso Security describes coachable moments that mask sensitive data and show real-time guidance on what is safe to share. Aona pairs the coaching with a hard block that has no user override, EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR policy templates, and per-team violation trends that show the coaching working; Lasso Security describes plug-and-play policy templates and usage tracking by user and department, with framework packs and per-team violation trends not documented (as of September 2026).
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 | Lasso Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Shadow LLM discovery across 8,000+ AI tools, per Lasso |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | Via browser extension or proxy, scanned before reaching the model |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | Desktop agents named; ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps not named |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Desktop agents and MCP servers monitored, per Lasso |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Coachable moments with real-time guidance on what is safe |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | Plug-and-play policy templates; EU AI Act or ISO 42001 packs not documented |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | Usage tracked by user and department; per-team violation trends not documented |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Blocking described; employee-override behavior not specified |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | Prompt/upload masking described; document-layout preservation not specified |
| Runtime protection and red teaming for AI applications you build | Not included | Aona is not an LLM firewall or red-teaming product | AI Application Security and AI Red Teaming in the Lasso platform |
| Operations | |||
| Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions | Supported | Supported | Not publicly documented |
| SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks | Supported | Supported | Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike integrations named; SIEM connectors not named |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | Demo and free assessment only; no self-serve trial |
| Time to first signal | Agree during scoping | Agree during scoping | Deployment time not independently measured; demo/assessment entry |
| AI security posture management for the AI assets you host (AI-SPM) | Not included | Not included | AI Security Posture Management in the Lasso platform |
Discover
Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityVia browser extension or proxy, scanned before reaching the model
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityDesktop agents named; ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps not named
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
Lasso SecurityDesktop agents and MCP servers monitored, per Lasso
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityCoachable moments with real-time guidance on what is safe
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityPlug-and-play policy templates; EU AI Act or ISO 42001 packs not documented
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityUsage tracked by user and department; per-team violation trends not documented
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityBlocking described; employee-override behavior not specified
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityPrompt/upload masking described; document-layout preservation not specified
Runtime protection and red teaming for AI applications you build
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appAona is not an LLM firewall or red-teaming product
Lasso SecurityAI Application Security and AI Red Teaming in the Lasso platform
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityNot publicly documented
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityPalo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike integrations named; SIEM connectors not named
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Lasso SecurityDemo and free assessment only; no self-serve trial
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
Lasso SecurityDeployment time not independently measured; demo/assessment entry
AI security posture management for the AI assets you host (AI-SPM)
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
Lasso SecurityAI Security Posture Management in the Lasso platform
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
Lasso Security
- Shape
- Browser extension, proxy integrations and data integrations, per Lasso, with a SaaS console; visibility and enforcement across web and desktop agents can also be scaled through integrations with security stacks such as Palo Alto Networks or CrowdStrike (as of September 2026).
- Time to first signal
- Days
- What IT must change
- Push the extension with your device management or configure the proxy or security-stack integration, and connect the identity source for role-based permissions. Buying starts with a demo or a free assessment.
- Prerequisites
- A demo or assessment with Lasso Security (no self-serve path)
- Device management for the extension, or a proxy or security-stack integration path
- An identity source for role-based permissions
Scope, stated plainly
Know the scope. Plan with confidence.
Aona
- Coverage needs the Aona plugin or endpoint app on the device. There is no agentless or network-only mode, so personal and unmanaged devices are out of scope.
- 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.
- Aona secures employees' use of AI tools. It is not an LLM firewall, an AI-SPM tool or a red-teaming product for AI you build.
- Aona has a SOC 2 Type II examination report. No FedRAMP, IRAP or ISO 27001 today.
Lasso Security
- No self-serve trial: the AI Usage Control page's calls to action are Book a Demo and Get a Free Assessment (as of September 2026).
- Masking is described for the prompt, so it can still be sent, and file uploads are monitored; redaction inside an uploaded DOCX, XLSX or PDF with its layout intact is not claimed (as of September 2026).
- Lasso describes blocking and coaching. Its public page does not specify employee-override behavior for the selected rule; confirm that behavior in the evaluation.
- Deployment paths are a browser extension, proxy integrations and data integrations; desktop agents and MCP servers are named, the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps are not, so which path enforces inside a desktop app and on which operating system is not documented (as of September 2026).
- Hosting regions, prompt-processing location and SIEM connectors are not stated on the AI Usage Control page, whose named integrations are Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike; ISO and AICPA badges are shown without report scope (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.
Lasso Security
ISO and AICPA badges shown on the AI Usage Control page; certificate scope and report dates are not stated there. As of September 2026.
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
Lasso Security
No self-serve trial; evaluation starts with Book a Demo or Get a Free Assessment. 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.
Lasso Security
Prompts are scanned before they reach the model through the browser extension or a proxy integration, per Lasso; where that processing runs is not stated (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.
Lasso Security
Not stated on the AI Usage Control page (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.
Lasso Security
Not stated on the AI Usage Control page; a GDPR badge is shown (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.
Migrating from Lasso Security
Make the move to Aona.
Aona replaces a demo-led AI usage control evaluation with a 30-day guided trial on your own devices: push the plugin and the endpoint app with your existing deployment tooling, pick a hosting region, and see the first prompt and upload decisions during the agreed evaluation. Aona installs on the device, so it runs next to the Lasso Security extension during the trial without network changes. Compare hard-block behaviour, redacted files and the desktop apps each one covers, then move employee AI enforcement to Aona; if you build AI applications or agents, that is the Lasso Security platform's own job and it stays separate from the employee prompt and upload that Aona owns.
What you keep
- Your identity provider: Aona connects Microsoft Entra for admin SSO and user or group sync, or generic OIDC or SAML
- Your deployment tooling (Intune, Jamf or equivalent), which pushes Aona's plugin and endpoint app
- The Lasso Security platform for the AI applications and agents you build, with Aona owning the employee prompt and upload
What Aona replaces
- The demo-led evaluation, replaced by a 30-day guided trial
- Prompt masking with monitored uploads, replaced by layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction and a hard block with no user override
- Manual policy authoring, replaced by EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR templates
What you turn off
- Duplicate browser DLP extensions on the same browser once Aona owns the AI prompt
- Manual incident triage where Aona's per-team violation trends cover the reporting
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.
- Lasso AI Usage Control
Employee and agent discovery, DLP, masking, blocking and deployment options. The page does not specify employee-override behavior or document-layout preservation. Its demo-led offer is not an elapsed-time benchmark.
- Aona: coverage and deployment scope
Aona's documented client and action boundaries. A product description is not a completed compatibility test.
- Aona: SOC 2 Type II report
Report scope, observation period and request process.
Start with the trial
See Aona's hard block and file redaction on your own devices
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
FAQ
Common questions from Lasso Security customers
Do I need Aona if I already have Lasso Security?
Start with Aona's 30-day trial if your evaluation needs hard blocking without user override and usable redacted DOCX, XLSX or PDF files on supported browser and desktop paths. Lasso also markets employee AI controls, including blocking and masking. Compare the intended application, policy response and returned document before deciding whether Aona adds the controls you need.
Are Aona and Lasso Security solving the same problem?
Partly. Lasso Security's AI Usage Control addresses employee AI use, but it sits inside an AI security platform whose other products, AI application security, AI agent security, AI security posture management and red teaming, are for the AI you build. Aona is built for employee AI use and offers a 30-day guided trial, a hard block with no user override, layout-preserving file redaction, native desktop coverage for ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude, and seven hosting regions. Keep the Lasso Security platform for the AI you develop and put Aona on the employee prompt and upload.
Does Lasso Security redact files the way Aona does?
Aona redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF files on upload with the layout preserved and length-matched entity replacement, so the assistant receives a usable document without the sensitive fields. Lasso Security's AI Usage Control page describes masking or redacting PII, API keys and business data in the prompt and monitoring file uploads to AI assistants; redaction inside an uploaded document with its layout intact is not claimed (as of September 2026). Upload the same contract to both during the Aona trial and compare what the assistant receives.
How does Aona's trial compare to Lasso Security's evaluation path?
Aona offers a 30-day guided trial. Deploy the supported client with your IT tooling and test your selected prompt or file action. Lasso's public AI Usage Control page offers a demo and assessment. These are different entry points, not a measured comparison of deployment times.
Does Aona cover the desktop agents and MCP servers Lasso Security lists?
Lasso lists desktop agents and MCP servers among the tools it monitors. Aona's support is narrower and path-specific: supported Codex user-prompt requests receive policy review and the returned action is applied; supported Cursor agent-chat requests are blocked locally only when specific secret-shaped tokens are detected. Broader Cursor policy review runs asynchronously and cannot stop an in-flight message or rewrite it. This is not universal desktop-agent or MCP coverage. Confirm your app version and workflow.