Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
LayerXDiscovers AI applications, browsers, desktop tools and agents, per Akamai
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
LayerX · Akamai
Aona vs LayerX
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, a 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, and seven Aona-managed hosting regions. LayerX, now Akamai Workforce Protector, is a browser-security platform for AI, SaaS and web activity delivered as a browser extension; it claims controls across desktop applications too, but the components Akamai documents are a browser extension, a management console and cloud intelligence, so the mechanism that enforces inside a desktop app is not documented, and it offers no self-serve trial, only a scheduled demo, as of September 2026.
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. LayerX, now Akamai Workforce Protector after Akamai completed its acquisition on 2 July 2026, is a browser-security platform: a browser extension with a management console, covering AI, SaaS and web activity and sold through a demo. 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.
LayerX: Browser-security platform, now Akamai Workforce Protector: a browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari with a management console and cloud intelligence, covering AI, SaaS and web activity; demo-led.
What the Akamai acquisition changesAcquisition facts verified July 2026; product naming re-checked September 2026
Akamai announced its intent to acquire LayerX on 15 May 2026 for approximately USD 205 million, and completed the acquisition on 2 July 2026.
Akamai has said LayerX advances its workforce security strategy with AI usage control and secure enterprise browser technology inside its zero trust portfolio.
As of September 2026, Akamai's product page is titled Akamai Workforce Protector (formerly LayerX) and answers the question of what happened to LayerX with: LayerX is now Akamai Workforce Protector.
Questions worth asking before you commit
- Will LayerX stay available standalone, or move into Akamai zero trust portfolio packaging and licensing at renewal?
- What happens to support SLAs, your account team, and response times while the integration is underway?
- How will the browser-security and GenAI DLP roadmap be prioritised inside Akamai's wider platform agenda?
Where Aona stands
Aona is independent and purpose-built for Workforce AI Security, with seven Aona-managed hosting regions (AU, FR, UK, DE, US, SG, HK) and a 30-day guided trial, so you can evaluate it on your own devices while those questions get answered.
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01You want to evaluate this quarter without a demo-led sales cycle.
Aona
Aona starts with a 30-day guided trial: IT pushes the plugin and the endpoint app with its existing deployment tooling and the first signal arrives during the agreed evaluation. The Akamai Workforce Protector product page offers no self-serve trial and routes to a scheduled demo (as of September 2026). Confirm Aona’s deployment requirements before arranging the pilot.
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. Akamai claims controls across AI, SaaS, web and desktop applications, but the components it documents are a browser extension, a management console and cloud intelligence; no endpoint agent is named, so the component that enforces inside a desktop app is not documented (as of September 2026). Ask Akamai which component enforces in those apps and on which operating systems, then compare it 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 redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF files in place on upload, with the layout preserved and length-matched entity replacement, and hard-blocks with no user override when the policy says so. Akamai describes adaptive controls that warn, redact, block or guide on text input, copy and paste, uploads and downloads; redaction inside an uploaded document with its layout intact, and a block the employee cannot override, are not documented (as of September 2026). Upload the same document to both during the Aona trial and compare what the assistant receives.
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. The Akamai Workforce Protector product page lists SIEM platforms as an integration without naming vendors and states no certifications, hosting regions or prompt-processing locations for the product (as of September 2026). Ask Akamai 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 act in the moment: Aona shows guidance at the moment of a risky prompt in the browser and in the desktop apps, and Akamai's adaptive controls warn, redact, block or guide user actions based on context and risk in the browser. 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; template packs and per-team trends are not documented for Workforce Protector (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 | LayerX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Discovers AI applications, browsers, desktop tools and agents, per Akamai |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | Prompts and responses controlled in the browser extension |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | Desktop coverage claimed; enforcement component for desktop apps not documented |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Agent actions governed in the browser; endpoint MCP inspection not documented |
| Browser-extension inventory, risk scoring and blocking | Not included | Not included | Risk database blocks malicious or overprivileged plug-ins, per Akamai |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Warn or guide user actions based on context and risk |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | Not publicly documented |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | Console visibility, investigations and reporting; per-team trends not documented |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Warn, redact, block or guide; no-override mode not documented |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | Redact action on interactions; in-place document redaction not claimed |
| Web and SaaS DLP outside AI tools (uploads to personal drives, external sites) | Not included | Aona's control point is the AI prompt and upload | Text input, copy and paste, uploads and downloads across SaaS and web |
| 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 | SIEM platforms listed as integrations; vendors and schema not named |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | Demo-led; no self-serve trial |
| Time to first signal | Agree during scoping | Agree during scoping | Days to weeks |
Discover
Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXPrompts and responses controlled in the browser extension
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
LayerXDesktop coverage claimed; enforcement component for desktop apps not documented
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
LayerXAgent actions governed in the browser; endpoint MCP inspection not documented
Browser-extension inventory, risk scoring and blocking
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
LayerXRisk database blocks malicious or overprivileged plug-ins, per Akamai
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXWarn or guide user actions based on context and risk
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXNot publicly documented
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXConsole visibility, investigations and reporting; per-team trends not documented
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXWarn, redact, block or guide; no-override mode not documented
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXRedact action on interactions; in-place document redaction not claimed
Web and SaaS DLP outside AI tools (uploads to personal drives, external sites)
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appAona's control point is the AI prompt and upload
LayerXText input, copy and paste, uploads and downloads across SaaS and web
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXNot publicly documented
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXSIEM platforms listed as integrations; vendors and schema not named
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
LayerXDemo-led; no self-serve trial
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
LayerXDays to weeks
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
LayerX
- Shape
- Browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, a SaaS management console and a cloud intelligence service. Akamai says it deploys without proxies, network redesign or browser replacement; no endpoint agent is named on the product page (as of September 2026).
- Time to first signal
- Days
- What IT must change
- Push the extension with your device management and connect the identity provider; Akamai lists IAM, SIEM, file-labelling, ticketing and MDM systems as integrations. Buying starts with a scheduled demo.
- Prerequisites
- A demo-led contract with Akamai (no self-serve path)
- Device management to push the browser extension
- Identity provider for SSO
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.
- Microsoft Entra is the production identity path, with general OIDC and SAML. No native Okta connector or SCIM provisioning today.
- Aona secures employees' AI use. It is not a general web or SaaS DLP and does not inventory or block browser extensions.
LayerX
- No self-serve trial: the Akamai Workforce Protector product page routes to a scheduled demo (as of September 2026).
- Desktop coverage is claimed across AI, SaaS, web and desktop applications, but the components documented are a browser extension, a management console and cloud intelligence; the component that enforces inside a desktop app such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude desktop is not documented (as of September 2026).
- The actions described are warn, redact, block or guide; a block the employee cannot override and layout-preserving redaction inside an uploaded DOCX, XLSX or PDF are not documented, so confirm the override behaviour of each policy (as of September 2026).
- AI policy templates for EU AI Act or ISO 42001 and per-team violation trends are not documented; the console is described as centralising policy, visibility, investigations and reporting (as of September 2026).
- Certifications, hosting regions and prompt-processing locations for the product are not stated on the product page, and SIEM platforms are listed as integrations without vendors named (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.
LayerX
Not stated on the Akamai Workforce Protector product page (as of September 2026).
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
LayerX
No self-serve trial; the product page routes to a scheduled demo. 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.
LayerX
LayerX documents an in-browser analysis engine, with risk alerts sent to its cloud console. Full processing locations are not publicly documented (as of July 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.
LayerX
Not stated on the product 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.
LayerX
Not stated on the product page (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 LayerX
Make the move to Aona.
Aona replaces a demo-led browser-security 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. Both products install on the device, so Aona runs next to the LayerX extension during the trial without network changes. Compare hard-block behaviour, redacted files and the desktop apps each one covers, then move AI enforcement to Aona and scope the LayerX extension to its own job, web and SaaS DLP and extension control, with Aona owning the AI prompt and upload.
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 LayerX extension for web and SaaS DLP and browser-extension control, with Aona owning the AI prompt and upload
What Aona replaces
- The demo-led evaluation, replaced by a 30-day guided trial
- Browser-only AI enforcement, replaced by one hard block and one file redaction across the browser and the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps
- Manual policy authoring, replaced by EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR templates
What you turn off
- The LayerX GenAI DLP policies 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.
- Akamai Workforce Protector
Product reference: Current interaction-security product from the LayerX lineage. 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.
Start with the trial
See Aona's hard block and desktop coverage 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 LayerX customers
Do I need Aona if I already have LayerX?
Yes, if the policy has to hold in the desktop apps and on the file as well as in the browser. Aona's endpoint app covers the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps on Windows and macOS with the same hard block, no user override, and redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF uploads in place with the layout intact; LayerX, now Akamai Workforce Protector, documents a browser extension, a management console and cloud intelligence, and the component that enforces inside a desktop app is not documented (as of September 2026). Aona also lets you choose one of seven hosting regions and streams to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF. Run the 30-day trial next to LayerX on the same devices and compare the decisions.
Are Aona and LayerX solving the same problem?
Partly. Both control employees' AI prompts in the browser. LayerX is a browser-security platform whose scope is the whole browser: web and SaaS DLP, browser-extension control and identity protection, with AI as one channel. 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 LayerX for the browser surfaces it is built for and put Aona on the AI prompt and upload.
Does LayerX 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. Akamai describes adaptive controls that warn, redact, block or guide on text input, copy and paste, uploads and downloads; redaction inside an uploaded document with its layout intact is not documented for LayerX (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 LayerX's evaluation path?
Aona starts with a 30-day guided trial: IT pushes the plugin and the endpoint app with its existing deployment tooling, you pick a hosting region at signup, and the first prompt and upload decisions arrive during the agreed evaluation. LayerX, now Akamai Workforce Protector, offers no self-serve trial; the product page routes to a scheduled demo, so the evaluation starts once that demo is on the calendar (as of September 2026).
What does the Akamai acquisition mean for LayerX buyers?
Akamai announced its intent to acquire LayerX on 15 May 2026 for approximately USD 205 million and completed the deal on 2 July 2026; Akamai's product page now titles the product Akamai Workforce Protector (formerly LayerX) and positions it inside Akamai's security portfolio. The questions to ask are about standalone packaging, support continuity and roadmap priorities inside a larger platform. Aona is an independent Workforce AI Security platform with a 30-day guided trial, so you can evaluate it on your own devices while those answers arrive. Acquisition facts verified July 2026; product naming re-checked September 2026.