Exein, the global leader in runtime cybersecurity, has unveiled Photon, a preemptive runtime security solution designed for the AI-native world. Photon blocks cyberattacks at the point of execution, protecting physical AI and IoT systems, autonomous AI agents, and cloud and edge infrastructure.
Unlike traditional cybersecurity tools that detect threats after compromise — typically operating in user space and relying on cloud connectivity — Photon works directly inside the kernel. By preventing malicious instructions from executing, it eliminates attacks before they can cause damage.
This advancement creates a new category of runtime security tailored for systems that demand continuous operation and granular protection, such as industrial robotics, critical infrastructure, AI-driven platforms, and autonomous agents.
Artificial intelligence is accelerating both vulnerability discovery and exploitation. Traditional runtime security based on detection alone is becoming insufficient against machine-speed, AI-assisted attacks. Photon introduces preemptive runtime security that blocks malicious execution paths in real time, rather than reacting after an attack has begun.
Operating at the kernel level — the core of the operating system — Photon enforces protection at the most foundational layer. This approach provides precise, low-latency defense without shutting down entire processes, making it ideal for always-on physical and agentic AI environments.
Gianni Cuozzo, Founder and CEO of Exein, said: “In a future where the world is infinitely connected with humanoid robots walking among us, local LLMs powering intelligent edges, autonomous drones reshaping mobility, and billions of new autonomous systems bridging the digital and physical realms, preemptive runtime security represents the new generation of protection, built into the very DNA of every device from the ground up.
"Exein was born to make this vision a reality: transforming every connected device into a fortress of security, forging the largest decentralised immune system for digital life - cross-vendor, cross-platform, and cross-system. We stand as the first line of defence between the boundless digital world and the physical one we live in, empowering manufacturers to build inherently safe innovations and already safeguarding over 2 billion devices worldwide.”
The announcement at RSA Conference 2026 underscores the growing need for runtime security that can protect the convergence of digital and physical systems in an era of rapidly evolving threats.
About Exein
Exein is a leading runtime cybersecurity company headquartered in Rome, Italy, with operations in Germany, Taiwan and the United States. The company provides AI-powered runtime protection directly inside device software, securing more than two billion connected devices globally across critical sectors including industrial automation, automotive, energy, healthcare, semiconductors, aerospace and robotics.
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