Surf Raises $57M to Automate Cybersecurity Using AI Agents

Surf is a new cybersecurity start-up based in New York, that is doubling its efforts on artificial intelligence to address a challenge in the sector that is ensuring security remains robust in the enterprise systems. Surf has recently raised 57 million dollars to create AI agents in order to identify security problems and repair them as well.

Accel was the first investor in the round, indicating the extent to which investors are placing bets in the idea of so-called agentic AI, i.e. AI systems that are capable of performing actions independently. The intention is obvious: individuals believe such autonomous actors will transform the cybersecurity landscape on a large scale. The IT system and constant threats to companies are increasingly complex; thus, Surf has a point when it suggests a change to cleaning up post-attack instead of preventing them.

In 2024, Yair Grindlinger, the CEO, launched Surf. He used to work at Proofpoint. Surf is attempting to simplify the work of security teams. Security teams usually find it difficult to keep all things safe and secure themselves. This is what they desire to assist.

Surf assists the security teams in locating issues such as set up of things by inappropriate accounts that no one accesses and crucial information that is not secured. Bad individuals usually attempt to use such issues. Surf does not simply verify the issues every now and then. It takes the computer programs to have eyes on the systems at all times. These programs identify issues and correct on their own.

According to CEO Yair Grindlinger, Surf intends to assist large companies in adopting intelligence to cover all the security programs. Surf begins by assisting in the security work and it is concerned about security hygiene.

The software used in the company organises security operations and delegates tasks to dedicated AI agents capable of causing actions or suggesting remediation procedures according to the established policies. The system ranks issues based on various parameters which include the criticality of assets, permissions and business ownership after which operational tasks are implemented or suggested which could include disabling idle accounts, dealing with certificate management problems or modifying access controls.

Humans are not out of the loop, and they are in charge of oversight and approvals with the platform monitoring the activity such that work can proceed without having to restart analysis and re-create the task context.

The product offered by Surf AI is aimed at organisations that run significant volumes of software-as-a-service applications, identity systems and cloud services, in which the security duties are frequently shared among various departments inside the company. At these settings, the platform is used as an implementation layer that bridges the gaps existing between what is found by the available security tools and operational processes that need to be undertaken to respond to the findings.

Some of the tasks that the platform has undertaken during early deployments include; minimizing unused software licences, imposing identity governance policies and addressing configuration risks resulting in dormant orphaned accounts.

Accel Partners LP, Cyberstarts and Boldstart Ventures were among the lead investors in the combined seed and Series A funding rounds.

According to Phillipe Botteri, a partner at Accel, “AI is exponentially accelerating the pace and level of attackers and security teams must have fundamentally new operating models to keep pace.” The Surf AI team is developing an agentic platform that will help both to dramatically increase the productivity of security teams and help the organisation to be resilient to this new threat environment.