K2 Cyber Security was a runtime application security platform that provided RASP and IAST capabilities for web applications and cloud workloads. The company developed runtime protection technology that defended against zero-day attacks with minimal false positives before being acquired by New Relic in September 2022.
Based in the United States, K2 Cyber Security focused on closing security gaps in hybrid cloud and Kubernetes-based infrastructure through runtime application protection. The company served organizations running modern application architectures requiring security without performance overhead.
What is K2 Cyber Security?
K2 Cyber Security was a web application and cloud workload protection platform that delivered comprehensive runtime application protection against zero-day attacks. The platform combined Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) and Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) to secure applications during execution.
The solution addressed critical security gaps in hybrid cloud and Kubernetes environments where traditional security tools struggled with visibility and coverage. K2’s technology monitored application behavior at runtime to detect and block attacks without relying on signature-based detection that missed zero-day exploits.
K2’s architecture enabled security teams to protect applications without requiring code changes or causing false positive alerts that disrupted business operations. The platform integrated with cloud-native environments and container orchestration to provide consistent security across dynamic infrastructure.
Key features
Runtime Application Self-Protection
K2’s RASP technology monitored application execution to detect and block attacks in real-time. The platform embedded protection within applications to analyze request processing, data flows, and execution context.
RASP capabilities identified injection attacks, authentication bypass attempts, privilege escalation, and malicious data manipulation during runtime. Protection operated with application context, distinguishing legitimate operations from malicious activity to eliminate false positives.
The runtime approach defended against zero-day vulnerabilities that signature-based security tools missed. K2 analyzed application behavior patterns rather than relying on known attack signatures, enabling protection against novel exploit techniques.
Interactive Application Security Testing
K2’s IAST capabilities performed vulnerability testing during application runtime without requiring separate testing environments or interrupting business operations. The platform instrumented applications to analyze security controls during normal execution.
IAST identified vulnerabilities including injection flaws, broken authentication, sensitive data exposure, XML external entities, broken access control, security misconfiguration, and insufficient logging. Testing validated vulnerability exploitability by observing actual application behavior.
The interactive approach eliminated false positives common in static analysis tools. K2 confirmed vulnerabilities existed and were exploitable rather than reporting theoretical issues that couldn’t be leveraged by attackers.
Cloud Workload Protection
The platform secured cloud workloads across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud with specific focus on Kubernetes and container environments. K2 protected containerized applications, microservices architectures, and serverless functions.
Cloud workload protection included runtime monitoring of container behavior, validation of container configurations, and detection of container escape attempts. The platform identified suspicious activities like unauthorized network connections, file system modifications, and privilege escalations.
Kubernetes Security
K2 provided native security for Kubernetes-based infrastructure with deep visibility into pod behavior, service communications, and cluster configurations. The platform secured Kubernetes deployments across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.
Kubernetes security features included admission control validation, runtime policy enforcement, network security monitoring, and threat detection. K2 identified misconfigurations, vulnerable images, and malicious activities within Kubernetes clusters.
Zero-Day Attack Protection
The platform’s behavioral analysis approach enabled protection against zero-day vulnerabilities without waiting for security patches or signature updates. K2 monitored application execution to identify exploitation attempts based on behavior patterns.
Zero-day protection covered web application attacks, API exploitation, supply chain attacks through vulnerable dependencies, and infrastructure-level exploits. The platform alerted security teams to suspicious activities and blocked confirmed attacks.
Agentless Architecture
K2 offered agentless deployment options that provided security visibility without installing agents on every workload. Agentless monitoring reduced operational overhead while maintaining coverage across dynamic cloud environments.
The agentless approach eliminated agent management challenges including deployment complexity, compatibility issues, performance impacts, and version updates. Organizations gained security coverage without modifying application configurations.
Acquisition by New Relic
New Relic acquired K2 Cyber Security on September 14, 2022 for approximately $14.8 million. The acquisition consideration included $4.5 million in cash and 202,752 shares of New Relic common stock with aggregate fair value of approximately $12.1 million.
The acquisition enabled New Relic to add Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) capabilities to its observability platform. K2’s technology allowed New Relic to perform vulnerability testing without code changes or interrupting normal business operations.
New Relic integrated K2’s capabilities into its Vulnerability Management offering, which became generally available in January 2023. The combined solution provided organizations with security testing powered by IAST alongside application performance monitoring and observability.
When to use K2 Cyber Security
K2 Cyber Security is no longer available as a standalone product. Organizations previously using K2 should transition to New Relic Vulnerability Management, which includes the integrated IAST and runtime protection capabilities.
New organizations should evaluate current RASP tools including New Relic’s offering.
Historical Strengths
K2 pioneered runtime application protection for cloud-native and Kubernetes environments. The platform’s zero-day protection capabilities defended against novel attacks without relying on signature updates.
IAST capabilities eliminated false positives by validating vulnerabilities during actual application execution. This approach reduced alert fatigue and enabled security teams to focus on confirmed exploitable issues.
The agentless architecture provided security coverage without deployment complexity or performance overhead. Organizations running dynamic cloud infrastructure benefited from automatic coverage as workloads scaled.
Limitations
As an acquired product, K2 Cyber Security is no longer available as a standalone offering. Organizations must work with New Relic to access the integrated vulnerability management and runtime protection features.
The platform focused on runtime protection and vulnerability detection rather than comprehensive application security. Organizations requiring code analysis should consider SAST tools or ASPM tools alongside runtime protection.
