Most teams discover AI risks during a post-incident audit, not from routine CSPM dashboards. Working across different tech companies, we have seen AI projects quietly expand with model endpoints exposed, SAS tokens committed to repos, and copilot plug-ins granted broad OAuth scopes. The risk is measurable, not hypothetical - the average breach hit $4.88M in 2024 per IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report. Our take: AI-SPM pays for itself when it prevents one misconfiguration from turning into exfiltration or model tampering.
The CSPM market was forecast to reach $3.32B by 2027, according to Gartner's worldwide CSPM forecast. This guide covers four platforms that consistently delivered AI asset discovery, policy controls, and remediation depth. In minutes, you will learn where each shines, how they differ, and concrete pricing signals from marketplaces so you can budget without guesswork.
CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (AI-SPM)
CrowdStrike extends its CNAPP with AI-SPM to inventory AI services, models, and packages and to scan for misconfigurations across multi-cloud. Per vendor documentation, it also adds shadow AI detection and AI model scanning.
- Best for: Enterprises standardizing on a single Falcon platform for endpoints, identity, data, cloud, and AI.
- Key Features: Agentless AI asset discovery and AI-BOM, shadow AI detection, AI model scanning, posture checks with guided remediation, integration with identity protection for least-privilege on human and machine identities.
- Why we like it: Unified with Falcon data and detections, so AI risks show up in the same workflows as cloud and identity issues, which speeds response.
- Notable Limitations: Reviewers cite premium pricing, a learning curve in navigation, and occasional alert noise on low-risk findings, per recent G2 reviews for Falcon Cloud Security.
- Pricing: Pay-as-you-go options exist in AWS Marketplace, for example host protection listed at $0.023 per hour and container worker nodes at $0.054 per hour on the CrowdStrike listing. Larger bundles are typically custom quotes.
Tenable Cloud Security (AI-SPM)
Tenable added AI-SPM to its cloud platform to discover AI resources and training data across multi-cloud and to analyze risk with least-privilege governance. According to vendor documentation, it extends exposure management into AI pipelines.
- Best for: Security teams that want AI posture embedded in exposure management plus CIEM and DSPM style checks.
- Key Features: AI resource and data discovery, misconfiguration and policy violation detection, least-privilege recommendations, compliance reporting, CI/CD and IaC checks aligned with AI use.
- Why we like it: Clear path for teams already on Tenable to fold AI resources into existing risk workflows, reducing tool sprawl.
- Notable Limitations: Users report initial setup complexity, tuning required to reduce noise, and pricing concerns for smaller teams, based on G2 reviews for Tenable Cloud Security.
- Pricing: Pricing not publicly available. Contact Tenable for a custom quote. Tenable confirms asset-based pricing for Cloud Security on its pricing page, though specific AI-SPM rates are request-only, see Tenable Cloud Security pricing overview.
Wiz AI-SPM and DSPM for AI
Wiz embeds AI-SPM across its graph to discover AI services and agents, flag misconfigurations, and connect risks to data paths. The company expanded coverage to AI agents and Model Context Protocol usage, as reported by CRN's 2025 roundup.
- Best for: Teams that want agentless cloud discovery with AI-BOM and strong attack path context that links AI assets, identities, and data.
- Key Features: AI-BOM, misconfiguration checks for AI services and agents, MCP usage discovery, unified risk graph that ties AI posture to data access paths, DSPM-AI context and integrations.
- Why we like it: Fast onboarding and rich context help engineering teams self-remediate, a benefit echoed in recent Wiz G2 reviews.
- Notable Limitations: Reviews mention a learning curve from data depth and potential cost barriers for smaller orgs. Also note acquisition uncertainty - Google's $32B agreement to acquire Wiz is under regulatory review with an EU decision expected by February 10, 2026, per TechRadar Pro and initial deal announcement covered by the Financial Times.
- Pricing: Public AWS Marketplace SKUs list examples such as "Wiz Essential, protect 100 workloads, $24,000 per year," and "Wiz Advanced, protect 100 workloads, $38,000 per year," on the Wiz AWS Marketplace listing. Private offers and larger tiers are negotiated.
PointGuard AI (AI-SPM)
PointGuard AI, formerly AppSOC, focuses on AI posture in MLOps environments, with discovery, misconfiguration detection, access controls, and automated remediation. According to vendor documentation, it integrates with Databricks, AWS, Azure, and Vertex AI.
- Best for: Teams with active MLOps stacks that need AI-specific posture checks, model governance, and policy guardrails for agents.
- Key Features: Continuous AI asset discovery, AI-SPM across models and pipelines, access policy enforcement, automated remediation workflows, runtime defenses and model testing.
- Why we like it: Purpose-built for AI pipelines and agent governance, helpful when development is moving faster than central security.
- Notable Limitations: Limited public third-party reviews and references compared with larger CNAPPs, though it appears on Gartner Peer Insights with a small review count and positive ratings, see PointGuard AI on Gartner Peer Insights. Pricing transparency is limited for buyers who prefer marketplace procurement.
- Pricing: Pricing not publicly available. Contact PointGuard AI for a custom quote.
AI-SPM Tools Comparison: Quick Overview
| Tool | Best For | Pricing Model | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security | Large enterprises consolidating endpoint, identity, cloud, and AI posture | Pay-as-you-go options on AWS Marketplace plus enterprise contracts, no public free tier | Shadow AI detection, AI model scanning, unified Falcon workflows |
| Tenable Cloud Security | Exposure management teams adding AI resources and data | Custom quote, no public free tier | AI-SPM added to exposure workflows and CIEM |
| Wiz AI-SPM & DSPM for AI | Fast agentless discovery and graph context linking AI to data paths | AWS Marketplace contracts and private offers, free sensor SKU for runtime component | AI agents and MCP coverage, AI-BOM |
| PointGuard AI | MLOps-heavy teams needing AI-centric posture and guardrails | Custom quote, free tier not listed | AI pipelines and agent governance focus, limited public reviews |
AI-SPM Platform Comparison: Key Features at a Glance
| Tool | AI Asset Discovery | AI-BOM / Shadow AI | Data Path Context | Automated Remediation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike | Yes | Yes / Yes | Integrated with identity and data modules | Yes |
| Tenable | Yes | Emerging via AI-SPM + DSPM / Policy controls | Risk analysis across multi-cloud | Yes |
| Wiz | Yes | Yes / Yes | Strong graph correlation | Yes |
| PointGuard AI | Yes | Yes / Focus on MLOps and agents | Links models, data, and pipelines | Yes |
AI-SPM Deployment Options
| Tool | Cloud API | On-Prem/Air-Gapped | Integration Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike | Yes | Not public / Not public | Moderate per user feedback |
| Tenable | Yes | Primarily SaaS / Not public | Moderate, setup can be complex |
| Wiz | Yes | SaaS / Not public | Quick onboarding noted by users |
| PointGuard AI | Yes | Not public / Not public | Depends on MLOps stack, limited third-party implementation data |
AI-SPM Strategic Decision Framework
| Critical Question | Why It Matters | What to Evaluate | Red Flags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can it find shadow AI and risky MCP or plug-in usage? | Unsanctioned AI drives policy violations and data exposure | Discovery across SaaS AI, agents, MCP, APIs | No coverage for agents or third-party plug-ins |
| Does it map AI risks to sensitive data paths? | Multi-cloud data exposures raise breach costs and time to contain | DSPM-AI context, attack path analysis | Posture checks that ignore data lineage |
| How fast can we go from finding to fix? | Remediation speed reduces dwell time and cost | Auto-tickets, code fixes, policy baselines | Findings without fix guidance or ownership |
| Procurement and pricing fit? | Marketplace options can speed purchase and savings | Public SKUs, private offers, PAYG for pilots | No pricing signal, long bespoke cycles only |
AI-SPM Solutions Comparison: Pricing and Capabilities Overview
| Organization Size | Recommended Setup | Monthly Cost | Annual Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup, <200 workloads | Wiz Essential for 100 workloads pilot or PAYG CrowdStrike for targeted hosts | Wiz example about $2,000 per 100 workloads, CrowdStrike host PAYG about $16.56 per host per month | $24,000 for Wiz example SKU, PAYG varies for CrowdStrike |
| Mid-market, 200-1,000 workloads | Tenable Cloud Security or Wiz Advanced, compare private offers | Not publicly listed, Tenable quotes are custom | Custom |
| Enterprise, >1,000 workloads | CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security or Wiz with private offers, add DSPM-AI | Custom, leverage AWS Marketplace private offers | Custom |
Problems and Solutions
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Problem: Shadow AI and policy violations explode as staff use personal AI tools. A 2026 Netskope report shows a surge to an average of 223 GenAI-related policy violations per month and heavy unsanctioned use, summarized by TechRadar Pro.
- How tools help:
- CrowdStrike, per vendor documentation, adds shadow AI detection tied to cloud and identity.
- Tenable's AI-SPM extends exposure management to enterprise AI platforms, per its 2025 announcement covered in Tenable's press room.
- Wiz flags AI agents and MCP usage and links risks to data access paths.
- PointGuard AI focuses on AI asset discovery and agent guardrails in MLOps, with limited third-party validation beyond a small set of Gartner Peer Insights reviews.
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Problem: Misconfigured storage and SAS tokens leak AI research data. Microsoft's 38TB leak stemmed from an overly permissive SAS token, as reported by TechCrunch.
- How tools help:
- CrowdStrike and Tenable include posture checks for storage and keys, with guided remediation for misconfigurations.
- Wiz's discovery and graph can trace from exposed storage to models and identities to prioritize fixes, a method referenced in its research and covered by Fortune's analysis of the Microsoft incident.
- PointGuard AI scans AI pipelines for insecure endpoints, exposed datasets, and risky libraries per vendor documentation.
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Problem: AI project data exposures and secrets in code or repos. Wiz disclosed a DeepSeek data exposure that included keys and prompts, covered by Reuters.
- How tools help:
- CrowdStrike's AI model scanning and shadow AI detection can surface unmanaged AI assets in cloud accounts.
- Tenable's DSPM and AI-SPM identify sensitive data, risky entitlements, and policy violations around AI resources.
- Wiz correlates leaked secrets and public exposure to reachable AI services and data paths for fast triage.
- PointGuard AI enforces access controls and flags unauthorized changes in AI environments per vendor documentation.
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Problem: Multi-environment data and shadow data inflate breach cost and time to contain. IBM found 40 percent of breaches span multiple environments and more than one third involve shadow data, pushing the global average breach to $4.88M.
- How tools help:
- All four products bring AI posture into broader cloud and data views so teams can find and fix toxic combinations faster. That alignment with data reality is the differentiator in AI-SPM.
Bottom Line
AI risk is already showing up in incident data. IBM reports that multi-environment and shadow data breaches are driving costs higher and stretching response timelines, which aligns with what teams feel on the ground, see IBM's breach findings. If you are all-in on Falcon, CrowdStrike's AI-SPM centralizes AI posture next to cloud and identity. If your program runs on exposure management, Tenable adds AI resources and training data into that lens. If you need fast discovery and rich context, Wiz's AI-SPM plus DSPM-AI are strong candidates, with transparent AWS Marketplace pricing examples. If your main pain is MLOps governance with agents and MCP, PointGuard AI deserves a pilot, though you should weigh its limited public references.
One pragmatic next step: pilot where you can buy quickly. AWS Marketplace pricing for CrowdStrike and Wiz gives you a real budget handle today. Then pressure test each tool against your top AI risks before you roll out at scale.
