Harness and Traceable Debut Unified Cloud WAAP to Redefine Application Security for the API Era
- Cyber Jack
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
In the wake of their merger, Harness and Traceable have unveiled their first major joint innovation: Traceable Cloud WAAP, a next-generation Web Application and API Protection platform designed to tackle the security challenges of today’s cloud-native, API-driven world.
Positioned as a linchpin in the companies’ shared vision of a unified, AI-powered DevSecOps platform, Traceable Cloud WAAP aims to dissolve the traditional barriers between software development, delivery, and security. The companies say the product offers “deep, context-aware protection” that not only detects threats faster but also enforces intelligent defenses without slowing down agile development pipelines.
“In a world where software changes rapidly and threats evolve just as fast, siloed tools are no longer enough," the companies said in a joint statement.
Legacy WAAPs Can’t Keep Up
Today's digital ecosystems look nothing like they did even a few years ago. APIs have exploded to make up more than 70% of internet traffic, driving an era of highly distributed, cloud-native apps that update and scale at dizzying speed. But legacy WAAP solutions, built for the monolithic architectures of the past, have lagged behind.
Old-school perimeter defenses falter when attackers exploit APIs, manipulate business logic, or masquerade as legitimate users. Traditional WAAP products, tuned for static environments and dependent on heavy manual rule updates, have become sitting ducks in an API-first world.
The consequences are severe. “Organizations are left with blind spots that attackers are quick to exploit,” Traceable noted. In their view, defending the edge alone is no longer enough—security must be deeply embedded throughout the entire application and API fabric.
A New Security Architecture for Modern Apps
Traceable Cloud WAAP is built from the ground up to protect applications that are ephemeral, distributed, and constantly evolving. It fuses four core capabilities into a unified platform:
Web Application Protection
API Security
Bot Mitigation
DDoS Defense
Where it breaks from the pack is its reliance on deep, behavioral context rather than static signatures alone. By continuously analyzing user behavior, API flows, and session activity, the platform identifies anomalies and intervenes before threats escalate.
This approach enables real-time threat detection without drowning teams in false positives. It also means that security becomes an enabler—not a bottleneck—for high-velocity software development.
Closing Visibility Gaps Others Miss
Traceable Cloud WAAP delivers an expansive toolkit designed for full-spectrum API and application defense, including:
Comprehensive API discovery through traffic analysis, encrypted flow inspection, and codebase mining
Sensitive data flow mapping with customizable risk scoring
Real-time protection with attacker fingerprinting and session attribution
Shift-left security by integrating API vulnerability testing directly into CI/CD pipelines
Deployment flexibility is another highlight. Organizations can mirror traffic out-of-band, use inline agents at key traffic points like NGINX and Kong gateways, or route through Traceable’s global POP network for managed protection. eBPF instrumentation offers even deeper, passive visibility without modifying code.
The emphasis on flexible deployment models ensures that security isn’t something bolted on after the fact—it becomes an intrinsic part of application infrastructure, wherever it resides.
Redefining Speed and Security
The launch of Traceable Cloud WAAP is more than just a product release—it’s a strategic stake in the ground for how DevSecOps should evolve.
"Speed and security shouldn’t be at odds," said the company. "Traceable Cloud WAAP eliminates bottlenecks, enabling fast, uninterrupted development—while keeping protection always on."
By aligning the priorities of engineering and security teams, Traceable hopes to close the historic gap between rapid software delivery and robust defense. Whether protecting microservices, hybrid deployments, or sprawling cloud-native architectures, the new platform aims to guard sensitive data, APIs, and users without slowing innovation.
The Bigger Picture
Traceable Cloud WAAP isn’t just a one-off project. It signals the beginning of a broader strategy where security becomes embedded across the software lifecycle, powered by AI, automation, and rich contextual awareness.
“This launch is the first major innovation since Harness and Traceable joined forces—and it reflects our shared vision for a unified, AI-powered DevSecOps platform,” the companies stated. “Together, we help teams move faster, stay aligned, and defend what matters most.”
As cyber threats grow increasingly sophisticated, and application ecosystems grow ever more dynamic, Traceable’s approach could represent a blueprint for how security must evolve in the API-driven era: faster, smarter, and deeply woven into the DNA of modern software.
