The Elephant in the Room: The "Noname" Evolution

Before we get into the weeds, we have to address the biggest change in the market: Noname Security is now Akamai. If you’re looking for "Noname" as a standalone startup, those days are over. Akamai snatched them up to fill a massive gap in their portfolio. While Akamai was always the king of the "Edge" (blocking DDoS and basic SQLi), they lacked the deep, "look-back" analysis required to catch someone slowly scraping data via a Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) flaw. By folding Noname’s tech into their global network, Akamai has created a hybrid beast that combines massive scale with surgical precision.

1. Salt Security: The "Data Scientist" of API Protection

Salt Security is the pioneer that refused to be bought out, and it shows in their focus. They don’t try to be a CDN; they try to be the smartest brain in your security stack.

- The Vibe: Deeply analytical, quiet, and incredibly good at spotting "low and slow" attacks.

- Best Feature: Salt Labs & Behavioral Baselines. Salt doesn't just look for "bad" traffic; it learns what "good" looks like for your specific business logic. In 2026, they’ve doubled down on AI-to-API security, protecting against prompt injection attacks that target backend APIs.

- The Downside: It’s an "out-of-band" solution. While this means zero latency impact on your traffic, it also means it’s not the tool that physically "blocks" the request at the edge it usually tells your existing firewall or gateway to do the blocking for it.

2. Noname (now Akamai API Security): The "Post-Acquisition" Powerhouse

Now that Noname is part of the Akamai family, the value proposition has changed. It’s no longer just about "discovery"; it’s about Global Enforcement.

The Vibe: Integrated, broad, and "all-in-one."

● Best Feature: Posture Management. Noname was always the best at scanning your code repositories (GitHub/GitLab) and your cloud configs (AWS/Azure) to find APIs before they even went live. Now, with Akamai’s backing, you can take those insights and instantly deploy a "shield" across 4,000+ edge locations.

● The Downside: Integration pains. While the tech is great, users moving from the old Noname standalone version to the Akamai-integrated platform sometimes find the UI transition a bit clunky as two massive software suites merge.

3. Akamai App & API Protector: The "First Line of Defense"

This is the classic WAF (Web Application Firewall) that most enterprises already have. It’s important to distinguish this from the "Noname" tech mentioned above.

○ The Vibe: The heavy-duty gatekeeper.

○ Best Feature: DDoS and Bot Mitigation. If you are getting hammered by a massive botnet or a volumetric attack, this is the tool that keeps your site online. It’s world-class at signature-based protection.

○ The Downside: It’s "point-in-time." Traditional WAFs are notoriously bad at catching logic abuse. If an attacker uses a valid token to access someone else's data (BOLA), a standard WAF usually thinks everything is fine. That’s why you need Salt or Noname sitting behind it.

Head-to-Head: Comparison Matrix

Which One Should You Actually Buy?

I’ve spent a lot of time talking to CISOs about this, and it usually boils down to what you already have in your rack.

Go with Salt Security if...

You have a complex, fast-changing API environment where business logic is your biggest risk. If you’re building "Agentic AI" apps or FinTech platforms where a single logic flaw could cost millions, Salt’s ability to "stitch together" an attacker's timeline over days or weeks is unparalleled. It’s the "detective" of the group.

Go with Akamai (Noname) if...

You are already an Akamai customer or you need a "single pane of glass." There is an undeniable massive benefit to having your discovery, posture, and blocking all under one vendor's roof. If you have "API Sprawl" (hundreds of undocumented APIs scattered across the globe), Akamai’s reach will find them faster than anyone else.

Use Akamai App & API Protector if...

You just need to stop the "noise." This isn't an "either/or" situation. Most high-performing teams use the App & API Protector as their shield at the front door, while running Salt or Noname in the background to catch the sophisticated burglars who managed to pick the lock.

The 2026 Verdict

The "WAF vs. API Security" debate is officially dead. In 2026, you need both. The real question is whether you want a best-of-breed specialist like Salt that pushes the boundaries of AI-driven detection, or an integrated ecosystem like Akamai that offers "good enough" security with "unbeatable" scale.

If I were building a startup today? I’d start with Salt for the depth. If I were managing a Fortune 500? I’d likely lean toward the Akamai/Noname integration for the sheer ease of governance.