Secure Networking Startup Tailscale Launches Identity-Linked Governance for AI Tools and Agents
Tailscale Inc., a startup that helps enterprises establish secure network connections, today announced Aperture in open alpha mode. This innovative tool aims to offer centralized policy control and auditability for artificial intelligence agents, significantly reducing the risk of data leakage.
The Need for Governance in AI
In the fast-moving world of AI, where usage is increasing rapidly, companies face a significant challenge. Enterprise users and information technology teams often lack clarity on who or what they are engaging with. Consequently, sensitive data may be shared with third parties without proper oversight.
This shift has drastically altered compliance standards for security, necessitating new guidelines for workplace AI usage. According to a recent study by Cyberhaven, 34.8% of corporate data provided to AI tools was classified as sensitive. Further, a study by the University of Melbourne and KPMG revealed that 48% of workers were uploading sensitive company data into public AI tools.
The Compliance Crisis
This widespread behavior exposes a cultural issue within organizations that requires immediate attention. Safety-first training is essential to mitigate these risks. As Tailscale co-founder and CEO Avery Pennarun noted, “The pressure to adopt AI is forcing organizations to take risks they would never accept elsewhere.” Security teams are often compelled to approve AI deployments without adequate attribution or controls.
Aperture: A Solution for AI Governance
Aperture introduces a framework that assists teams in transitioning from experimentation to production AI workflows with identity-linked policy controls. This innovation ties AI usage to identity, enabling centralized logging and audit capabilities. As a result, companies can adopt AI focusing on security and manageability.
Tailscale collaborates with partners such as Osob, Cerbos, Apollo Research PBC, and Cribl Inc. to facilitate granular authorization and functional AI governance using existing security tools.
Supported Platforms and Accessibility
At launch, Aperture supports both hosted and self-hosted AI endpoints, integrating popular providers such as OpenAI Group PBC, Anthropic PBC, Google LLC’s Gemini, OpenRouter Inc., and Vercel Inc.. It is also compatible with widely used coding agents and frameworks, including Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.
As Cribl CEO Clint Sharp stated, “Aperture gives our developers easy access to company-approved AI models and provides clear visibility into how those models are actually being used.”
Availability and Future Pricing
Tailscale has announced that Aperture will be available at no additional cost during the alpha period across all plans, facilitating early evaluation of identity-linked AI governance for teams. Pricing details will be disclosed as Aperture approaches broader availability.
In conclusion, Tailscale’s Aperture represents a significant advancement in AI governance, addressing crucial challenges in data security and compliance as organizations increasingly integrate AI into their operations.
