Cloud security startup Upwind Security Inc. today announced it has integrated its runtime security platform with Cisco Cloud Control, the unified platform for agentic information technology operations that Cisco Systems Inc. unveiled at its Cisco Live 2026 conference.

The integration, built through the open Model Context Protocol, lets joint customers pull Upwind’s live cloud and artificial intelligence runtime context into Cisco AI Canvas, part of Cisco Cloud Control. The result gives security teams the ability to investigate cloud threats and validate real exposure inside the Cisco environment they already use, without switching tools.

Upwind argues that the speed and complexity of cloud security has shifted as environments grow more dynamic and attack surfaces spread across AI workloads and application programming interfaces. Security teams face a flood of signals but often lack the runtime context to determine what is actually exposed and exploitable. Through the integration, teams working in Cisco AI Canvas can investigate issues using live runtime activity, service relationships and identity behavior to prioritize real risk and respond faster.

The MCP-based connection allows AI agents in Cisco AI Canvas sessions to reach Upwind’s live cloud inventory, workload behavior, identity activity and validated risk signals alongside the network, observability and infrastructure context from the rest of a customer’s environment. When an alert surfaces, teams get a fuller picture of what is exposed without pivoting to a separate tool.

The change addresses a gap for shared customers. Investigations that previously required moving between Upwind and the broader operations environment now happen in one place, cutting the time teams spend correlating data across tools.

“This MCP-based integration with Cisco brings runtime security intelligence into the agentic operations workflows where critical operational decisions are already happening,” said Amiram Shachar, co-founder and chief executive of Upwind. “When security teams can act on real runtime context, what is actually running, exposed and at risk, they can move faster, close gaps sooner and better protect the business without slowing innovation.”

Cisco Cloud Control is the company’s unified platform for agentic information technology operations, extending its AgenticOps model across networking, security and observability. Upwind was selected as one of the first security platforms to integrate at launch.

The integration is available to Upwind customers as part of the company’s broader Cloud and AI Security Platform.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Upwind was founded in 2022 by Shachar and the founding team behind Spot.io, the cloud cost optimization company acquired by NetApp Inc. for $450 million in 2020. The company has raised $430 million to date, including a $250 million round in January led by Bessemer Venture Partners that valued Upwind at $1.5 billion. Other backers include Salesforce Ventures, Greylock, Cyberstarts, Leaders Fund, Craft Ventures, TCV, Alta Park, Cerca Partners, Swish Ventures and Penny Jar Capital.

Photo: Upwind