oak9

High-Level Overview

oak9 is a technology company that builds a cloud-native security automation platform designed to integrate seamlessly into software development workflows. Its product analyzes infrastructure-as-code (IaC) to identify and remediate security and compliance issues before cloud-native applications are deployed. oak9 primarily serves developers and security teams, enabling them to build secure and compliant applications by design, reducing costly remediation and audit risks. The platform accelerates development velocity while embedding security early in the software lifecycle, addressing critical gaps in cloud infrastructure security[1][2][3].

Origin Story

Founded in 2019 in Chicago, Illinois, oak9 was established by Raj Datta, Om Vyas, and Aakash Shah. The founders recognized the growing complexity and security challenges in cloud-native application development, particularly the need to automate security and compliance checks within infrastructure-as-code. Early traction came from the platform’s ability to provide out-of-the-box blueprints that ensure compliance across any cloud architecture, helping teams break down silos between infrastructure and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) functions. This approach gained momentum as cloud adoption surged and security became a critical bottleneck in development pipelines[1][5].

Core Differentiators

• Infrastructure-as-Code Focus: oak9 specializes in analyzing and securing infrastructure-as-code, allowing security to be embedded directly into the development process rather than retrofitted afterward.
• Seamless Integration: The platform integrates smoothly into existing developer workflows and CI/CD pipelines, minimizing friction and enabling security at the speed of development.
• Out-of-the-Box Blueprints: Provides a catalog of pre-built security and compliance blueprints that support multiple cloud providers and architectures, accelerating secure cloud adoption.
• Shared Visibility: Enables collaboration between development and GRC teams by providing shared visibility into cloud infrastructure security posture before deployment.
• Automation and Speed: Automatically identifies and fixes security design gaps, reducing manual effort and speeding up cloud-native application deployment[1][2][3].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

oak9 rides the wave of increasing cloud adoption and the shift toward DevSecOps, where security is integrated into development rather than treated as a separate phase. The timing is critical as organizations face growing regulatory scrutiny and sophisticated cyber threats targeting cloud infrastructure. Market forces such as the rise of infrastructure-as-code, multi-cloud environments, and the need for continuous compliance create strong demand for automated security solutions like oak9. By breaking down silos between development, security, and compliance teams, oak9 influences the broader ecosystem by promoting a culture of secure-by-design cloud application development[1][4].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Following its acquisition by Drata in May 2024, oak9 is positioned to expand its impact by combining its cloud security automation capabilities with Drata’s compliance automation platform. Future trends shaping oak9’s journey include the growing complexity of cloud environments, increasing regulatory requirements, and the continued rise of DevSecOps practices. oak9’s influence is likely to grow as organizations prioritize security automation to maintain agility without compromising compliance. The company’s focus on infrastructure-as-code security and developer-friendly automation will remain central to its evolution, helping enterprises confidently accelerate cloud-native innovation[1][3].