ThreatAware launches Dimension for governed security apps

ThreatAware has launched Dimension, a workspace for building and running security applications designed to give organisations governance over internally developed tools.

The launch comes as security teams increasingly use AI coding assistants to create software for their own use, while many organisations still lack consistent approval and review processes for those applications.

Dimension is intended to let teams create customised security tools without rebuilding core operational controls each time. It includes hosting, access controls, approval processes, audit records, backups, version control and isolated tenancy, alongside single sign-on, user provisioning and permissions.

The platform is built around three components: Data, Studio and Actions. Data connects to existing systems through application programming interfaces to create a live data layer. Studio is the environment where applications are built, and Actions allows those applications to make controlled changes to live systems.

Applications can be created through an AI Composer tool that works from natural language descriptions, or through external AI coding agents connected via the Model Context Protocol. Teams can also start with an existing application from an app library and adapt it to their requirements.

When an application needs to carry out a task such as disabling a user account, opening a ticket or changing a cloud configuration, each action must be specifically configured and approved. Those actions are then logged, while applications are restricted to the data feeds and actions assigned to them.

Research findings

Alongside the launch, ThreatAware published research based on a survey of 300 UK IT security decision-makers at businesses with 1,000 to 10,000 employees. All respondents worked in organisations with an in-house security function and a security team that builds its own tools, excluding the public sector.

The survey found that 77% of respondents said their security teams had used AI coding assistants to build internal security tools in the past 12 months. At the same time, 45% said self-built tools do not go through the same review and approval process as other software, while 41% said their organisations either have no formal policy for internal security applications built with AI or do not enforce one.

Nearly seven in 10 respondents, or 69%, said tools had been delayed or abandoned because of security, governance or compliance concerns. The findings suggest companies are moving quickly to build software internally but are struggling to apply the same controls they use for other technology systems.

"AI has made it easier for organisations to build applications on the fly. But what teams often overlook is that building an application is only the first step. They need to know what data those applications can access, who is responsible for them, and that they are fully governed. Dimension gives them the freedom to build the tools they need, without compromising on governance or creating another layer of unmanaged technology," said Jon Abbott, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of ThreatAware.

ThreatAware argues that security teams often face a choice between abandoning projects during internal reviews and allowing tools to operate with limited oversight after deployment.

"What starts as an attempt to fill a tooling gap either stalls at security review or becomes another layer of unmanaged applications, leaving security teams with the same visibility and governance problems they set out to solve," Abbott said.

Product expansion

The launch expands ThreatAware's offering beyond cyber asset management and cyber hygiene software. Founded in 2018, the company says it serves more than 100 organisations across Europe and North America and is backed by investor One Peak.

Dimension is built around shared workspaces intended to support team access and ongoing maintenance through permissions and version control. The approach is designed to reduce dependence on individual developers by making it easier for teams to keep managing and adapting applications over time.

For companies under pressure to respond quickly to emerging security issues, the appeal of internal tool building has grown as AI-assisted software development has cut the time needed to create specific applications. That has enabled teams to produce dashboards, trackers and detectors tailored to their own environments, but it has also raised questions about access to sensitive data and control over automated actions.

ThreatAware argues that governance needs to sit inside the development environment rather than be added later through separate review processes. Dimension is available now.