Cybersecurity leader recognized for advancing modern application security against evolving threats

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Contrast Security, the leader in Application Detection and Response (ADR), today announced that it has been selected as the winner of the 2025 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award for Application Security Platform of the Year.

“AI is fueling more sophisticated attacks at the same time developers are using AI to push new code faster than ever. That dual shift makes runtime security essential,” said Jeff Williams, CTO and Founder of Contrast. “With web application attacks surging 180%, it’s clear legacy tools can’t keep up. Contrast unifies runtime protection, automated vulnerability detection, and developer-ready code fixes so organizations can finally defend applications where it matters most: in production.”

Traditional application security leaves organizations with blind spots; they lack application context, generate false positives, and fail to detect live attacks inside the software itself. The Contrast Runtime Security Platform takes a different approach by embedding threat sensors directly into running applications and APIs. This inside-the-application view eliminates false positives during development and blocks real attacks, including zero-day exploits, in production. As a result, Contrast helps organizations accelerate security maturity and reduce risk.

At the heart of the Contrast Runtime Security Platform is the Contrast Graph, a real-time data model built from our deep instrumentation embedded directly within running applications. By operating from within the application, Contrast delivers accurate, behavior-based attack protection to identify and block exploits in real-time. Simultaneously, this instrumentation pinpoints specific, exploitable vulnerabilities within the code. Contrast then uniquely correlates active attacks against these verified vulnerabilities, providing security teams with unparalleled clarity to prioritize genuine threats and strategically shrink the attack surface.

This recognition follows a year of growing momentum for Contrast. In addition to winning “Application Security Platform of the Year,” Contrast was named a finalist in several other prestigious cybersecurity award programs in 2025. The company is also seeing accelerated adoption across both large enterprises and fast-moving technology companies, validating runtime-powered security as the modern standard for protecting applications and APIs.

The CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award honors excellence and showcases visionaries, disruptors, and problem-solvers who are shaping the future of cybersecurity. It promotes industry growth, fuels sustained innovation, and elevates security standards globally. The 2025 nominations attracted thousands of applications from cybersecurity companies of all sizes.

For more information, visit contrastsecurity.com.

About Contrast Security

Contrast Security is the global leader in Application Detection and Response (ADR), empowering organizations to see and stop attacks on applications and APIs in real time. Contrast embeds patented threat sensors directly into the software, delivering unmatched visibility and protection. With continuous defense, Contrast uncovers hidden application-layer risks that traditional solutions miss. Contrast’s powerful Runtime Security technology equips developers, AppSec teams and SecOps with one platform that proactively protects and defends applications and APIs against evolving threats.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251009826523/en/

Source: Contrast Security