Humanix to pitch human-layer security at RSAC 2026

Humanix has been named one of the Top 10 finalists in the RSAC 2026 Conference Innovation Sandbox contest, putting the early-stage cybersecurity company in a showcase that has become a prominent launchpad for new security products.

Humanix will present its Human Threat Detection and Response platform during the Innovation Sandbox session at the RSAC 2026 Conference at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco. Finalists deliver a three-minute pitch followed by questions from the judging panel.

The Innovation Sandbox contest is widely seen as a bellwether for start-ups seeking to influence security spending and product roadmaps. RSAC reports that the Top 10 finalists over the past two decades have collectively completed more than 100 acquisitions and raised USD $17.8 billion in investment.

Each of the Top 10 finalists receives a USD $5 million investment as part of the programme. The session begins at 9:30 am PT, with the winner scheduled to be announced around midday.

Humanix positions its platform around "human-layer" security, focusing on social engineering-a common route for account takeover, fraud, and unauthorised data access. Advances in AI have increased the volume and sophistication of impersonation and manipulation, particularly in fast-paced channels such as IT service desks and customer support centres.

Human-layer focus

Humanix describes its approach as detection and response for natural-language attacks, using conversational AI models trained on cognitive psychology. It says the software can identify social engineering as it occurs across voice, chat, email, and service channels.

The platform follows four steps: mapping exposure patterns across an organisation's "human attack surface"; flagging active social engineering based on indicators such as manipulation tactics, impersonation attempts, pressure techniques, policy violations, and identity-verification failures; recommending remediation actions; and monitoring interactions for ongoing compliance with policies and procedures.

Security teams have traditionally relied on awareness training, simulated phishing, and procedural controls to address human-targeted attacks. Email security and anti-phishing tools have also focused on messages and links. Humanix is pitching a different layer of telemetry, centred on interactions and workflows that can be exploited through persuasion and impersonation.

Innovation Sandbox finalists often draw attention from large security vendors, investors, and enterprise buyers at the conference. For start-ups, the session can boost visibility during a week crowded with product launches and competitive positioning.

Cecilia Marinier, Vice President, Innovation & Scholars, RSAC, said: "Building a safer society starts with bold ideas, new technologies, and real-world solutions. This year's Top 10 RSAC Innovation Sandbox Finalists provide a preview of what real innovation looks like to help solve the vexing problems the industry is currently tackling."

Attack patterns

Humanix argues that interactive social engineering drives many high-impact incidents, including cases where an attacker persuades a help desk agent to reset multi-factor authentication or an executive-impersonation attempt triggers a breakdown in payment processes.

"Virtually every major breach in the last few years was the direct result of interactive social engineering," said Keith Stewart, Founder & CEO, Humanix.

Stewart added: "Humanix detects the manipulation, deception, and impersonation attacks behind the most impactful breaches, from help desk agents deceived to reset MFAs to executive impersonation and control failures in payment workflows. Our high-scale data processing pipeline, powered by proprietary insights and fine-tuned models trained on human psychology, enables security teams to rapidly detect and respond to these threats. At Humanix, we believe in protecting people, not blaming them with endless training."

The judging panel includes David Chen, Head of Global Technology Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley; Larry Feinsmith, Head of Global Technology Strategy, Innovation & Partnerships at JPMorganChase; Paul Kocher, Independent Researcher; Niloofar Razi, Operating Partner at Capitol Meridian Partners; and Nasrin Rezai, SVP & CISO at Verizon. Dr Hugh Thompson, RSAC Executive Chairman and Program Committee Chair of the RSAC Conference, is scheduled to host the session.

Humanix will pitch alongside nine other finalists at the RSAC 2026 Conference, with the outcome decided during the session.