Asondy vs alternatives: which layer stops what
Four layers that catch agent mistakes at four different times. None of them covers everything, so this page compares them threat by threat.
The four layers
Asondy local gates read the exact command an agent is about to run and refuse it before it runs. Hosting branch protection (for example on GitHub) sets server-side rules on a branch: pushes and merges that break the rules are rejected after they reach the host. Pre-commit hooks (for example the pre-commit framework) scan staged file contents when a commit is made. Manual review is a person reading the diff before merge. Same threat, four different checkpoints.
What each layer stops
| Threat | Asondy gate | Branch protection | Pre-commit hook | Manual review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Push straight to the default branch | Stops: refused before it runs | Stops: the host rejects rule-breaking pushes and merges | Blind: it scans files at commit time, not pushes | Partial: sees it only if it arrives as a pull request |
| Secret typed inside a shell command | Stops: the secret gate blocks known secret shapes | Blind: the server only sees pushed content, never the command | Blind: nothing is staged, so there is nothing to scan | Blind: the command never appears in the diff |
| Destructive shell command | Stops: refused before it runs | Blind: no push or merge is involved | Blind: no file change is involved | Blind: the command never appears in the diff |
| Malicious instruction in tool output | Partial: output gates flag known injection patterns; novel phrasing can pass | Blind: output text is not a push or a merge | Blind: output text is not a staged file | Partial: a careful reviewer may spot it; a tired one may not |
When each layer runs
Pre-commit hooks run first, on staged files at commit time. Asondy gates run next, on each command at push time. Manual review reads the resulting diff. Branch protection runs last, on the host at merge time. A mistake caught early never reaches the later layers; a layer can only catch what its checkpoint can see.
Using them together
Keep repository branch protections and CI checks enabled: the repository still controls which changes can merge, and Asondy adds checks inside supported coding workflows. Add a pre-commit configuration for file hygiene. Let reviewers spend their attention on architecture instead of style and secret hunts. No layer replaces the others; each covers a surface the others cannot see.
Limits
Asondy gates see commands issued through a coding tool they are installed in; a command run outside that tool, or after the action gate is uninstalled, is not checked. Branch protection rules do not apply to repository admins unless the rule says so, and bypass lists exist for a reason. The pre-commit docs describe the SKIP variable and the commit option that skips hooks as intentional escapes. A review only covers what was pushed up for review. Pair the layers so a miss in one still meets the next.
References
- OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications, OWASP GenAI Security Project
- AI Risk Management Framework, NIST
- About protected branches, GitHub docs
- pre-commit framework, pre-commit docs