F5 and CrowdStrike Strengthen Web Traffic Security With Falcon for F5 BIG-IP

F5 and CrowdStrike announced a new strategic technology alliance and first-of-its-kind integration that brings advanced workload security to F5 BIG-IP. By enabling F5 customers to embed CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor directly into F5 BIG-IP and leverage CrowdStrike Falcon Adversary OverWatch managed threat hunting service, the companies are advancing adaptive, AI-driven security to the network perimeter where enterprises front their most critical application and API traffic.

For years, the cybersecurity paradigm has centered on the edge as the primary battleground. Organizations rightly focused on securing laptops, desktops, and mobile devices with endpoint detection and response software. This is crucial because these are the gateways through which users interact with corporate data and where many initial intrusions occur. However, attackers don't stop at a compromised laptop; they see the entire network infrastructure as a sprawling set of cross-domain targets. To stop modern attacks, organizations need protection that extends beyond the endpoint – unifying visibility and defense across every domain that adversaries target.

“Today’s threat landscape demands taking the power of the Falcon platform beyond the endpoint,” said George Kurtz, CEO and founder of CrowdStrike. “We’re taking a bold step to move cybersecurity forward: normalizing the deployment of detection and response sensors across every attack surface, including network appliances. We’re pleased to take the first step by embedding CrowdStrike Falcon and OverWatch onto F5 BIG-IP. The Falcon platform has become essential for securing the modern enterprise.”

“For too long, network devices have lacked the same protection as other endpoints, even as they sit in front of the world’s most critical applications and APIs,” said François Locoh-Donou, President and CEO of F5. “The security incident we recently disclosed underscores how important it is to close this gap and continue raising the security bar across the industry. Delivered on the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP), CrowdStrike Falcon and OverWatch for BIG-IP brings AI-driven detection and threat hunting to the network edge. With over 200 customers already using Falcon for BIG-IP in their networks, our collaboration with CrowdStrike is enabling security teams to reduce blind spots and accelerate response times in their environments.”

CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor and Overwatch Threat Hunting are available for BIG-IP Virtual Edition with availability on BIG-IP hardware systems by the end of the calendar year. F5 is providing eligible BIG-IP customers with complimentary access through October 14, 2026, to enable the immediate adoption of AI-native security and threat hunting at the network level without upfront costs. Interested F5 BIG-IP customers can view the Knowledge Base article or contact F5 for further information and assistance with onboarding.

Source: F5 and CrowdStrike media announcement