F5 and CrowdStrike have officially unveiled a groundbreaking strategic technology alliance designed to revolutionize enterprise cybersecurity. Through this partnership, both companies are introducing a first-of-its-kind integration that embeds CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor directly into F5 BIG-IP, significantly strengthening workload security at the network perimeter. With this move, enterprises can now leverage CrowdStrike Falcon Adversary OverWatch, a managed threat-hunting service that delivers real-time, AI-powered protection where critical application and API traffic converge.

Extending Security Beyond the Endpoint

Traditionally, cybersecurity has focused primarily on endpoint protection, with organizations relying on endpoint detection and response (EDR) software to secure devices such as laptops, desktops, and mobile phones. These endpoints serve as entry points for users accessing corporate networks and, consequently, are prime targets for attackers. However, modern cyber threats have evolved. Attackers no longer stop at compromising an endpoint they now target the broader network infrastructure, seeking weaknesses across multiple domains.

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Recognizing this growing challenge, F5 and CrowdStrike are working to extend detection and response capabilities beyond the endpoint, ensuring unified visibility and defense across all attack surfaces.

“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.”

Adding to this, François Locoh-Donou, President and CEO of F5, emphasized the critical importance of strengthening network-level protection. “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,” he said. “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), this collaboration brings AI-driven detection and proactive threat hunting to the network edge. Already, more than 200 customers have adopted Falcon for BIG-IP, enabling faster response times and reducing visibility gaps across their infrastructure.

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Complimentary Access for F5 Customers

To accelerate adoption, CrowdStrike Falcon and OverWatch for F5 BIG-IP are now available for BIG-IP Virtual Edition (VE), with support for BIG-IP hardware systems expected by the end of this year. Furthermore, F5 is offering eligible BIG-IP customers complimentary access through October 14, 2026, allowing enterprises to experience AI-native security and real-time threat hunting without any upfront investment.

With this strategic partnership, F5 and CrowdStrike are not only advancing adaptive security but also setting a new industry benchmark for AI-driven, integrated defense at the network perimeter empowering organizations to protect their most critical workloads with greater precision and agility.

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