Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cloud
    • IT Management
    • Networking

    F5 Acquires Threat Stack, Continuing Its Transition to a Security Company

    F5’s latest acquisition addresses the security concerns of an app-first world.

    Written by

    Zeus Kerravala
    Published September 21, 2021
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      F5 has announced an agreement to acquire Boston-based Threat Stack for $68M. The purchase of Threat Stack is F5’s fourth acquisition in the past two years as the company is looking to transform from a hardware-centric network vendor to software and cloud company that provides network and security solutions.

      In 2019, the company made its first major move when it purchased NGINX for $670M. This gave F5 an open source platform with high appeal to developers. In 2020, F5 dropped a billion to acquire Shape Security, a provider of AI-based bot detection. This, combined with Silverline, solidified F5’s position as a security vendor, compared to a network vendor that also sells security.

      Earlier this year, the company purchased Volterra, a vendor that provides edge and API level network and security services, enabling F5 to compete in the emerging distributed cloud market.

      Threat Stack adds to F5’s app security portfolio

      While not carrying nearly the price tag as some of the other acquisitions, Threat Stack is an excellent acquisition, as it strengthens F5’s position in application security. The majority of F5’s security products are network-centric. And that’s certainly important, but modernized applications are built on the concept of a distributed cloud where app components scattered across clouds and edges communicate with one another across the network.

      A good way to think about the problem is to consider how a road system can be protected by checking cars at the on-ramps but can’t protect against a drone dropping bombs. Similarly, network security can protect the transport, but more and more, threat actors are attacking applications and APIs.

      In the near term, Threat Stack’s capabilities add to the observability F5’s platform has in containers and cloud native services. Customers can use the product to monitor and then act quickly to remediate issues and ensure compliance regardless of where the app or app components are deployed. The rise of containers and micro services creates significantly more agility for organizations, but the distributed and dynamic nature of cloud native environments requires something other than WAFs and firewalls.

      Automated insights and remediation coming to F5 customers

      Looking ahead, Threat Stack’s risk identification and real-time threat detection, combined with F5’s current app insights and controls will enable the vendor to better automate insights, threat detection and mitigation capabilities. A good way to think about this is F5 can deliver XDR at the application layer, where most XDR solutions operate at the network level. The automated remediation is key as lots of vendors can find a breach but are weak in the areas of response.

      F5 speaks applications and networking

      While F5 is best known as a network vendor, it’s always had strength in applications, which is why its managed to keep much bigger network vendors, such as Cisco and Juniper, at bay. I’ve often referred to F5 as the “Rosetta Stone” of IT as it can talk the language of apps and networking and translate between the two. It’s used this expertise to optimize application performance but now can use it for security purposes.

      Acquisition a financial coup for F5

      The $68M price tag for Threat Stack appears to be a steal as it has amassed about $70M in funding in six rounds. The start-up touts its strength in the areas of hybrid cloud, containers and edge computing and it might seem a strange time to sell, particularly at this low valuation, given the world is on the verge of everything going cloud native.

      I believe Threat Stack has good technology but it’s getting harder for point products to succeed in security. Security professionals are starting to understand that a collection of best of breed point products leads to sub-optimal threat protection, which is why the concept of the security platform has finally taken hold. Evidence of this is the success Fortinet and Palo Alto are having – the two vendors most vocal about the benefits of the platform. F5 has been building its own platform and Threat Stack brings app visibility into it.

      The shift to platform will continue to put pressure on the smaller niche vendors like Threat Stack, as they can’t provide enough value on their own. Some may go on their own acquisition spree but I’m expecting to see more M&A activity from the bigger security vendors over the next couple of years.

      Zeus Kerravala
      Zeus Kerravala
      https://zkresearch.com/
      Zeus Kerravala is an eWEEK regular contributor and the founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. He spent 10 years at Yankee Group and prior to that held a number of corporate IT positions. Kerravala is considered one of the top 10 IT analysts in the world by Apollo Research, which evaluated 3,960 technology analysts and their individual press coverage metrics.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.