F5 Distributed Cloud Bot Defense

Agent-aware bot defense for modern applications

Identify and manage bots, agents, and humans

Malicious automation is evolving fast, driven by AI and autonomous agents that behave like real users. Distributed Cloud Bot Defense protects web apps, mobile apps, and APIs by distinguishing between humans, trusted AI agents, and harmful automation. Defend revenue and workflows without disrupting experiences.

Agent-aware detection Identify and control AI agents based on behavior and intent, not static signatures or identity claims.
Respond to emerging agentic AI strategies Ongoing real-time adjustments, incorporating behavioral models to find and mitigate malicious agentic AI.
Stay ahead of evolving threats Continuous protection eliminates constant rule tuning by automatically adjusting defenses as attacker techniques and AI behaviors change.

Identify and manage bots, agents, and humans

Stop abuse without slowing users

Traditional bot controls rely on CAPTCHA, IP reputation, and brittle rules that increase friction and still fail. F5 applies precise, real-time controls only when risk is present, protecting conversion rates and customer trust for both human and agent experiences.

Real-time enforcement Apply allow, block, rate-limit, or step-up controls exactly where abuse occurs.
Focused security that preserves user experience Implement stricter controls only for low-trust interactions, rather than hindering the entire user base.
Trusted controls enabling agentic AI commerce Risk-based controls protect AI agents, preventing automated abuse while preserving trusted interactions for seamless AI commerce.

Protect revenue and critical workflows

Bots and AI-driven automation target login, checkout, account recovery, and APIs to commit fraud, hoard inventory, and scrape data. Bot Defense stops these attacks—even when traffic appears human.

Business logic protection Detect abuse of workflows, not just technical exploits.
Protect revenue and critical workflows Stop AI-driven activity that exploits business logic, drains inventory, skews analytics, or enables fraud—even when traffic looks human.
Boost conversion rates Legitimate users bypass unnecessary checks, while risky AI-driven requests undergo appropriate scrutiny.

Built for any architecture

Delivered on the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform, Bot Defense integrates natively across hybrid, multi-cloud, and on prem environments with centralized visibility and control.

Platform-native protection Unified policies and telemetry across the F5 platform.
Centralized visibility and control Proactive insights into bot activity within the broader application ecosystem from a single management interface.
Streamlined deployment Bot defense across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-prem environments efficiently.

Product Overview

Diagram - F5 Distributed Cloud Bot Defense

Real-time protection for apps and APIs

F5 Distributed Cloud Bot Defense uses real-time behavioral analysis, client-side intelligence, and platform-wide telemetry to detect and control bots and AI agents at the application interaction layer. It continuously adapts to attacker evolution, without manual tuning, while preserving seamless digital experiences.

Web Application and API Protection (WAAP)

Enable through the F5 Distributed Cloud Platform for comprehensive WAAP security.

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BIG-IP

Easily integrate Distributed Cloud Bot Defense with BIG-IP through a native module or iApp.

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Custom architecture

Partner with F5 to deploy Distributed Cloud Bot Defense within your environment, whether on-premises, hybrid, or multi-cloud.

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Core Capabilities

Advanced, adaptive protection designed for modern automation and agentic AI threats.

Agent-aware classification

Separate humans, trusted agents, and malicious automation.

Behavioral analysis

Detect human-like bots beyond signatures.

Client-side telemetry

Defeat evasion with high-fidelity signals.

API and mobile protection

Secure modern, non-browser traffic.

Continuous adaptation

Automatically evolve defenses as threats change.

Platform Support and Integrations

Native integration with the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform provides shared intelligence, centralized policy, and consistent enforcement across all apps and APIs.

Integration with Syslog and leading SIEM systems

Security and fraud teams at top organizations use Distributed Cloud Bot Defense data and inferences for real-time threat analysis, integrating with leading SIEM systems or cloud buckets.

Deployable in the Public Cloud

To optimize performance, Distributed Cloud Bot Defense can be deployed close to your public cloud workloads through VMs or containers.

F5 platform

Native integration with the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform provides shared intelligence, centralized policy, and consistent enforcement across all apps and APIs.

Integration with Syslog and leading SIEM systems

Security and fraud teams at top organizations use Distributed Cloud Bot Defense data and inferences for real-time threat analysis, integrating with leading SIEM systems or cloud buckets.