F5 Safeguards Applications with New Global Security Operations Center and Cloud-Based Web Application Firewall Service

New Silverline services helps enterprises counter application attacks, Zero-day vulnerabilities and other security threats more efficiently and effectively

SINGAPORE – F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) today announced two key security developments for enterprises to protect their web applications: its new global Security Operations Center (SOC) facility located at the company’s headquarters in the United States and its new cloud-delivered web application firewall (WAF) service. The SOC supports customers using the Silverline™ cloud-based application services platform by providing 24/7 access to highly specialized F5 security experts who monitor global layer 4-7 attack activities in real time. The Silverline Web Application Firewallservice provides quick web application firewall (WAF) implementation and unified, scalable policy enforcement capabilities across dynamic cloud and data center environments.

“Enterprises today face attacks of increasing sophistication and frequency, protecting applications and data is a complex and often costly challenge. As customers deploy more enterprise-grade applications and services across traditional data center and cloud environments, the need for security services has never been greater,” said Emmanuel Bonnassie, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, F5. “Effective response and mitigation requires up-to-date global intelligence that provides visibility into and context around all security threats and protection measures, given the international and constantly-changing nature of attack vectors. The team of highly specialized security researchers and analysts at the F5 SOC delivers this and helps enterprises manage a full portfolio of on-premises, cloud, and hybrid security services.” 

The latest addition to the F5 Silverline cloud-based application services platform, the new WAF offering is built on the award-winning capabilities of the company’s BIG-IP® Application Security Manager™ product. F5 seamlessly provides leading WAF services in both on-premises and subscription-based cloud offerings. The company’s versatile, easy to deploy WAF solutions let organizations confidently incorporate cloud resources while protecting apps and data from increasingly sophisticated security attacks, risks, and vulnerabilities. Silverline WAF also decreases operational expenses by outsourcing WAF policy management and compliance functions to F5’s specialized SOC resources.

“With web application security needs outpacing the number of qualified WAF experts in the industry, many organizations find themselves insufficiently protected. Silverline solutions expand F5’s fabric-based Synthesisframework to include cloud-delivered services—giving customers the benefit of F5 experts proactively looking after web application protection. This approach effectively outsources the tedium of application security policy creation and maintenance for the customer, with F5’s SOC experts available 24x7 to build, configure, and fine-tune security policies, providing internal personnel the opportunity to focus on other security and business requirements,” said Edwin Seo, Regional Security Architect, Asia Pacific, F5.

KEY BENEFITS OF THE SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER

• Streamlines Operations for Reduced Costs: F5 SOC’s services free in-house personnel and budget for other projects by removing operational burdens without sacrificing overall application security.
• Ensures 24/7 threat monitoring and responses: Support, monitoring, and security threat response from an expert team with leading-edge technology—available 365 days a year.
• Maintains up-to-date global threat intelligence: Constant monitoring of the fraud threat landscape, and analysis of security risks and attack trends threatening global enterprises. The F5 SOC receives ongoing updates from the F5 global web fraud and security customer base, as well as from reputable sources around the world. F5 then passes this information on to customers.
• Detects and Mitigates DDoS Attacks: Keep networks online during attacks with 24/7 DDoS detection and mitigation capabilities.
• Shuts down phishing sites efficiently: Stop malicious sites or drop zones in hours and before malicious campaigns are executed.
• Analyzes malware: Recognize and safeguard against sophisticated threats, including Web injection, credential grabbing, man-in-the-browser (MITB), man-in-the-middle (MITM), session hijacking, password stealers, and more.
• Easily set-up: F5 SOC services can be activated quickly to support F5® WebSafe™, F5® MobileSafe™, and DDoS Protection.

KEY BENEFITS OF SILVERLINE WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL

• Increases Speed and Effectiveness for Reliable WAF Deployments: The new WAF offering protects applications by capitalizing on F5’s leading security capabilities, demonstrated in independent performance testing from NSS Labs, to protect against advanced layer 7 attacks in a convenient, cloud-based service. In addition, F5’s WAF solutions offer automated, self-learning capabilities in a highly customizable framework that takes advantage of programmable iRules® and iApps® technologies to rapidly respond and adapt to evolving threats.
• Consolidates Security Functions for Added Peace of Mind: With its integrated Silverline offerings, F5 provides a growing number of hybrid, on-premises, and cloud-delivered application security solutions, including focused solutions around WAF, DDoS Protection, IP Intelligence, and Secure Web Gateway Services.

AVAILABILITY

The F5 Silverline SOC services and F5 Silverline WAF offering are available now. Please contact a local F5 sales officefor additional information.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• F5 Security Operations Center (SOC) Details
• F5 Silverline WAF Datasheet
• Delivering Web Application Security in the Cloud as a Service – DevCentral Blog Post
• Generational Whitehat Deficit Will Drive Silverline WAFaaS – DevCentral Blog Post
• F5 Silverline Cloud-Based Application Services Platform Details

About F5

F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) makes apps go faster, smarter, and safer for the world’s largest businesses, service providers, governments, and consumer brands. F5 delivers cloud and security solutions that enable organizations to embrace the application infrastructure they choose without sacrificing speed and control. For more information, go to f5.com. You can also follow @f5networks on Twitter or visit us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technologies.

F5 is a trademark or service mark of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

# # #

This press release may contain forward looking statements relating to future events or future financial performance that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue," or the negative of such terms or comparable terms. These statements are only predictions and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements based upon a number of factors including those identified in the company's filings with the SEC.