What are the Biggest Competitors of CrowdStrike?

After last week’s CrowdStrike incident caused massive outages impacting millions of Windows users worldwide, security pros are asking what went wrong, how it happened, and how to prevent another shutdown from happening again. The incident led to mass outages that affected airlines, hospitals, and businesses. No industry was left unscathed—flights were canceled, businesses continue to lose revenue, and the fallout is still not completely resolved as Microsoft and CrowdStrike work to fix the issue.

As the saga continues to unfold, IT and cybersecurity professionals (as well as the end users and customers who were impacted) are asking important questions about how something of this magnitude could happen. To better understand what happened with CrowdStrike, let’s look at CrowdStrike’s role in the outages, its competitors, and how proper IT cybersecurity training can help prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future.

What is CrowdStrike?

CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity technology company known for its cloud-delivered endpoint protection platform. Founded in 2011, CrowdStrike provides advanced threat intelligence and threat hunting services, leveraging AI and machine learning to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats in real-time. 

CrowdStrike, which is listed on Nasdaq and the S&P 500 as CRWD, reported revenue of almost $850 million in fiscal year 2024. Reuters reported that CrowdStrike has almost 30,000 customers.

CrowdStrike’s flagship product is called Falcon. Falcon integrates a wide array of cybersecurity functionalities, such as antivirus, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and managed threat hunting.

What Caused the Recent CrowdStrike Service Disruptions?

The recent CrowdStrike service disruptions were caused by a faulty update deployed to computers running Microsoft Windows. Specifically linked to Falcon, the outage stemmed from a defect found in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts. This issue affected only Windows users, leaving Mac and Linux operating systems unaffected.

This disconnect caused problems in how back-end storage and computing systems interacted, leading to failures in downstream systems. Systems running Falcon Sensor for Windows 7.11 and above that downloaded the updated configuration were at risk of crashing.

“It’s easy to identify the system faults that came with the recent CrowdStrike patches. But what is probably being overlooked the most is the failure of the organization’s Software Development Life Cycle process,” says Erik Choron, a CBT Nuggets trainer and cybersecurity expert with over 20 years of experience. 

“Aside from the role that CrowdStrike’s software provides for system security, development of software and its following capabilities or patches should adhere to a standard for ensured reliability. This is accomplished through the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process highlighted in the CompTIA CySA+ training and reinforced by NIST SP 800-218.”

Choron continued: “Outside looking in, this crippling event most likely occurred due to complacency within the SDLC that could have been pressured by an increased demand of delivery, unverified changes to development or testing, or an unwarranted level of trust.”

The Role of CrowdStrike in the IT Landscape

Companies rely on software like CrowdStrike to safeguard their digital assets against evolving cyber threats. Falcon, like many advanced cybersecurity solutions, is designed to be designed to offer real-time threat detection, rapid incident response capabilities, and proactive threat hunting. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and frequent, these tools help protect data, maintain continuity, and preserve customer trust. 

Here are a few of Here are a few of CrowdStrike Falcon’s key features:

• Endpoint Protection: Protects devices from malware and sophisticated cyber attacks

• Threat Intelligence: Provides insights into emerging threats and trends

• Incident Response: Offers rapid identification and remediation of security incidents

• Proactive Threat Hunting: Identifies hidden threats that evade automated detection

Many of these topics are covered in CompTIA’s CySA+ certification, which prepares security professionals to proactively monitor devices and networks and detect malicious activity using up-to-date methods and tools.

The recent issue with CrowdStrike’s latest update highlights that while microservices architectures can enhance flexibility and reduce the risk of widespread failure, they are not immune to integration and compatibility challenges, especially when interacting with other complex systems.

This incident underscores the importance of rigorous compatibility testing even within flexible, microservices-based architectures.

Major Competitors of CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike is a big player in the cybersecurity world, but they aren’t alone. Several other companies offer comparable or similar services and solutions, including microservices. 

Here are some of CrowdStrike’s main competitors:

Symantec (now part of Broadcom)

Symantec, now integrated into Broadcom, is a longstanding name in the cybersecurity industry. Known for its Norton antivirus products, Symantec also provides enterprise-level cybersecurity solutions, including endpoint security, network security, and cloud security. Their extensive security suite makes it a strong competitor to CrowdStrike.

Symantec used to rely on a more traditional, all-in-one approach for its Norton antivirus products. Recently, it started using a microservices approach to make its enterprise more scalable and flexible.

Symantec Features:

• Norton Antivirus: Comprehensive antivirus protection for consumers

• Endpoint Security: Advanced protection for business endpoints

• Network Security: Secure network infrastructure

• Cloud Security: Protects cloud-based applications and data

• Architecture: Initially monolithic, moving towards microservices for enterprise solutions

McAfee

McAfee offers a wide range of cybersecurity products, including antivirus, identity theft protection, and VPN services for consumers and advanced threat defense solutions for enterprises. Its endpoint security and EDR solutions are direct competitors to CrowdStrike's offerings.

McAfee employs a hybrid approach, with some legacy systems remaining monolithic while newer services, especially in their enterprise solutions, are built using microservices to improve modularity and scalability.

McAfee Features:

• Antivirus and Identity Theft Protection: Consumer-focused security solutions

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Advanced threat detection for enterprises

• VPN Services: Secure internet browsing

• Hybrid Architecture: Mix of monolithic legacy systems and newer microservices-based enterprise solutions

Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks is known for its next-generation firewall and cloud security solutions. By acquiring companies like Demisto (for security orchestration and automation) and Evident.io (for cloud infrastructure security), it has bolstered its cybersecurity portfolio and challenged CrowdStrike in various areas.

Palo Alto Networks extensively uses microservices, especially in its cloud-based solutions and security orchestration tools. This allows for more agile development and deployment of new features.

Palo Alto Features:

• Next-Gen Firewalls: Advanced firewall protection

• Cloud Security: Comprehensive protection for cloud environments

• Security Orchestration and Automation: Streamlines security operations

• Architecture: Extensive use of microservices for agile development and deployment

If you’d like to learn more about Palo Alto, consider studying and taking the Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) certification. CBT Nuggets offers a 7-day free trial to get you started.

Cisco

Cisco offers a broad range of cybersecurity solutions, including network security, endpoint protection, and threat intelligence. Cisco's Talos threat intelligence team is one of the largest commercial threat intelligence teams in the world, making Cisco a significant competitor in the cybersecurity space.

Cisco Features:

• Next-Gen Firewalls: Advanced firewall protection

• Cloud Security: Comprehensive protection for cloud environments

• Security Orchestration and Automation: Streamlines security operations

• Architecture: Extensive use of microservices for agile development and deployment

Cisco uses both old and new architectures. Many older network security products are monolithic, but newer offerings and cloud-based solutions increasingly use microservices for better agility and integration. The CCNP Security Core (350-701 SCOR) certificationThe CCNP Security Core (350-701 SCOR) certification covers endpoint protection and dives deep into Cisco’s security offerings.

Carbon Black (VMware)

Carbon Black, now part of VMware, offers cloud-native endpoint protection and security operations. Their predictive security cloud platform provides strong EDR and threat-hunting capabilities, making them a strong alternative to CrowdStrike's Falcon platform.

Carbon Black operates with a microservices architecture, especially in their cloud-native solutions. This architecture supports their ability to quickly scale and update individual components without disrupting the entire service.

Carbon Black Features:

• Cloud-Native Endpoint Protection: Advanced security for endpoints

• Predictive Security Cloud: Robust threat detection and response

• Threat Hunting: Proactive identification of potential threats

• Architecture: Microservices-based, allowing quick scaling and updates

SentinelOne

SentinelOne is a newer player but has quickly gained a reputation with its AI-powered cybersecurity platform. They offer endpoint protection, EDR, and managed detection and response (MDR) services. SentinelOne's autonomous threat-hunting and remediation capabilities are highly regarded.

SentinelOne uses a microservices architecture, enabling rapid innovation and scalability. This approach supports their AI-driven methods and allows efficient handling of large-scale data processing and threat analysis.

SentinelOne Features:

• AI-Powered Cybersecurity: Advanced threat detection using AI

• Endpoint Protection: Comprehensive endpoint security

• Managed Detection and Response (MDR): Proactive threat management

• Architecture: Built on a microservices architecture for rapid innovation and scalability

Switching from CrowdStrike: Security Training and Next Steps

While CrowdStrike still remains a top player in the cybersecurity field despite the ongoing issues from the July 18, 2024 outages, global disruptions at this scale are sure to shake user confidence. If you’re exploring alternative solutions, there are many strong rivals to CrowdStrike. 

Big players like Palo Alto Networks and Cisco have their own compelling cybersecurity solutions. When choosing a new solution, It all comes down to confidence, cost, and comfort level. 

More training can help you get up to speed on a new solution faster. Get a free 7-day trial to explore IT cybersecurity training for certifications from Palo Alto, Cisco, and others.