What is CrowdStrike Falcon?
CrowdStrike Falcon is a cloud-native endpoint security platform developed by CrowdStrike that leverages artificial intelligence, behavioral monitoring, and big data analytics to descry and help cyberattacks. Falcon has gained fashionability due to its effectiveness in detecting advanced threats that other platforms miss.
In this article, we will discuss what CrowdStrike Falcon is and how it works under the hood to cover boards from sophisticated cyberattacks. We’ll cover Falcon’s crucial capabilities, platform configuration, deployment options, and pricing. By the end, you’ll have a good understanding of why Falcon has come one of the most sought- after endpoint protection results in the market now.
What is CrowdStrike Falcon?
CrowdStrike Falcon is an endpoint protection platform that offers coming- generation antivirus( NGAV), endpoint detection and response( EDR), and managed threat capture capabilities through a single featherlight agent.
Some key points to note about the CrowdStrike Falcon:
Cloud-native and agent- based Falcon: Agents installed on endpoints connect to CrowdStrike’s pall- grounded platform for centralized operation, discovery, analysis, and response. This makes Falcon veritably featherlight and avoids counting on autographs stored locally on endpoints.
AI- powered Falcon: leverages deep learning algorithms and billions of anonymized global endpoint- related events daily to descry indeed the stealthiest new dangers. Its AI models are constantly streamlined to spot arising threats before they beget damage.
Prevention-focused: In addition to detecting threats after the fact through EDR, Falcon aims to prevent intrusions proactively using behavior-based techniques rather than just signatures.
Real-time threat hunting: The Falcon platform provides threat hunters and analysts with tools to actively hunt for hidden threats across the entire environment, prioritize investigations, and rapidly remediate incidents.
Endpoint workload protection: Falcon protects Windows, Mac, Linux, and virtual endpoints including servers, workstations, IoT devices, and cloud environments like AWS and Azure. It can also secure container workloads.
Third-party integrations: Falcon integrates with SIEMs, SOAR, IT service management tools and other ecosystem partners via open APIs for extended detection, investigation and automated response capabilities.
So in summary, CrowdStrike Falcon takes an AI-driven, prevention-first approach to next-gen endpoint security through a single lightweight yet powerful cloud-native agent.
How does CrowdStrike Falcon Work?
Now that we understand what Falcon aims to achieve at a high level, let’s dive deeper into how it works under the hood:
Lightweight Agent Installation
The Falcon agent is incredibly lightweight at around 1MB in size. It can be deployed on Windows, Mac, Linux and virtual workloads quickly via MSI/DMG/RPM/DEB installers or cloud workload connectors.
Real-time Endpoint Monitoring
Once installed, the agent begins monitoring the endpoint in real-time – collecting metadata on processes, applications, binaries, network connections, registry keys, and file activities. No signatures or prior knowledge of threats is required.
Behavioral Analysis using Process Tree Intelligence
Falcon analyzes the complete process tree – parent and child processes in relation to each other over time. Even unsigned executables are recognized based on their activities and relationships with trusted processes. Anomalies are detected without reliance on signatures alone.
Massive Cloud-based Analytics
The agent securely routes the metadata to CrowdStrike’s cloud backend for AI-based analysis on a massive scale across billions of endpoint events daily. This huge dataset helps uncover even the stealthiest threats that evade detection on individual endpoints.
AI-assisted Detection
ML and deep learning models running in the cloud continuously learn what ‘normal’ looks like for every organization. They raise informed alerts by spotting deviations from expected process, file, registry or network behaviors to detect advanced exploits and zero-days proactively.
Automated Prevention and Response
Once an alert is confirmed as malicious, automated response actions block the attack in real-time across all endpoints with a single click. Remediation playbooks ensure infected hosts are quickly contained and restored to a clean baseline.
Threat Hunting and Forensics
Through Falcon’s rich endpoint visibility & insights, analysts can actively hunt for threats across the environment, analyze infected hosts, and conduct detailed post-breach forensics to identify root causes and improve prevention.
This cloud-to-endpoint workflow of behavioral monitoring, AI-assisted analysis and automated response is how Falcon protects organizations against the most advanced cyberattacks. Now let’s explore its different modules in more detail.
CrowdStrike Falcon Platform Modules
The CrowdStrike Falcon platform consists of various modules that work together seamlessly to deliver comprehensive endpoint protection:
Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV)
Falcon scans files, processes and indicators for known and unknown malware using behavioral techniques. It prevents and quarantines malware infections.
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
Through deep endpoint visibility, EDR provides threat hunting, forensics and incident response capabilities to XDR teams. It detects compromise through behavioral anomalies.
Managed Threat Hunting
Falcon’s experienced threat hunters leverage AI, global intelligence and analytics to proactively hunt for threats across endpoints that evade standard detection.
Vulnerability Management
This allows IT teams to continuously discover, prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities on endpoints based on their criticality and exploitability.
Device Control
Device control policies enforce rules around removable media, printers and other device connections to block data theft via rogue peripherals.
Application Control
IT approves trusted applications and blocks unknown or unapproved files and programs from executing through whitelisting and blacklisting.
CrowdScore
CrowdScore provides a threat ranking score for every file, domain, IP and tool based on observed global malicious activities to quickly identify high risk entities.
24/7 Security Monitoring
Falcon monitoring services of skilled responders serve as an extended security team for organizations that need managed detection and response functions.
Reporting & Dashboards
Comprehensive dashboard widgets and reporting functionality provide visibility into security posture, vulnerabilities, alerts and other key metrics across the environment.
Integrations
APIs enable extending Falcon with SIEMs, SOAR, ITSM and orchestration tools for centralized security orchestration across the entire security program.
This is just a high-level overview of Falcon’s key modules. Its capabilities go much deeper with advanced features like just-in-time XYZ prevention, lateral movement shut down, auto-managed IR playbooks and more.
CrowdStrike Falcon Deployment Options
When it comes to deployment, Falcon offers the following flexible options to suit any organization:
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
The simplest option requiring no infrastructure. All agents connect directly to CrowdStrike’s cloud-hosted Falcon Complete service.
Falcon Prevent (On-Premises)
For customers that want to deploy and manage the Falcon console within their infrastructure while still using cloud-hosted detection and prevention.
Falcon Insight (Private Cloud)
A fully managed private cloud instance hosted either at customer datacenters or a partner CSP. Supports stringent data sovereignty needs.
Container Workload Protection
Kubernetes-native integration extends real-time protection to dynamically created app containers in Kubernetes environments.
Multi-Tenant SaaS
MSSPs can provision and manage dedicated or shared Falcon instances for their customer base through CrowdStrike’s MSSP partner program.
Hybrid Deployment
Organizations can adopt a hybrid approach using a combination of SaaS, on-premises and privately hosted deployment models for ultimate flexibility.
So in summary, Falcon is easily deployable as a complete cloud service or in hybrid and private cloud models based on specific enterprise mandates around visibility, compliance and infrastructure control preferences.
CrowdStrike Falcon Pricing
Here is an overview of CrowdStrike Falcon’s pricing models:
Per Agent Pricing
The standard Falcon Complete plan starts at $2-3 per agent per month depending on the number of agents and committed contract period (1-3 years). Additional premium features are available at a higher cost tier.
Endpoint Bundle Pricing
Enterprise customers can opt for bulk endpoint pricing packages starting at $4 million for 10,000 endpoints annually on a 3 year contract for Falcon Complete. Additional subscriptions are available for modules like Managed Services.
Custom Bundles
Enterprise deals may include custom bundle combinations of endpoint count plus additional services at even more discounted rates based on business size and strategic priorities.
Free Trial
A 14-day free trial is available for up to 150 endpoints across all platform editions to experience Falcon before commitment. This includes full functionality and support.
Payment Terms
Standard terms are annual payment in advance but flexibilities exist like monthly, quarterly pay-as-you-go. Approvals and setup fees may apply for customized deals.
MSSP Pricing
CrowdStrike provides competitive two-tier pricing for MSSPs to purchase Falcon and resell as managed services to their customers