F5 and Forcepoint Partner to Address AI Data Risk and Runtime Security

F5 and Forcepoint are joining forces to bring their complementary cybersecurity products together, making it easier for enterprises to strengthen defenses as they adopt AI.

Under the arrangement, F5’s runtime protections for AI applications will be offered alongside Forcepoint’s enterprise data discovery and classification capabilities through channel partners, providing improved AI security for business customers.

The joint offering brings together Forcepoint’s AI-native Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) application and F5’s Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP), which adds red teaming and AI guardrails to protect enterprise AI environments, according to the companies.

By delivering these capabilities together, IT security teams will be able to identify and address data vulnerabilities in real time, prioritize AI use cases based on risk, and enforce runtime controls on AI processes. Businesses will also be able to monitor systems for misuse or abnormal behavior, while receiving continuous telemetry and policy validation to ensure AI systems operate securely and meet governance requirements.

The products are not being integrated but will be offered through a collaborative go-to-market approach via channel partners, Jimmy White, vice president of AI at Seattle-based F5, told ChannelE2E.

“Customers need (the AI security protections delivered by) both (products) and can achieve the desired business outcomes by deploying the solutions side by side today, regardless of integrated features,” said White. “The partnership provides MSPs and channel partners with an opportunity to work strategically with customers to secure the AI stack. Whether a customer needs to better categorize and secure their data at the foundational level, through data delivery, or at runtime, partners can help identify potential risks and protect against them.”

White added that MSPs and other channel partners can benefit from increased revenue and customer satisfaction by packaging the two services together.

“In almost every conversation we have with customers deploying AI apps, LLMs (large language models), and agents, securing the data and providing runtime security are essential at every point in the ecosystem,” he said. “This is top of mind and a priority for security teams supporting their organization’s AI adoption goals.”

Channel partners are also seeing increased demand from customers for guidance on AI adoption strategies, said White.

“MSPs, VARs, SIs, and channel partners have a strong opportunity to expand their offerings and uncover additional business when they perform data classification or implement runtime security,” he said. “In most cases, this work surfaces additional vulnerabilities and security gaps, leading to further sales of solutions and services.”

Tim Puccio, global channel chief at Austin, Texas-based Forcepoint, said the combined approach gives customers more confidence while opening growth opportunities for partners.

“Every AI initiative inside a customer account is now a data security conversation, and DSPM alone is projected to grow at a 37% CAGR,” said Puccio. “Partners who can address both sides of the AI security question - what sensitive data is being used and whether the system is secure in production - will lead those conversations, win business, and strengthen their role as trusted advisors.”

To support these opportunities, Forcepoint has redesigned its global partner program, Puccio said. The program now includes a simplified three-tier structure, deal registration margins, no minimum thresholds, protected recurring revenue, and expanded opportunities for fee-based professional services.

“The goal is straightforward: make it easier for partners to build a profitable, differentiated data security practice around this platform,” said Puccio.