CrowdStrike Falcon: Components, Pros/Cons, and Top 5 Alternatives

What Is CrowdStrike Falcon? 

CrowdStrike Falcon is a cybersecurity platform focusing on endpoint security. This cloud-based solution integrates services such as malware protection, threat intelligence, and incident response in an attempt to protect against cyber threats. A relatively lightweight agent intends to enable data analysis and threat detection without compromising system performance. 

By leveraging cloud computing, Falcon supports threat hunting and mitigation across networks, helping provide security for global enterprises. It uses a centralized control mechanism for management across diverse environments. Falcon’s AI-powered analytics aim to improve threat prediction and response efficiency.

Core Components of CrowdStrike Falcon 

Falcon Prevent

Falcon Prevent is an AI-powered next-generation antivirus (NGAV) solution that aims to protect endpoints from threats like commodity malware, fileless attacks, and zero-day exploits. It leverages machine learning, threat intelligence, and behavioral analysis to help detect and stop threats, operating when devices are offline.

The solution aims for high detection accuracy with minimal false positives. Its agent and cloud-native architecture are designed to support deployment and centralized management. Falcon Prevent integrates with the MITRE ATT&CK framework for attack visibility and contextual threat intelligence.

Falcon Insight XDR

Falcon Insight XDR extends endpoint detection and response (EDR) beyond traditional endpoints, providing organizations with an approach to threat detection. By correlating signals from multiple data sources—including cloud, identity, and third-party security tools—it intends to improve visibility and accelerate incident investigation.

The platform utilizes AI-driven analysis, collaboration features, and automated workflows to prioritize threats and hopes to simplify responses. CrowdStrike’s managed threat hunting team also attempts to strengthen Falcon Insight XDR by continuously monitoring for security incidents.

Learn more in our detailed guide to CrowdStrike XDR

Falcon Complete Next-Gen MDR

Falcon Complete is a managed detection and response (MDR) service that provides monitoring and incident response by CrowdStrike’s team of cybersecurity staff. It delivers threat protection, potentially from detection to remediation, aiming to replace in-house security teams that handle alerts manually.

By relying on AI-powered detection and expert-led investigations, Falcon Complete intends to minimize response times and reduce the risk of breaches. The service includes threat hunting and automated response capabilities. It offers a breach prevention warranty although warranties from cyber security vendors are rarely claimed and seen more as a marketing tool.

Falcon Cloud Security

Falcon Cloud Security is designed to protect cloud workloads and infrastructure from threats, combining cloud detection and response (CDR) with runtime protection. It unifies security posture management and threat prevention, helping organizations detect and stop cloud-native attacks.

The solution integrates cloud control plane data, runtime events, and threat intelligence with the aim of providing deeper visibility into attack paths. Automated response workflows, supported by Falcon Fusion SOAR, are meant to enable rapid containment of threats. Additionally, Falcon Cloud Security offers MITRE ATT&CK-aligned recommendations to improve the cloud security posture.

Falcon Firewall Management

Falcon Firewall Management potentially simplifies host-based firewall policy enforcement, offering centralized visibility and control. With a management console, security teams can create, modify, and enforce firewall rules across Windows and macOS devices.

The platform includes pre-built policy templates and reusable rule groups, making it easier to standardize security policies across an organization. It also provides network visibility, helping teams detect anomalies and respond to threats potentially. Role-based access controls and audit logging aim to ensure compliance in security policy enforcement.

Falcon Counter Adversary Operations

Falcon Counter Adversary Operations is a defense service that integrates threat intelligence and threat hunting to help identify and neutralize adversaries before they can cause harm. This solution unifies security insights across endpoints, cloud environments, and identity systems, hopefully providing a defense against cyber threats.

This offering includes Falcon Adversary OverWatch, a managed threat hunting service that continuously monitors for malicious activity across attack surfaces. Leveraging AI-driven analytics and intelligence, the service potentially detects and disrupts threats in their early stages. 

Falcon Adversary Intelligence provides profiles on over 245 adversary groups. The platform also features malware and threat analysis capabilities, including automated sandboxing for rapid investigation. 

Related content: Read our guide to CrowdStrike threat intelligence

Limitations of CrowdStrike Falcon 

While CrowdStrike Falcon offers comprehensive cybersecurity features, it has important limitations that users should consider. These limitations were reported by users on the G2 platform:

• Complex uninstallation process: Uninstalling Falcon can be challenging, especially when the host is disconnected. It often requires additional steps, such as retrieving tokens via the API console. Uninstallation and sensor upgrades on servers can also be time-consuming.
• False positives: Since Falcon relies on AI and machine learning to analyze process behavior, it sometimes generates false positive alerts, which may require manual intervention.
• High cost: Falcon can be more expensive compared to other cybersecurity solutions, and additional licenses may be required for certain features.
• Dashboard and UI limitations: The reporting and dashboards could be improved for better usability. Some users find the interface cluttered, with multiple screens making navigation complex.
• Customer support delays: CrowdStrike’s customer support response times can be slow, leading to delays in troubleshooting and resolving issues.
• Limited integration with some applications: While Falcon offers API support, integration with certain newer applications isn’t always seamless. Linux support could also be improved.
• Lack of no-code plugin development: While the API-based integration is useful, the lack of a no-code plugin development system makes it harder for analysts to create custom workflows quickly.
• Recent stability issues: A recent outage was linked to a faulty sensor update, highlighting the need for improved testing and rollout processes.
• Kernel-based design: The international outage on July 19, 2024 caused by a faulty update from CrowdStrike revealed the inherent weakness in their agent’s design. There are some advantages by reducing the number of hooks from the user space to the kernel-level of the system such as speed and increased visibility but comes with increased risk of shutting down or impacting critical systems. 
• Delayed detections: In every MITRE ATT&CK evaluation, CrowdStrike consistently shows detection delays, often failing to provide real-time visibility on certain attack steps. These delays matter because adversaries can move quickly within an environment, and any lag in detection increases the risk of lateral movement, data exfiltration, or system compromise before a response can be initiated.

Notable CrowdStrike Falcon Alternatives 

1. Exabeam

Exabeam is a leading provider of security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, combining UEBA, SIEM, SOAR, and TDIR to accelerate security operations. Its Security Operations platforms enables security teams to quickly detect, investigate, and respond to threats while enhancing operational efficiency.

Key Features:

• Scalable log collection and management: The open platform accelerates log onboarding by 70%, eliminating the need for advanced engineering skills while ensuring seamless log aggregation across hybrid environments.
• Behavioral analytics: Uses advanced analytics to baseline normal vs. abnormal behavior, detecting insider threats, lateral movement, and advanced attacks missed by signature-based systems. Customers report that Exabeam helps detect and respond to 90% of attacks before other vendors can catch them.
• Automated threat response: Simplifies security operations by automating incident timelines, reducing manual effort by 30%, and accelerating investigation times by 80%.
• Contextual incident investigation: Since Exabeam automates timeline creation and reduces time spent on menial tasks, it cuts the time to detect and respond to threats by over 50%. Pre-built correlation rules, anomaly detection models, and vendor integrations reduce alerts by 60%, minimizing false positives.
• SaaS and cloud-native options: Flexible deployment options provide scalability for cloud-first and hybrid environments, ensuring rapid time to value for customers. For organizations who can’t, or won’t move their SIEM to the cloud, Exabeam provides a market-leading, full featured, and self-hosted SIEM.
• Network visibility with NetMon: Delivers deep insight beyond firewalls and IDS/IPS, detecting threats like data theft and botnet activity while making investigation easier with flexible searching. Deep Packet Analytics (DPA) also builds on the NetMon Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) engine to interpret key indicators of compromise (IOCs).

Exabeam customers consistently highlight how its real-time visibility, automation, and productivity tools powered by AI, uplevel security talent, transforming overwhelmed analysts into proactive defenders while reducing costs and maintaining industry-leading support.

2. Cortex XDR

Cortex XDR is an extended detection and response platform for endpoint security, integrating NGAV, host firewall management, disk encryption, and USB device control. It aims to improve threat detection with machine learning and behavioral analytics, enabling security teams to identify and respond to attacks.

Key features include:

• Endpoint security: Protects endpoints with NGAV, firewall management, and access control for external devices.
• Machine learning-driven threat detection: Uses AI-powered analytics to help detect and block threats.
• Incident management and root cause analysis: Automates the identification of attack origins to simplify investigations.
• Forensics and threat hunting: Offers attack visibility and forensic insights for threat hunting.
• Flexible response: Designed to allow security teams to automate and customize remediation workflows.

3. SentinelOne Singularity Platform

SentinelOne Singularity is an AI-powered cybersecurity platform offering autonomous threat detection and response. It provides visibility, detection, and automated remediation for endpoints, cloud environments, and identity infrastructure. 

Key features include:

• Enterprise-wide visibility: Designed to provide security insights across endpoints, cloud workloads, and identity systems.
• Autonomous threat detection and response: Uses AI to detect and mitigate threats without manual intervention.
• Endpoint protection: Delivers next-gen prevention, detection, and response capabilities intended for all endpoint devices.
• Cloud security: Helps protect containers, virtual machines, and hybrid cloud environments while focusing on compliance.
• Identity threat protection: Secures Active Directory and Entra ID against potential credential-based attacks and unauthorized access.

Learn more in our detailed guide to CrowdStrike vs SentinelOne

4. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an enterprise security platform that aims to help organizations prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats across various endpoints, including PCs, laptops, mobile devices, routers, and firewalls. It relies on cloud security analytics, AI-driven detection, and threat intelligence for visibility and automated remediation.

Key features include:

• Endpoint behavioral sensors: Embedded in Windows 10, these sensors collect and analyze behavioral signals to help detect potential threats.
• Cloud security analytics: Uses big-data analytics and AI-driven insights in an attempt to translate security signals into actionable threat intelligence.
• Threat intelligence: Identifies attacker tools, techniques, and procedures base on Microsoft’s security research and third-party partner intelligence.
• Vulnerability management: Helps organizations assess, prioritize, and remediate endpoint vulnerabilities with a risk-based approach.
• Attack surface reduction: Potentially minimizes the risk of exploitation by enforcing security configurations, network protection, and web filtering.

5. Sophos Intercept X

Sophos Intercept X is an AI-powered endpoint security solution that focuses on prevention of and protection against cyber threats. It integrates extended detection and response capabilities, anti-ransomware defenses, and exploit prevention to try to stop attacks before they impact systems. 

Key features include:

• AI-powered threat prevention: Uses deep learning models in an attempt to block known and unknown threats without relying on traditional signatures.
• Anti-ransomware protection: Uses CryptoGuard technology to stop malicious encryption and automatically restore affected files.
• Exploit prevention: Hopefully mitigates fileless attacks and zero-day exploits with various exploit protections.
• Extended detection and response (XDR): Provides visibility across endpoints, servers, cloud, and third-party security controls for threat hunting.
• Endpoint detection and response (EDR): Enables security teams to investigate, analyze, and respond to suspicious activity with AI-driven prioritization.

Conclusion 

CrowdStrike Falcon is a cybersecurity platform that offers protection across endpoints, cloud environments, and identity systems. While it aims to provide threat detection, automated response capabilities, and AI-driven analytics, organizations must weigh its benefits against factors such as cost, integration complexity, and occasional stability concerns. Businesses should evaluate their security needs and explore available alternatives to ensure they implement a solution that best aligns with their operational and risk management requirements.