AI’s double-edged sword: enhancing defense capabilities and powering more sophisticated threats

India stands on the cusp of a digital revolution, with its digital economy poised to soar to an estimated $1 trillion by 2025. This explosive growth is fueled by the connectivity of over 500 million internet users and the rapid adoption of transformative technologies like AI, cloud computing, and edge infrastructure. As businesses accelerate their digital journeys, the demand for strong, resilient cybersecurity measures has become more vital than ever.

Munish Bhasin, Director- Channels & Alliances, F5 shares his insights on how organizations can safeguard their digital future while managing the challenges of a hybrid IT environment, besides discussing F5’s investments at present in the cybersecurity space -

How is AI fundamentally reshaping the cybersecurity landscape today? In what ways is F5 leveraging this space by integrating AI into their existing cybersecurity infrastructure?

AI is transforming cybersecurity by enabling faster, smarter and more adaptive defenses. As threats become more complex, dynamic & decomposed across infrastructures traditional approaches are no longer sufficient. AI has become the new frontline, delivering the speed, scale, and precision needed to detect anomalies, learn behavior patterns, and act before damage is done.

At F5, we view AI as both an opportunity and a challenge. While it enhances defense capabilities, it also powers more sophisticated threats. That’s why we’re embedding AI across our system - from bot protection and anomaly detection to adaptive authentication and real time API protection. Our AI driven approach enables us to detect patterns, respond faster, and secure digital experience on a scale. We’re also working closely with partners and hyperscalers to build secure, AI-optimized infrastructures that are resilient and future-ready.

Which are the key areas in cybersecurity where F5 is investing at present?

The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by the surge in AI adoption, API proliferation, and the increasing complexity of hybrid and multicloud environments. Organizations are under pressure to secure applications across diverse infrastructures without slowing down innovation or digital transformation. At F5, our current focus is on helping enterprises address these realities with a unified, intelligent approach to application and API security.

We introduced the industry’s first unified platform, F5 Application Security and Delivery Platform, for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, launched AI assistants for NGINX One and Distributed Cloud Services, and previewed our upcoming F5 AI Gateway to support secure interactions between enterprise apps and large language models. We're also enhancing our VELOS platform for optimized AI workloads and deepening our partnerships with NVIDIA and Equinix to simplify AI deployment and improve hybrid cloud security. These innovations are designed to reduce complexity, boost AI performance, and accelerate enterprise outcomes.

How do you go about selecting and onboarding channel partners for fast-evolving tech areas like AI & GenAI and also subsequently helping build their capabilities in these areas?

At F5, we take a strategic and value-driven approach to partner selection, particularly in high-growth areas like AI and GenAI. We focus on partners who not only bring technical depth in cloud, security, and infrastructure, but also have the mindset and agility to co-innovate in dynamic markets.

Our Unity+ Partner Program provides these partners with structured onboarding, technical training, and access to demo environments, enabling partners to confidently deliver AI-powered solutions using F5's AI Data Fabric, Distributed Cloud Services, and other application security portfolio. We also work closely with partners through joint go-to-market efforts, certifications, and technical support to help them succeed.

Our strategic alliances with technology leaders like NVIDIA, NetApp, and Red Hat further strengthen our partners' ability to deliver secure, scalable AI solutions.

What are the most significant investments F5 is making in the channel ecosystem today? How are you tailoring your channel investment strategies specifically for the Indian market?

Digital transformation has become a crucial part of any business, today, making digital infrastructure, IT, cybersecurity, application security business priorities.  We at F5 are at the forefront addressing the requirement of application security for businesses and our channel partners play a crucial role in reaching out to our customers. We have and continue to invest in expanding as well as upskilling our channel partners to understand this market and how to address the business challenges that our customers and prospects are facing. So, I think the time is apt, and that will help us go for inorganic growth. 

How do you envision the role and contributions of the channel partners going forward?

Channel partners will continue to be central to F5’s growth strategy, especially as enterprises shift towards hybrid cloud and AI-enabled application environments. Their role is evolving from traditional resale to becoming strategic advisors and integrators who are critical in delivering the secure digital experiences our customers expect. Their ability to combine F5’s capabilities with their own services, insights, and customer proximity is what makes the difference.

As we modernize our own systems to better support our ecosystem through tools like enhanced CRM integration, partner analytics, and flexible consumption models we’re enabling partners to drive deeper engagement and deliver tailored, high-impact outcomes. With over 90% of our business going through the channel, our focus remains on scaling together with partners who can lead in areas like application and API security and help shape the future of secure digital transformation in India.

What is F5’s long-term vision for channel partnerships in India?

Our long-term vision is to build a resilient, future ready channel ecosystem that can lead India’s digital transformation. We’re committed to nurture strategic, outcome-based partnerships that scale with market demands. This includes empowering traditional SIs to adopt hybrid models, supporting cloud-native players, and enabling partners to lead in application, API & AI security. With a strong focus on co-innovation and capability building, we aim to grow alongside our partners and deliver long-term value to customers across sectors.