Content delivery network provider Cloudflare Inc. today announced that it’s making key security tools, including its zero-trust platform Cloudflare One, available for free.

The free tool offering is focused on giving security teams the ability to gain visibility into and assess the overall health of their organization without the stress of expensive vendor renewals or diminishing security budgets. With the free tools, Cloudflare customers can combat high-profile threats automatically by default, including credential leaks, supply chain attacks and attacks on the application programming interfaces that underpin communications between sites and apps.

Cloudflare argues that the cost of purchasing the tools necessary to defend against threat actors is one of the biggest barriers to securing an organization. Traditionally such services are attainable only by enterprises large enough to afford both the technology and the teams to manage it. Moreover, for most organizations, negotiating the renewal of security vendors is difficult, increasingly expensive and one of the biggest headaches that chief information security officers face.

As the attack surface grows, from daily new novel vulnerabilities, emerging threat actor groups, tactics and malware, Cloudflare believes that security teams require access to effective protections that aren’t overpriced or lock them into relationships that are difficult and costly to get out of. This is where today’s announcement comes in, and it’s hard to beat free when it comes to managing security budgets, tools and services.

With the free tools being offered by Cloudflare, organizations of all sizes can protect themselves from modern threats using Cloudflare’s global network. Tools such as Cloudflare HTTP, Security and DNS Analytics — now available for free — provide visibility into traffic trends and DNS queries, helping CISOs manage risks across complex information technology environments. Solutions such as Leaked Credentials Checks, for detecting suspicious login attempts based on a vast database of compromised credentials, are also now free.

Cloudflare addresses API security by using Schema Validation to prevent sensitive information from being exposed through unmonitored APIs. Additionally, the now free Page Shield Script Monitor enhances website security by tracking third-party scripts, providing visibility into potential vulnerabilities.

To support a zero-trust security model, Cloudflare is also offering tools including Magic Network Monitoring, SaaS Cloud Application Security and Data Loss Prevention as part of its free services offering. The tools enable organizations to adopt a modern security framework without added costs or complexity.

“By releasing these features for free, organizations won’t be forced to decide between saving money or safeguarding their most sensitive data and services,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Matthew Prince. “And with greater adoption of these features through our free plan, Cloudflare can make them more effective, ultimately making the internet a safer place for everyone.”

The free security offerings announced today are now generally available to all Cloudflare customers and enabled by default to customers on the free plan.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons