# Cilium
> Cilium is an open-source software for providing, securing, and observing network connectivity between container workloads. It is built on top of eBPF, a revolutionary Linux kernel technology that allows for high-performance and granular control over networking and security at the kernel level.
- URL: https://optimly.ai/brand/cilium
- Slug: cilium
- BAI Score: 88/100
- Archetype: Challenger
- Category: Cloud Computing
- Last Analyzed: April 11, 2026
- Part of: Cisco Systems, Inc. (https://optimly.ai/brand/cisco)
## Competitors
- Istio (https://optimly.ai/brand/istio)
- Linkerd (https://optimly.ai/brand/linkerd)
## Also Referenced By
- Cloud Native Networking (https://optimly.ai/brand/cloud-native-networking)
## Buyer Intent Signals
Problems: Legacy IP Tables: Using standard iptables or nftables for network filtering and security at the host level.
Solutions: best kubernetes cni for ebpf | cloud native observability with hubble | ebpf based container networking | sidecarless service mesh options | cncf graduated networking projects | Cloud Native Networking (VPC/SGs): Relying on the networking capabilities provided by the cloud provider (GCP, AWS, Azure) without granular eBPF-based control. | Basic CNI Plugins: Implementing older CNI (Container Network Interface) plugins like Flannel that provide connectivity but lack advanced security and observability.
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## Full Details / RAG Data
### Overview
Cilium is listed in the AI Directory.
Cilium is an open-source software for providing, securing, and observing network connectivity between container workloads. It is built on top of eBPF, a revolutionary Linux kernel technology that allows for high-performance and granular control over networking and security at the kernel level.
### Metadata
| Field        | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| Name         | Cilium |
| Slug         | cilium |
| URL          | https://optimly.ai/brand/cilium |
| BAI Score    | 88/100 |
| Archetype    | Challenger |
| Category     | Cloud Computing |
| Last Analyzed | April 11, 2026 |
| Last Updated | 2026-04-16T19:50:25.561Z |
### Verified Facts
- Founded: 2016
- Headquarters: Cupertino, CA (Cisco/Isovalent)
### Competitors
| Name | Profile |
|------|---------|
| Istio | https://optimly.ai/brand/istio |
| Linkerd | https://optimly.ai/brand/linkerd |
### Also Referenced By
- Cloud Native Networking (https://optimly.ai/brand/cloud-native-networking)
### Buyer Intent Signals
#### Problems this brand solves
- Legacy IP Tables: Using standard iptables or nftables for network filtering and security at the host level.
#### Buyers search for
- best kubernetes cni for ebpf
- cloud native observability with hubble
- ebpf based container networking
- sidecarless service mesh options
- cncf graduated networking projects
- Cloud Native Networking (VPC/SGs): Relying on the networking capabilities provided by the cloud provider (GCP, AWS, Azure) without granular eBPF-based control.
- Basic CNI Plugins: Implementing older CNI (Container Network Interface) plugins like Flannel that provide connectivity but lack advanced security and observability.
### Parent Brand
- Cisco Systems, Inc. (https://optimly.ai/brand/cisco)
### Links
- Canonical page: https://optimly.ai/brand/cilium
- JSON endpoint: /brand/cilium.json
- LLMs.txt: /brand/cilium/llms.txt