# 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.