As Kubernetes becomes the backbone of AI innovation, Sysdig continues to invest in open source runtime security for all

KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026 – Sysdig, the leader in real-time AI-powered cloud defense, today announced a $70,000 donation to the Falco project through the Linux Foundation’s crowdfunding initiative. The donation comes as Falco celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and on the heels of a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) survey reporting that 82% of AI workloads are now built on Kubernetes, up from 54% just one year earlier. Sysdig’s contribution reinforces both the project’s continued momentum and position as the open source standard for cloud-native runtime threat detection as AI adoption accelerates and runtime security becomes mission-critical.

Today, Falco, a CNCF-graduated project, has surpassed 200 million downloads and earned the trust of 60% of Fortune 500 organizations. Public adopters of Falco include Shopify, GitLab, and Booz Allen Hamilton, with maintainers and contributors from companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM, and Red Hat. What began as an open source project to solve real-time container visibility is now the global standard for cloud-native runtime security.

“Falco was born when containers were new and runtime security was an afterthought,” said Loris Degioanni, Founder and CTO of Sysdig and Co-Creator of Falco. “Ten years later, Kubernetes is running the world’s most critical AI workloads and runtime is no longer optional. Falco isn’t just protecting containers. It’s protecting organizations’ most sensitive data.”

Investing in the next decade of open source innovation

Sysdig’s donation to Falco will further accelerate project innovation, expand community participation, and strengthen its long-term sustainability. The funding from Sysdig will support:

• Feature development grants to speed the delivery of new capabilities.
• Contributor stipends to recognize and retain key contributors.
• Technical writer stipends to improve both documentation and user experience.

“Sysdig’s targeted donation to Falco is a significant monetary contribution to a CNCF project, and sends a powerful signal about the importance of sustaining open source security innovation,” said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO at the CNCF. “Falco is a foundational runtime security project, and investments like this help ensure that maintainers are supported, contributors are empowered, and innovation can continue at the pace the community demands. Sustained funding is critical to the health of open source projects, and this commitment sets a strong example for how companies can responsibly invest in the ecosystems they depend on.”

This investment builds on recent ecosystem momentum, including extensibility advancements with projects like Stratoshark, community plug-ins such as Falcoya, and the launch of the Sysdig Open Source Community. It also ensures that Falco is well-positioned to meet the challenges of the decade to come. Additionally, the Falco community is also introducing no-code contribution pathways, enabling contributors of all talents to support documentation, design, events, and education, and making it easier than ever to participate in the project’s growth.

See you at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026

Sysdig and Falco will be at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 23-26, 2026. Visit Sysdig at Booth 671 and Falco at Kiosk P-22A in the Project Pavilion, and attend these presentations to learn more:

• Workshop: “Hands-On Cloud-Native Security Workshop” presented by Jonas Rosland, Director of Open Source Programs at Sysdig, on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 2 p.m. Central European Time (CET) at the Van der Valk Hotel Amsterdam Zuidas.
• Speaking Session: “From Packets to Pods: Lessons from 25 Years of Open Source Visibility” with Gerald Combs, Director of Open Source Projects at Sysdig, during Open Source SecurityCon on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 9:55 a.m. CET in Hall 8, Room D at the RAI Amsterdam.
• Speaking Session: “Project Lighting Talk: Forensics with Falco” with Gerald Combs on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 10:27 a.m. CET in Elicium 2 at the RAI Amsterdam.
• Speaking Session: “In Falco’s Nest: The Evolution of Cloud Native Runtime Security” with Iacopo Rozzo, Senior Staff Open Source Engineer at Sysdig, and Aldo Lacuku, Senior Software Engineer at Kong Inc., on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. CET in G102–103 at the RAI Amsterdam.

Resources

• Explore Sysdig’s open source heritage.
• Join our Sysdig Open Source Community and stay up-to-date on events, trainings, and ways to contribute.
• Learn why Sysdig, built on Falco, was named a leader in CNAPP by Forrester, as runtime redefines cloud security in 2026.
• Get started with Falco and Stratoshark today.

About Sysdig

Sysdig delivers cloud security the right way with open innovation, agentic AI, and the uncompromising truth of runtime. In a world of black boxes and blind spots, Sysdig helps security and development teams prevent, detect, and respond to threats in the moment.

AI is only as powerful as the signals it receives, and Sysdig Sage™ – the first agentic AI analyst for cloud security – is fueled by the deepest runtime intelligence in the industry. It doesn’t just observe. It reasons and acts with the context, speed, and precision that modern teams need to build and defend innovation in real time. Founded by the creators of Falco and Wireshark, Sysdig is trusted by more than 60% of the Fortune 500 and is built for those who refuse to compromise on security.

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@Sysdig celebrates 10 years of Falco with $70,000 donation. Learn more: www.sysdig.com/press-releases/sysdig-celebrates-falco-10-year-anniversary-with-donation