Airlock
Swiss web application and API protection from Ergon Informatik in Zurich, a WAF and API gateway you run as a virtual appliance, cloud image or Kubernetes container
Quick Overview
| Company | Ergon Informatik AG |
|---|---|
| Category | Web Application Firewall |
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Switzerland (European, non-EU), with a German branch in Frankfurt |
| Data Location | Self-managed: Gateway runs in your own environment; no vendor-hosted data location stated on the pages checked |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Yes: virtual appliance, cloud image or Microgateway container in your own Kubernetes cluster |
| Main Features | WAF, API security gateway, bot defense, L7 DoS prevention, virtual patching, AI-based Anomaly Shield, API schema enforcement, SIEM integration, REST API |
| Pricing | Pricing on request (no price list on the vendor site) |
| Best For | Banks, insurers and public bodies in German-speaking markets that want a WAF they operate themselves |
| Replaces | F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF, Imperva, Akamai App and API Protector |
Detailed Review
Airlock Gateway combines a web application firewall with an API security gateway, which the vendor calls Web Application and API Protection (WAAP). It sits in front of web applications and APIs as a reverse proxy, filters requests, applies virtual patches, and handles bots and layer 7 denial of service.
The contracting entity is Ergon Informatik AG, a Swiss company in Zurich (trade register CH-020.3.908.112-5), with a German branch, Ergon Informatik GmbH, in Frankfurt (HRB 125788). Airlock is a brand of Ergon, not a separate company.
How it is deployed
The Gateway page lists three forms: a virtual appliance, an Airlock cloud image, and the Airlock Microgateway, a lightweight container for Kubernetes. Hardware appliances are not mentioned. Because you run the Gateway yourself, traffic and logs stay inside your own environment.
What it filters
The vendor lists filtering and virtual patching against the OWASP Top 10, bot defense, layer 7 DoS prevention and an AI-based anomaly detection called Anomaly Shield. For APIs it enforces schemas, API keys and throttling, and works with Airlock IAM for OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect 1.0 and SAML 2.0.
Operations
Reporting and SIEM integration, load balancing and a REST API for DevSecOps pipelines are listed, and version 8.6 adds ACME certificate automation in the Configuration Center. Airlock Gateway integrates the Webroot Threat Intelligence Service for client reputation, which is a third-party component.
Limitations to Consider
No public price list and no self-service trial on the pages checked, so a proof of concept goes through sales. Airlock is a self-operated gateway rather than a CDN with global scrubbing capacity, so volumetric DDoS needs another provider in front. Ergon sells mainly in Switzerland and Germany, and the vendor does not publish a list of certifications on the Gateway page.
Who Should Use Airlock
Security teams in regulated sectors who want a WAF and API gateway under their own operation, from a Swiss vendor.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- WAF and API gateway in one product
- Virtual patching with vendor-stated 24-hour response to Log4Shell-class issues
- Runs in your own environment
- Kubernetes Microgateway option
- Swiss entity with trade register entry
Cons
- Pricing only on request
- You operate it yourself
- No global scrubbing network of its own
- Includes a third-party threat intelligence feed (Webroot)
Alternatives to Airlock
Other European web application firewall worth comparing before you decide:
Myra Security
Germany · German security platform with a WAF, DDoS filter and CDN
Link11
Germany · German cloud WAF with AI-based DDoS filtering
Gcore
Luxembourg · Luxembourg edge platform with WAF and DDoS protection
Bunny.net
Slovenia · Slovenian CDN with a Shield WAF tier that starts free
See all European web application firewall or compare them directly against F5 BIG-IP Advanced WAF on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Airlock Gateway covers the web application firewall and API protection side of what F5 sells, and it is built by Ergon Informatik AG in Zurich. It does not replace F5 load balancing hardware or a global CDN, so check which F5 modules you actually use.
The vendor site shows no price list. Pricing is given after a demo or expert consultation request via the contact page.
Yes. The vendor offers Airlock Microgateway as a lightweight container for Kubernetes, next to the Gateway as a virtual appliance or cloud image.