Company patents
CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CLOUDFLARE, INC's patent strategy shows a surprising shift, with significant year-over-year declines across its core communication technology categories like Network Security & Access Control (-82.6% so far in 2026) and Web & Cloud Service Protocols (-86.7% so far in 2026), which together represent over 88% of its portfolio. While there was an emerging focus in Operating Systems & Program Control with a 66.7% YoY growth in 2025, the overall patenting activity appears to be slowing down dramatically across almost all categories so far in 2026.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
201 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 18 themes
Techniques for distributing computational tasks, data storage, and service logic across cloud data centers, edge devices, and user equipment to improve performance, resilience, or resource utilization. This includes architectures for split rendering, decentralized ledgers, and microservices.
Managing and optimizing network resources and services deployed at the edge of the network or within cloud environments, including distributed domain name resolution, resource exposure analysis, and traffic management specific to distributed architectures.
Technologies enabling the creation and management of virtual computing environments, including virtual machines and virtual desktops, with an emphasis on secure and efficient remote access, updates, and performance.
Technologies for establishing and maintaining secure communication channels between devices or networks, often employing encryption, secure protocols, or virtual private networks (VPNs).
Systems and methods for identifying and blocking unauthorized access, malicious activities, or abnormal behavior within a network by analyzing traffic, system logs, or behavioral patterns.
Systems and methods for authenticating users, devices, or applications, authorizing their access to resources based on policies, and managing digital identities across various platforms.
Methods and systems for protecting network resources and data from unauthorized access, misuse, or attack, encompassing authentication, authorization, encryption, and traffic filtering mechanisms. This includes securing communication channels and validating network access.
Techniques and systems for optimizing network traffic flow, distributing loads across multiple paths or resources, and ensuring quality of service based on various criteria like application type, latency, or resource availability. This includes dynamic path selection, congestion control, and resource allocation.
Systems and methods for encrypting data at a fine-grained level (e.g., per data unit or based on sensitivity) and controlling access to it, often involving delegated authorization, contextual policies, or secure data sharing.
Mechanisms to facilitate the secure exchange of data between different entities or systems while enforcing usage policies, managing digital content rights, and ensuring data consistency during replication or transfer.
Applying artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to enhance cryptographic systems, such as generating encryption models, improving zero-trust architectures, or enabling privacy-preserving computations like federated learning.
Tools and processes for assessing, monitoring, and improving the security configuration and external accessibility of resources deployed within cloud computing environments.
Techniques and systems designed to monitor network health, diagnose issues, optimize traffic flow, and ensure continuous operation and reduced downtime in complex network environments, including cloud and storage area networks.
Methods and systems for generating, distributing, updating, rotating, and securely destroying cryptographic keys to maintain data confidentiality and integrity over time, including quantum key distribution.
Methods and systems for monitoring, controlling, and managing Internet of Things (IoT) devices and their communication networks, often involving adaptive or intelligent frameworks for data acquisition, relay, and automation.
Mobile applications and systems leveraging wireless communication and location data (e.g., GPS, RFID, geo-fencing) to provide context-specific services, transactions, or user interactions.
Techniques for protecting data at rest or in backup, ensuring its integrity, confidentiality, and verifiable origin, often involving encryption, unique identifiers, or secure repositories.
Utilizing dedicated hardware components, secure enclaves, or trusted execution environments to perform cryptographic operations, enhancing security, performance, or isolation from software vulnerabilities.
Patents
Showing 1-10 of 319