New York, Feb 17, 2026, 18:06 ET — After-hours
- Cloudflare shares slipped after the bell, even as it unveiled a cybersecurity partnership with Mastercard.
- The companies plan tools that score “internet-facing” risk and let customers switch on defenses from one dashboard.
- Traders also kept an eye on Cloudflare’s service-status updates after a day of datacenter and certificate-related alerts.
Cloudflare shares slipped 1.1% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the company said it will team up with Mastercard to build cyber defense tools aimed at small businesses and critical infrastructure. The stock last traded at $193.68, after swinging between $189.57 and $201.22 in the session.
The pitch lands at a moment when firms are trying to lock down sprawling online estates — domains, apps and vendors — that security teams often do not fully map. That creates openings for hacks, and it is one reason “attack surface” tools have drawn fresh spend.
For Cloudflare, the tie-up is also a test of whether its security products can keep gaining ground beyond big enterprise accounts. Investors have been looking for catalysts that can support growth without leaning on one-off surges in traffic.
Cloudflare said the planned offering will combine its Application Security products with Mastercard’s Recorded Future and RiskRecon services — tools that scan what a company exposes to the internet and where weak links may sit. The companies said customers will get an A–F security grade and can turn on protections such as a web application firewall, encryption or automated defenses from Cloudflare’s dashboard; “a cyberattack is more than a technical hurdle. It is an existential threat,” Cloudflare chief strategy officer Stephanie Cohen said. (Cloudflare)
American Banker described the approach as a cyber “report card” for smaller firms and public-sector groups, with grades tied to checks on controls, software flaws and third-party risks. “Improving critical infrastructure cybersecurity and reducing cyber risk is an ongoing, challenging mission,” said Dan Cimpean, director of the Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate, who was cited as an early adopter of the collaboration. (American Banker)
Cloudflare sells tools that help companies speed up and secure websites and apps, a market where it competes with firms such as Akamai and Fastly. The security segment has become a bigger part of its pitch as customers try to cut the number of vendors they use.
Separately, Cloudflare’s status page on Tuesday flagged elevated HTTP-request latency in its Newark, New Jersey datacenter, and noted certificate issuance was unavailable through Google Trust Services because of an outage at that provider. (Cloudflarestatus)
The deal news comes a week after Cloudflare forecast annual sales above Wall Street estimates, citing demand tied to artificial intelligence-driven internet traffic and security needs. (Reuters)
But the partnership starts as an “intent to develop” plan, with no timeline for commercial rollout laid out in the announcements. Investors will want to see whether the A–F scoring and automated fixes translate into paid seats, and whether the tools stand out in a crowded security field that includes deep-pocketed rivals.
Next up, traders will be listening for product details and any rollout hints around Cloudflare’s scheduled appearance at RSAC in San Francisco on March 23–24, where security vendors often tee up new offerings and customer wins. (Cloudflare)
