Akamai Guardicore Segmentation integrates directly into NVIDIA BlueField data processing units (DPUs) to bring Zero Trust policy enforcement straight into the hardware data path. By running security operations on the DPU hardware, organizations can enforce microsegmentation for securing critical OT without installing software on the host system.
Key takeaways
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Hardware-enforced agentless Zero Trust:
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Akamai Guardicore Segmentation integrates directly with NVIDIA BlueField DPUs to enforce Zero Trust security within the network data path, eliminating the need to install software agents on sensitive host systems.
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Hardware-isolated threat containment:
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Policy enforcement runs on the BlueField DPU, maintaining active east-west threat containment and stopping lateral movement even if the primary server is compromised.
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Security without sacrificing uptime:
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Protect legacy OT, connected healthcare, and “black box” industrial control systems without introducing performance overhead, latency, or operational downtime.
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AI-driven automated policy mapping:
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Deep network visibility automatically maps system communications and enforces least-privilege access rules.
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Unified cross-environment governance:
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Standardize security management by deploying consistent Zero Trust microsegmentation across agentless OT infrastructure and agent-based IT environments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Operational technology systems often rely on legacy operating systems, proprietary protocols, or unmanaged “black box” hardware that cannot host security agents. Furthermore, critical infrastructure cannot tolerate performance overhead, network latency, or operational downtime, rendering traditional software controls impractical.
Because segmentation policies execute directly on the NVIDIA BlueField DPU, policy enforcement remains completely isolated from the host operating system. If a host server or endpoint becomes compromised, the DPU-based security rules stay active in the data path to isolate the compromised host and maintain resilient defense controls.
No, the joint solution is engineered to preserve uptime and application performance. By offloading policy enforcement to the BlueField DPU hardware, security processing occurs within the network infrastructure rather than on the host CPU, allowing critical systems to operate without performance degradation.
The solution can protect critical infrastructure across several sectors, including Robotics & AGV Systems, Industrial Process Control (relay logic, fieldbus protocols), Precision Manufacturing (part fabrication, additive manufacturing), Connected Healthcare & IIoT (telemetry, critical parameter monitoring), and Energy utilities.
The solution discovers and maps communication flows to expose dependencies and system interactions. It then leverages AI/ML-powered security rule recommendations to define least-privilege traffic policies and automate east-west policy updates.
Traditional perimeter defenses leave internal networks exposed once an attacker gains access. Akamai and NVIDIA enforce granular controls directly in the hardware data path, stopping unauthorized east-west connections and containing attackers before they can reach high-value assets in adjacent operational zones.
Yes, Akamai Guardicore Segmentation acts as a unified visibility and policy control layer. It allows security teams to apply consistent Zero Trust policies across both agent-based enterprise IT infrastructure and agentless OT/IIoT deployment zones.