Cisco Boosts Workload Security with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs
In
a
significant
advancement
in
cybersecurity,
Cisco
has
announced
the
latest
version
of
its
Secure
Workload
solution,
integrating
NVIDIA’s
BlueField-3
Data
Processing
Units
(DPUs).
This
collaboration
aims
to
enhance
workload
security
and
operational
efficiency,
addressing
the
growing
sophistication
of
cyberattacks,
according
to
NVIDIA
Technical
Blog.
Cisco
Secure
Workload
Key
Features
Cisco
Secure
Workload
is
designed
to
protect
application
workloads
across
various
infrastructures.
It
provides
unparalleled
visibility
into
workload
interactions
and
leverages
AI
to
automate
complex
tasks.
Key
features
include:
-
Microsegmentation:
Isolates
workloads
and
restricts
lateral
movement
within
the
network,
minimizing
the
attack
surface. -
Workload
encryption:
Ensures
data
encryption
both
at
rest
and
in
transit,
safeguarding
sensitive
information. -
Threat
detection
and
prevention:
Employs
advanced
mechanisms
to
identify
and
thwart
malicious
activities
in
real-time. -
Automated
incident
response:
Automates
response
procedures
to
swiftly
contain
and
remediate
threats.
Integration
with
NVIDIA
BlueField-3
DPUs
The
integration
of
NVIDIA
BlueField-3
DPUs
with
Cisco
Secure
Workload
introduces
a
new
level
of
security
and
efficiency.
BlueField
DPUs,
with
dedicated
Arm
cores,
offload
security-critical
tasks
from
virtual
machines
(VMs),
freeing
CPU
resources
for
core
application
processing
and
improving
overall
performance.
BlueField
DPUs
are
strategically
placed
in
the
data
path
between
the
network
and
VMs,
enhancing
data
center
security.
Key
features
of
BlueField
DPUs
include:
-
Hardware
acceleration
and
offloading:
Dedicated
hardware
accelerators
for
encryption,
decryption,
and
data
compression
improve
performance
by
offloading
these
tasks
from
the
CPU. -
Enhanced
scalability:
Hardware
offloading
capabilities
accommodate
more
VMs
without
compromising
performance. -
Fortified
security:
Provides
isolation
between
the
network
and
VMs,
preventing
unauthorized
access
and
complementing
Cisco
Secure
Workload’s
software-based
protections. -
Streamlined
workload
enforcement:
Offloads
security
tasks
to
the
DPU,
enforcing
security
policies
more
efficiently. -
Reduced
latency:
Offloading
security
functions
to
the
BlueField-3
reduces
latency,
improving
application
response
times. -
Simplified
operations:
Centralized
management
of
security
policies
reduces
the
complexity
of
security
management.
BlueField
Technical
Advantage
BlueField
DPUs
significantly
enhance
the
efficiency
of
Cisco
Secure
Workload
by
monitoring
network
traffic
and
providing
actionable
intelligence
to
prevent
threats.
With
16
Arm
A78
cores,
BlueField
DPUs
optimize
high-performance
packet
processing
applications,
offloading
compute-
and
data-intensive
tasks
from
the
CPU.
The
combination
of
NVIDIA
accelerated
switching
and
packet
processing
(ASAP2)
and
NVIDIA
DOCA
enhances
scalability
and
CPU
efficiency.
Offloading
communication
and
Open
vSwitch
(OVS)
processing
to
the
BlueField
DPU
simplifies
security
management,
reduces
the
need
for
multiple
agent
instances,
and
improves
overall
system
performance.
BlueField
DPUs
also
handle
Access
Control
Lists
(ACLs)
processing,
freeing
the
CPU
for
other
tasks
and
improving
system
performance.
The
hardware
acceleration
of
encryption
and
decryption
of
data
in
transit
ensures
data
confidentiality
without
significantly
impacting
network
performance.
Summary
Cisco
Secure
Workload,
integrated
with
NVIDIA
BlueField-3
DPU,
represents
a
significant
step
forward
in
security
and
operational
efficiency.
This
combination
of
hardware
and
software
innovation
provides
robust
protection
without
compromising
performance,
paving
the
way
for
a
more
secure
and
agile
future
for
businesses
of
all
sizes.
For
more
information,
visit
the
NVIDIA
Technical
Blog.
Image
source:
Shutterstock
.
.
.
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