Summary
Cisco Secure Workload, integrated with NVIDIA BlueField-3 Data Processing Units (DPUs), marks a significant advancement in workload security and operational efficiency. This collaboration enhances security by monitoring network traffic and providing actionable intelligence to prevent threats. Key features include microsegmentation, workload encryption, threat detection and prevention, and automated incident response. The integration of BlueField-3 DPUs offloads security-critical tasks from virtual machines (VMs), freeing CPU resources for core application processing and improving overall performance.
Enhancing Workload Security with Cisco and NVIDIA
In today’s complex digital landscape, safeguarding application workloads across diverse infrastructures is paramount. Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, necessitating cutting-edge solutions to protect critical assets. Cisco Secure Workload, a comprehensive security solution, addresses this need by integrating with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs to revolutionize workload security.
What is Cisco Secure Workload?
Cisco Secure Workload is designed to protect application workloads across various infrastructures, locations, and form factors. It provides deep 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 VMs, freeing CPU resources for core application processing and improving overall performance.
- 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.
Technical Advantages of BlueField DPUs
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.
- NVIDIA Accelerated Switching and Packet Processing (ASAP2): Enables OVS offloading by handling the OVS data-plane in BlueField while maintaining the OVS control-plane unmodified, resulting in higher OVS performance without the associated CPU load.
- Hardware Access Control Lists (ACLs): Offloads ACL processing from the CPU to the DPU, freeing the CPU for other tasks and improving overall system performance.
Benefits of Cisco Secure Workload with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs
The combination of Cisco Secure Workload and NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs delivers robust protection without compromising performance. Key benefits include:
- Improved Data Confidentiality: Ensures data encryption and decryption without significantly impacting network performance.
- Reduced Attack Surface: Isolates workloads and restricts lateral movement within the network.
- Optimized Security Performance: Offloads security tasks to the DPU, improving overall system performance.
Additional Information
For more detailed information on how Cisco Secure Workload and NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs can transform your network’s efficiency and security, explore the following resources:
- Cisco Secure Workload: Learn more about how Cisco Secure Workload can help protect your critical application workloads.
- NVIDIA BlueField DPU: Discover how NVIDIA BlueField DPUs can enhance your data center security and efficiency.
Table: Key Features of Cisco Secure Workload and NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Microsegmentation | Isolates workloads and restricts lateral movement within the network. |
| Workload Encryption | Ensures data encryption both at rest and in transit. |
| Threat Detection and Prevention | Employs advanced mechanisms to identify and thwart malicious activities. |
| Automated Incident Response | Automates response procedures to swiftly contain and remediate threats. |
| Hardware Acceleration and Offloading | Offloads security-critical tasks from VMs to the DPU. |
| Enhanced Scalability | Accommodates more VMs without compromising performance. |
| Fortified Security | Provides isolation between the network and VMs. |
| Streamlined Workload Enforcement | Offloads security tasks to the DPU. |
| Reduced Latency | Improves application response times. |
| Simplified Operations | Centralizes management of security policies. |
Table: Technical Advantages of BlueField DPUs
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 16 Arm A78 Cores | Optimizes high-performance packet processing applications. |
| NVIDIA Accelerated Switching and Packet Processing (ASAP2) | Enables OVS offloading. |
| Hardware Access Control Lists (ACLs) | Offloads ACL processing from the CPU to the DPU. |
| Hardware Root of Trust | Provides a tamper-proof foundation for cryptographic operations. |
| Secure Boot | Ensures only authorized firmware is loaded during system startup. |
| Memory Isolation | Creates secure enclaves within memory to isolate security workloads. |
Table: Benefits of Cisco Secure Workload with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Improved Data Confidentiality | Ensures data encryption and decryption without impacting network performance. |
| Reduced Attack Surface | Isolates workloads and restricts lateral movement within the network. |
| Optimized Security Performance | Offloads security tasks to the DPU, improving overall system performance. |
| Enhanced Scalability | Accommodates more VMs without compromising performance. |
| Simplified Operations | Centralizes management of security policies. |
Conclusion
Cisco Secure Workload, integrated with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs, represents a significant step forward in security and operational efficiency. This collaboration provides robust protection without compromising performance, paving the way for a more secure and agile future for businesses of all sizes. By leveraging the combined power of Cisco Secure Workload and NVIDIA BlueField-3, organizations can achieve a new level of security that was previously unavailable.