HPE Aruba Networking sees AI threats are on the rise. At the same time, AI can alleviate these risks by detecting them early. According to Aruba, this is only possible if the network is used as a useful tool to fight off cyber threats.
AI sometimes makes it more likely to unintentionally forego security best practices. However, complete zero-trust security is critical for an organization. In addition, IoT devices, many of which are easily cracked by hackers, are often a blind spot because they are on the edge of the network. Separating factory sensors from the corporate network is also not a solution, as it removes all visibility.
AI detection of IoT
HPE Aruba is therefore now offering new AI-driven discovery and classification features for IoT devices within HPE Aruba Networking Central. Continuous monitoring and alerts for unusual or excessive behavior integrate IoT with IT without posing additional dangers.
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This AI offering builds on existing AIOps and machine learning solutions within the HPE Aruba suite. Network traffic patterns, dynamic device attributes, connection status and network residency all count as indicators that can betray unusual activity. In fact, this extension to IoT is an application of lessons learned previously to secure “conventional” enterprise networks. However, this is now more topical than ever, as IoT devices display very useful information for AI purposes. Examples include the measuring of equipment operations to increase efficiency or the combining of data from camera images with other measurements to train AI.
IoT protection can also be found with new Secure Web Gateway (SWG) capabilities within HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect. As a turnkey solution, EdgeConnect gateways provide the ability to route all traffic from unmanaged and IoT devices through Aruba Networking SSE. Thus, there is no need to install a new software agent.
Axis integration
The acquisition of SSE vendor Axis Security from early 2023 is also paying off. At the RSA Conference, HPE Aruba emphasized this point once more: together with Axis, the company now holds the “most comprehensive edge portfolio in the industry” according to its CEO Antonio Neri. That includes coverage of SSE, firewalls, private 5G and Wi-Fi 7.
HPE Aruba Networking SSE additionally gets new Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) capabilities. This allows protection of data and devices regardless of where they are located. FWaaS is tethered to a variety of components within the HPE Networking SSE service, security teams can manage everything from a single UI with global policies.
HPE has significantly expanded its own portfolio through the acquisitions of Axis Security and also Athonet. Earlier this year, it added another networking party: Juniper Networks. Although the acquisition is not yet complete, we have already taken an extensive look at what this means for the market:
Tip: HPE acquires Juniper: surprising, but makes quite a bit of sense