At Cisco Live 2024, Cisco unveiled a series of new security offerings designed to help companies quickly detect and limit cyberattacks, firmly establishing itself as a leader in AI-powered defense capabilities. This article delves into the significant announcements made at the event, exploring how Cisco’s new security technologies are set to transform the landscape of cyber defense and digital resilience.

Unveiling Hypershield: A New Era in Security Architecture

Cisco announced that its new Hypershield security platform, first unveiled at the RSA Conference 2024, would support Pensando data processing units (DPUs) by AMD and infrastructure processing units (IPUs) by Intel. DPUs and IPUs are emerging specialty processors designed to accelerate workloads within data centers in the AI era. DPUs focus on data processing tasks, while IPUs accelerate network infrastructure and services like virtual switching.

Hypershield is described as a security architecture designed to defend modern, AI-scale data centers. During his keynote remarks, Jeetu Patel, Cisco’s executive vice president and general manager for security and collaboration, emphasized the revolutionary nature of Hypershield: “Hypershield represents a completely new category of security product, one that no other company offers. It’s our biggest security innovation in 40 years.”

The platform’s ability to integrate with DPUs and IPUs signifies a major step forward in enhancing data center security. These units accelerate processing and network tasks, enabling Hypershield to provide robust protection without compromising performance. This capability is crucial as data centers handle increasingly complex and voluminous data workloads in the AI era.

Enhancing Firewall Capabilities with the 1200 Series

Cisco also announced a new generation of firewall, the 1200 series, expected to be available in October. These firewalls are “SD-WAN enabled, high-performing, compact security appliances that eliminate the need for multiple appliances at enterprise branch locations.” According to Cisco, the 1200 series can deliver up to three times the performance of comparable competitive firewalls.

The 1200 series firewalls will integrate seamlessly with Cisco Security Cloud, which was introduced as a new way of managing Cisco’s popular security platform. This integration aims to simplify security management, providing a unified interface for monitoring and controlling security operations across an organization’s network.

Incorporating Splunk for Enhanced Data Analytics

In a move to bolster its security capabilities, Cisco announced it would integrate data from Splunk, a security observability and data analytics company acquired for $28 billion in March, into the Security Cloud platform. Patel described security as “a data problem” that can only be solved with comprehensive data and analytics capabilities.

“The more data that can be correlated together to help increase the signal and reduce the noise, the better,” Patel said. By integrating Splunk’s data analytics capabilities, Cisco aims to provide its customers with the most comprehensive datasets and analytics tools available. This approach will enhance the ability to detect and respond to threats more effectively, improving the overall security posture of organizations.

The Concept of Cyber Resilience

An effective security program involves not only breach prevention but also rapid response and recovery. Patel highlighted the growing importance of cyber resilience—the ability to quickly detect and recover from cyberattacks. Recognizing that total prevention is unrealistic, organizations must focus on minimizing the impact of breaches.

“The name of the game, the thing we have to do, is prevent lateral movement,” Patel explained. Once an attacker has breached a network, they often move laterally to find valuable data to steal or encrypt. Cisco’s extensive experience in networking, security, and AI positions it uniquely to provide the data and telemetry needed to detect and prevent lateral movement.

Cisco Technology in Action

Two notable users of Cisco technology, WWE and Room & Board, shared their experiences at Cisco Live 2024, highlighting the practical benefits of Cisco’s network observability and security solutions.

Ralph Riley, director of broadcast IT systems for WWE, discussed how Cisco’s network observability technology has minimized disruptions during live broadcasts, ensuring millions of fans can enjoy matches without interruption. “We’ve been using Cisco technology for decades, and to see the evolution from our TV studio a few decades ago to where we are now has been amazing,” Riley said.

Room & Board faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, needing to shift from in-person customer interactions to a digital format. Mark Rodrigue, senior network engineer, explained how the company leveraged cloud-based applications and Cisco’s network observability tools to recreate the in-person experience online.

“We pride ourselves on the experience we provide our customers,” Rodrigue said. “We had to focus on how to take the in-person experience and build it in a digital format.” The integration of security and monitoring functionality via Cisco ThousandEyes allowed Room & Board’s IT team to track and proactively troubleshoot network issues, ensuring a seamless digital experience for customers.

Future Trends in Security and Observability

The advancements in Cisco’s security offerings and network observability tools are setting the stage for future trends in IT security and operations. As businesses continue to digitalize and rely more on AI and cloud-based applications, the need for comprehensive security and observability solutions will only grow.

One emerging trend is the integration of AI and machine learning into security and observability tools. These technologies can enhance the ability to predict and prevent cyber threats, providing deeper insights and faster resolutions. By analyzing patterns and identifying anomalies, AI-driven security solutions can offer proactive defense mechanisms.

Conclusion

Cisco Live 2024 highlighted significant advancements in security technology, with new offerings designed to enhance digital resilience and protect against cyber threats. With innovative platforms like Hypershield and advanced integration capabilities, Cisco is leading the way in AI-powered security solutions. As organizations navigate the complexities of the digital landscape, adopting comprehensive security and observability tools will be essential to maintaining robust and reliable IT infrastructures. The announcements at Cisco Live 2024 underscore the critical importance of integrating advanced security measures into the fabric of network infrastructure. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and focusing on cyber resilience, organizations can better protect their assets and ensure continuous operation in an increasingly connected world.