NVIDIA is partnering with Akamai, Forescout, Palo Alto Networks, Siemens, and Xage Security to accelerate computing and AI in operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) environments. The goal is to improve real-time threat detection and response for critical infrastructure. These partnerships use a distributed setup in which security is enforced at the edge and managed by centralized AI.
Today, OT and ICS environments in energy, manufacturing, and transportation rely more on enterprise networks and cloud connectivity. While this supports automation and analysis, it also increases the risk of cyberattacks. Unlike IT environments, OT systems manage physical processes, so cyber incidents can directly affect safety and operations. Many older systems were designed for durability rather than modern threats. This creates a gap between advanced attacks and current defenses.
Distributed Zero-Trust and Edge Enforcement
Forescout and NVIDIA are working together to make zero trust a reality for OT by identifying assets without requiring software agents. Forescout provides real-time risk analysis and network segmentation to restrict lateral movement without disrupting operations. By using NVIDIA BlueField DPUs for security services, protection remains hardware-isolated from essential processes, so security checks do not hinder system performance.
Siemens and Palo Alto Networks are also integrating security into industrial automation. Traditional security tools often slow processes, which can be problematic in high-availability automation. At S4x26, Siemens will showcase an AI-ready Industrial Automation Data Center. It combines virtualized compute with a cybersecurity setup that meets IEC 62443 standards. Offloading Palo Alto Networks Prisma AIRS AI Runtime Security to NVIDIA BlueField DPUs enables deep packet inspection and infrastructure-level anomaly monitoring. This keeps latency low while still monitoring industrial traffic.
Agentless Segmentation and Energy Infrastructure Protection
Akamai Technologies has expanded its Guardicore Platform to NVIDIA BlueField, enabling agentless segmentation. This lets operators secure devices and workloads in safe zones without installing agents on older or safety-certified hardware. Segmentation occurs at full network speed within the DPU, enabling rapid threat containment and ensuring that urgent workloads in data centers or edge locations run smoothly.
Xage Security is working with NVIDIA to protect the energy infrastructure that supports large-scale AI projects. Xage offers a distributed, identity-based security platform that safeguards a significant portion of the U.S. midstream pipeline. At S4x26, Xage will demonstrate how to embed zero-trust enforcement directly into energy and AI environments using NVIDIA BlueField. This integration enables the management of third-party access and secures AI operations at scale while maintaining reliability.
A Unified OT Cybersecurity Architecture
A clear cybersecurity architecture is emerging from these collaborations. Security services run on NVIDIA BlueField DPUs near operational systems, enabling hardware-isolated inspection and enforcement. OT data generated at the edge is sent to centralized AI centers for pattern analysis and anomaly detection across multiple sites.
This model enables local security actions at the edge while sharing central insights. The coordinated defense enhances visibility and speeds up response times across distributed environments. By moving security functions to the DPU, organizations can ensure consistent performance and protect uptime while establishing a new standard for resilience in critical infrastructure.
NVIDIA and its partners will demonstrate these accelerated computing and AI solutions at S4x26 in Miami from February 24 to 26.
Amazon