Illumio has announced a new collaboration with NVIDIA to help critical infrastructure organisations improve their Zero Trust cybersecurity capabilities. The partnership integrates Illumio’s breach containment platform with NVIDIA’s BlueField data processing units (DPUs), offering enhanced protection and operational visibility across both IT and Operational Technology (OT) environments.
The move comes amid rising cyber threats and growing pressure on critical sectors to boost resilience and reduce risk. By enabling Illumio to run directly on NVIDIA BlueField, the integration allows security teams to gain real-time insights into network activity, apply precise security controls, and respond quickly to potential breaches without affecting system performance.
Supporting Zero Trust in IT and OT systems
Critical infrastructure operators often face challenges in securing interconnected IT and OT environments. With this integration, Illumio provides detailed traffic visibility between systems equipped with BlueField DPUs, using its labelling architecture to help teams understand communication patterns and enforce consistent policy controls.
The solution supports the deployment of Zero Trust principles within complex industrial control systems (ICS), reducing the risk of lateral movement by attackers. It also simplifies segmentation across environments, helping teams deploy defences faster and with fewer technical complications.
Operational resilience without disruption
One of the key benefits of the collaboration is that organisations can apply microsegmentation and other security policies without the need for architectural overhauls. The platform enables teams to identify assets, monitor traffic, and enforce controls without affecting system uptime.
Illumio also plans to add AI-driven threat detection capabilities in the future, helping organisations detect risks and suspicious activity more efficiently in industrial environments.
“The integration between Illumio and NVIDIA will significantly strengthen security for cyber-physical systems and bring us closer to achieving our vision of a world without cyber disasters,” said Todd Palmer, Senior Vice President of Global Partner Sales and Alliances at Illumio. “Critical infrastructure is under threat like never before. Together with NVIDIA, we’re making it easier for organisations to protect critical systems, ensure operational continuity, and meet stringent compliance requirements in an increasingly complex landscape.”
“Cyber risks against critical infrastructure are more sophisticated and disruptive than ever, and lateral movement remains a key factor in successful attacks,” added Ofir Arkin, Senior Distinguished Architect for Cybersecurity at NVIDIA. “Integrating the Illumio and NVIDIA BlueField platforms enables organisations to enhance visibility and control across IT and OT networks, reduce risk, contain attacks, and strengthen operational resilience.”
Part of a growing ecosystem
Illumio was recently recognised as a leader in The Forrester Wave: Microsegmentation Solutions, Q3 2024, and is a dedicated segmentation vendor within the NVIDIA partner ecosystem. Its cybersecurity platform is built on an AI security graph and includes Illumio Insights for cloud detection and response, as well as Illumio Segmentation for Zero Trust policy enforcement.
Together, Illumio and NVIDIA aim to make it easier for operators of essential systems to adopt a Zero Trust approach, reducing the risk of widespread disruption and strengthening their overall cyber posture.
