Akamai Secures Critical Infrastructure with Agentless Zero Trust Segmentation Powered by NVIDIA
MWN-AI** Summary
Akamai Technologies, in collaboration with NVIDIA, has introduced a groundbreaking security solution designed to protect critical infrastructure from escalating cyber threats. This innovative approach combines Akamai's Guardicore Segmentation software with NVIDIA’s BlueField Data Processing Units (DPU), facilitating hardware-isolated, “agentless” security. This is particularly beneficial for operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS), which often include legacy and un-agentable equipment that is integral to essential services like water management and power distribution.
Traditional cybersecurity measures typically require agents—software installations on devices—which can pose risks to fragile systems. As cyberattacks intensify, organizations are increasingly searching for ways to secure their operations without compromising performance. The new Akamai-NVIDIA solution offers a way to introduce Zero Trust segmentation without the need for software agents, thus safeguarding sensitive environments while maintaining operational efficiency.
By shifting security-related processes to the NVIDIA BlueField DPU, the system provides comprehensive visibility and protection across networks without interrupting the functionality of legacy equipment. This capability allows real-time enforcement of security policies and detection of anomalies, effectively mitigating potential threats even if the main systems are breached.
The partnership comes at a pivotal moment, with recent government assessments indicating that key sectors, such as energy and transportation, are prime targets for cyber adversaries. This solution not only aligns organizations with stricter regulatory requirements but also enhances their cyber resilience, all while ensuring that critical operations remain uninterrupted. The Akamai and NVIDIA solution is anticipated to be available globally by Q2 2026, marking a significant advancement in the field of cybersecurity for critical infrastructures.
MWN-AI** Analysis
The recent announcement by Akamai regarding its partnership with NVIDIA to secure critical infrastructure using agentless Zero Trust segmentation is significant for investors and market participants. This innovative approach addresses the escalating threat landscape targeting operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS), which are vital to modern society's functioning, including utilities and manufacturing.
Akamai’s integration of its Guardicore Segmentation software with NVIDIA’s BlueField Data Processing Units (DPU) presents a compelling investment narrative. By leveraging NVIDIA’s hardware capabilities, Akamai can offer organizations a solution that mitigates risks without the performance drawbacks associated with traditional cybersecurity tools. This is particularly appealing to sectors that rely on aging equipment sensitive to additional software, as it allows them to enhance security without jeopardizing operational efficiency.
The increasing focus on regulatory compliance and the need for robust cyber insurance policies further underscores the strategic value of this solution. As governments and regulatory bodies tighten cybersecurity standards, organizations will likely prioritize investments in advanced security measures, positioning Akamai and NVIDIA favorably in the market. The landscape reflects a rising demand for innovative cybersecurity solutions that not only safeguard critical infrastructure but also align with regulatory landscapes.
Furthermore, the solution's emphasis on "out-of-band" visibility and real-time policy enforcement promises enhanced operational resilience—a crucial factor for organizations wary of potential cyber threats. This strategic pivot aligns with broader trends in IT and OT convergence, where the seamless integration of cybersecurity measures into operational systems is becoming essential.
Investors should consider the growth potential of both Akamai and NVIDIA within the increasingly important cybersecurity sector. Given the collaboration's expected availability in Q2 2026, stakeholders should keep an eye on Akamai's market position and potential uptake of this technology, especially in vulnerable sectors like energy and transportation, as these developments could significantly influence share performance and market sentiment in the coming years.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) has announced a new solution powered by NVIDIA to protect most vital systems from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. By combining Akamai Guardicore Segmentation software with NVIDIA BlueField Data Processing Units (DPU), the companies are delivering a way to support the full operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) landscape, including “un-agentable” industrial equipment — the heavy machinery and control systems that power modern society. Organizations can implement this hardware-isolated, “agentless” security approach to help align with strict new regulatory requirements and lower their risk profile for cyber insurance.
Protecting critical infrastructure has historically been a challenge. Most cybersecurity tools require installing agents — small pieces of software — directly onto a computer. However, as cyberthreats increasingly target mission-critical environments, organizations are seeking better ways to protect critical assets, including the specialized controllers used in water plants, power grids, and factories. Many of these systems are too old or too delicate to run extra software without risking crashes or production slowdown. As a result, organizations have often been forced to leave sensitive infrastructure exposed and vulnerable.
By offloading user-configurable security processes from the host system to the NVIDIA BlueField DPU, the joint solution enables Zero Trust segmentation without requiring software agents on fragile or legacy systems. It delivers deep, out-of-band visibility across systems, networks, and applications without disrupting operations. Security policies can be enforced in real time and are capable of creating a strong protective boundary around critical operational systems. The result is trusted insight into operational activity and improved overall cyber resilience.
In addition to segmentation, the solution can identify anomalous network connections and indicators of compromise. The agentless approach allows organizations to filter threats and isolate compromised systems at the hardware level, mitigating and obstructing threat proliferation even if a facility’s main computer is breached. Because NVIDIA BlueField acts as an independent “bump-in-the-wire” protector, users can lock down sensitive industrial equipment with minimal impact on system performance or operational uptime of the machinery itself.
“Whether you are running a water plant or a high-performance computing (HPC) cluster, your priority is keeping the system moving at full speed. You can’t afford to let security software tax your performance,” said Ofer Wolf, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Security at Akamai. “In the past, these environments were extremely difficult to secure because the machines could not handle the overhead of traditional tools without risking a crash or slowing down vital calculations. Akamai and NVIDIA are changing that. By offloading segmentation and observability to the DPU, we’re giving organizations a way to stop attacks in their tracks while maximizing CPU power for the heavy lifting it was meant to do.”
“AI is fundamentally reshaping every business, and as automation scales, safeguarding enterprise data and resources is absolutely critical — but security cannot come at the expense of uptime or resilience,” said Kevin Deierling, Senior Vice President, Networking at NVIDIA. “By integrating Akamai’s segmentation capabilities directly into NVIDIA BlueField, organizations can enforce Zero Trust at the infrastructure layer, protecting their most sensitive operations without impacting system stability or production performance.”
This collaboration between Akamai and NVIDIA comes at a crucial time. Recent assessments from the U.S. federal government highlight that energy, and transportation sectors are now primary targets for adversaries looking to cause widespread disruption.
The joint solution is expected to be available globally in Q2 2026. For more information on the Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and NVIDIA BlueField integration, please visit the Akamai blog and NVIDIA blog.
About Akamai
Akamai is the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. Our market-leading security solutions, superior threat intelligence, and global operations team provide defense in depth to safeguard enterprise data and applications everywhere. Akamai’s full-stack cloud computing solutions deliver performance and affordability on the world’s most distributed platform. Global enterprises trust Akamai to provide the industry-leading reliability, scale, and expertise they need to grow their business with confidence. Learn more at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on X and LinkedIn.
Contacts
Akamai Media Relations
akamaipr@akamai.com
Akamai Investor Relations
invrel@akamai.com
This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.
FAQ**
How does the collaboration between Akamai Technologies Inc. AKAM and NVIDIA enhance the security of critical infrastructure against sophisticated cyberattacks, particularly for industrial control systems?
Can you elaborate on how the agentless approach in Akamai Technologies Inc. AKAM's solution minimizes operational disruptions for legacy systems in sectors like energy and transportation?
In what ways does the Akamai Technologies Inc. AKAM and NVIDIA partnership address the increasing regulatory requirements surrounding cybersecurity in critical operational environments?
What are the expected implications for Akamai Technologies Inc. AKAM's market position upon the global availability of the joint solution in Q2 2026, particularly given the rising threats to infrastructure?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM).
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