Cisco and NVIDIA Unveil Secure AI Factory
Cisco and NVIDIA have launched the Cisco Secure AI Factory, a new AI architecture that prioritizes security at every layer. This collaboration builds on their expanded partnership announced last month. Both companies are moving quickly to deliver validated reference architectures to help enterprises deploy, manage, and secure AI infrastructure at any scale.
Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco, stressed the importance of integrating security with AI:
'AI can unlock groundbreaking opportunities for the enterprise. To achieve this, the integration of networking and security is essential. Cisco and NVIDIA's trusted, innovative solutions empower our customers to harness AI's full potential simply and securely.'
Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the need for robust protection: 'AI factories are transforming every industry, and security must be built into every layer to protect data, applications, and infrastructure. Together, NVIDIA and Cisco are creating the blueprint for secure AI—giving enterprises the foundation they need to confidently scale AI while safeguarding their most valuable assets.'
What Is the Cisco Secure AI Factory?
AI factories—data centers designed to handle AI workloads—require more than just advanced computing power. They also need built-in security to protect data, applications, and infrastructure.
The Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA addresses these challenges. It integrates advanced networking, security solutions, and scalable architecture to simplify AI deployment while ensuring comprehensive protection.
At the core of this collaboration is the NVIDIA Spectrum-X™ Ethernet networking platform. Cisco also integrates key security solutions:
Cisco Hypershield: Protects AI workloads by preventing lateral movement and mitigating vulnerabilities.
Cisco AI Defense: Safeguards AI models and applications across their lifecycle while aligning with key security standards like NIST, MITRE ATLAS, and OWASP LLM Top 10.
Three Layers of AI Security
Cisco and NVIDIA's Secure AI Factory embeds security across three critical layers:
Infrastructure Security: Cisco's Hybrid Mesh Firewall delivers unified security management. Future plans include integration with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs for zero-trust security across AI nodes. Workload Security: Cisco Hypershield provides proactive vulnerability mitigation without patching. Upcoming features will enhance real-time threat detection through NVIDIA BlueField-3's DOCA AppShield. AI Application Security: Cisco AI Defense protects AI applications from safety risks and streamlines security workflows. Future integrations with NVIDIA AI Enterprise will further strengthen AI security.
Flexible Deployment Options
Cisco and NVIDIA offer two deployment models to fit different enterprise needs:
Ready-to-Deploy: A complete, vertically integrated solution combining Cisco's security tools with NVIDIA's technology. This option automates the AI factory lifecycle—from design to deployment and monitoring. Build-Your-Own: Modular components from Cisco, NVIDIA, and ecosystem partners allow businesses to customize their AI infrastructure.
Accelerating AI Adoption
Cisco and NVIDIA are moving fast to meet the rising demand for AI infrastructure. Since announcing their collaboration in February 2025, Cisco has already developed new reference architectures for:
Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric AI
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches
These architectures are validated against NVIDIA's Enterprise Reference Architecture for HGX H200 and Spectrum-X.
By combining their expertise, Cisco and NVIDIA deliver scalable, secure AI infrastructure that helps businesses at every stage of their AI journey.
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