NVIDIA announced five partnerships at the S4x26 security conference aimed at securing industrial control systems through its BlueField data processing units. The collaborations bring major cybersecurity vendors into industrial environments struggling to protect decades-old equipment now connected to modern networks.
BlueField chips handle security processing separately from operational systems, preventing security software from slowing down production equipment. This matters in factories and utilities where equipment predates modern cybersecurity and can’t run additional software without affecting performance.
Palo Alto Networks will deploy its Prisma AIRS security platform on BlueField units for infrastructure-level packet inspection. Forescout brings asset discovery capabilities that work without installing agents on legacy equipment. Akamai extended its Guardicore platform for high-speed network segmentation.
Siemens is integrating BlueField into industrial automation data centers, positioning the combination as the first zero-trust solution built specifically for factory automation. Xage Security, which already secures U.S. pipeline infrastructure, will embed zero-trust controls into energy and AI systems.
The partnerships address a widening vulnerability gap. Industrial facilities connect operational technology to corporate networks for remote monitoring and cloud analytics, but the legacy equipment’s weren’t designed for network security. Adding protection typically requires choosing between security and performance.
Energy infrastructure presents particular urgency since AI data centers depend on power systems that themselves face cyber threats. Xage’s participation reflects concerns about protecting both the AI infrastructure and the energy systems supporting it.
Deployment remains the challenge. Industrial operators prioritize uptime over adopting new technology, even security tools. NVIDIA’s partnerships with established players like Siemens provide credibility, but converting announcements into installed systems takes time in industries that move deliberately.
