Protect Your Network with Cisco HyperShield: AI-Driven Security for All Environments

Cisco HyperShield is a cutting-edge security architecture that makes hyperscale technology accessible to enterprises, delivering AI-native security for modern data centers and cloud environments. By placing control points, such as switch ports and DPU-enabled servers, HyperShield enforces capabilities and policies that are impossible to configure manually.  

This AI-native solution ensures ever-present security across various environments, from cloud and data centers to factory floors and hospital imaging rooms. Organizations benefit from autonomous network segmentation, near-instantaneous exploit protection without patches, and self-qualifying software updates, all while keeping applications running smoothly.  

HyperShield integrates advanced threat detection, automated response capabilities, and robust data encryption to safeguard sensitive information, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify and mitigate risks in real time. This proactive cybersecurity approach helps IT teams stay ahead of attackers, reducing the risk of data breaches and system compromises, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring scalability. 

Now that we’ve introduced the Cisco HyperShield platform, we’re going to take a deeper dive into the solution’s key components and benefits. Let’s get started! 

Key Components: 

Tesseract Security Agent (TSA) 

High-performance agent operates on the workload, interfacing with processes and the operating system kernel through the extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF1). Easy deployment in Kubernetes and fully functional in non-Kubernetes settings. It offers complete visibility into workload actions, monitoring network connections, file and system calls, and kernel functions, and it alerts on anomalous activities.  

Virtual machines/Containers 

Hypershield includes network enforcement points that operate within a virtual machine or container. These are strategically placed close to the workload to protect specific assets more effectively.  

Unified cloud management 

All policies are centrally organized and managed via HyperShield’s management console (CDO). New or updated policies are "compiled" and distributed to the appropriate enforcement points. This system ensures that security administrators maintain a comprehensive overview of all deployed policies, which can dynamically adapt to workloads moving from on-premises environments to public clouds or between servers.  

AI-native 

Hypershield delivers high efficacy, rapid response, and continuous protection. The system can autonomously write, test, deploy, and manage its own rules, taking advantage of the dual data-plane and extensive visibility across the network and workloads. An AI assistant is also available to explain the analysis, observed behaviors, recommendations, and more, thus earning trust through appropriate levels of autonomy and control. 

Benefits:  

Deep Visibility and Surgical Control at the Workload Level 

You’ll gain detailed insights and precise control over individual workloads to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. 

• Use case: A financial institution monitors and controls access to sensitive customer data at a granular level. 

Machine Learning Analysis Against Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) Database 

You can utilize machine learning to analyze application processes, files, and network operations, identifying vulnerabilities based on the CWE classification system. By leveraging machine learning and behavioral analysis, HyperShield can proactively identify and mitigate risks, preventing potential breaches before they impact your operations 

• Use case: An e-commerce platform detects and addresses vulnerabilities in its payment processing system before they can be exploited. 

Behavioral Analysis of Application Processes 

This component allows you to classify and respond to suspicious or malicious activity by analyzing known application behaviors and process graphs.  

• Use case: A healthcare provider identifies and mitigates unusual activity in its patient records system, preventing potential data theft. 

Rapid Blocking of Application Exploits 

You can implement compensating controls that are tested against live traffic to block exploits within minutes, ensuring optimal protection.  

• Use case: A tech company quickly neutralizes a newly discovered vulnerability in its customer support portal, maintaining service integrity. 

Comprehensive Protection Across Your Network 

Expand your protection and adopt a hyper-distributed security approach that extends protection to previously unreachable workload and network enforcement points.  

• Use case: A global enterprise ensures consistent security policies are enforced across all its branch offices and remote workers. 

Adaptive and Specific Segmentation 

Continuously learn and adapt segmentation policies, applying highly specific controls, including regex filtering, for tailored security. HyperShield’s distributed approach and adaptive segmentation provide comprehensive coverage and tailored security across the entire network 

• Use case: A manufacturing firm dynamically segments its IoT devices, ensuring they are protected from broader network threats. 

Unified Management for Networks and Workloads 

Deploy software and policy updates confidently using a dual data-plane approach, safely testing changes on live traffic without disrupting operations. Unified Management simplifies policy enforcement and updates, because you don’t need something else to worry about. 

• Use case: An educational institution rolls out new security policies across its campus network, minimizing the risk of operational downtime. 

Get Started with Cisco Hypershield in your Environment 

Ready to jump into the future of hyperconverged performance? We can help you implement and roll out Cisco Hypershield in your environment. Consider adopting Cisco HyperShield to elevate your cybersecurity! Its advanced threat detection, real-time response capabilities, and deep visibility into workload activities ensure robust protection against evolving cyber threats. With Cisco HyperShield, businesses can safeguard their critical assets, streamline security operations, and confidently navigate the complex cybersecurity landscape. IE is here to help you with deployment! Give us a call today to learn about the next steps! 

Sources 

1. Cisco Hypershield Product Page 
2. Executive blog by Jeetu Patel, EVP and GM, Cisco Security and Collaboration Business Group "Security Reimagined: Hyper-Distributed Security for the AI-Scale Data Center" 
3. Executive blog by Tom Gillis, SVP Cisco Security Business Group "A New Era of Distributed, AI-Native Security" 
4. Technical blog by Craig Connors, VP and CTO Cisco Security Business Group "Reimagining Security"