HPE Aruba looks to fight AI threats with AI weapons

New AI support is built into HPE Aruba Networking Central, which uses machine learning models to analyze dynamic device attributes, including traffic patterns and behavioral characteristics such as connection state and network residency, to accurately categorize and identify IoT and traditional devices, Green stated.  

“HPE Aruba Networking Central AIOps has a long history of building automated network activity baselines for troubleshooting and remediation, and now we are using AI to extend that capability to individual devices,” Green stated. “This enables not only more precise, automated fingerprinting to support Zero Trust Security, but also the ability to use behavior baselines to spot anomalies that can indicate compromise and attack.”

In addition to the AI-powered profiling, HPE Aruba is adding other AI-driven capabilities to improve security. For example, HPE Aruba Networking uses AIOps and machine learning models to intelligently hibernate APs during periods of low activity, eliminating potential entry points for malicious activity and reducing attack surface, Green noted.

On the SSE front, Aruba is integrating technology from its 2023 purchase of Axis Security into its SSE, SD-WAN and SASE offerings. According to Gartner, SSE combines several key security functions – including a cloud-access security broker (CASB), secure web gateway, zero-trust network access (ZTNA), and a next-generation firewall – into a cloud-based service to streamline management.

The new Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) fills out HPE Aruba’s SSE package, which already includes ZTNA, CASB and other key SEE components. The FWaaS is tied to a variety of components within the HPE Networking SSE service so security teams can secure and manage networked resources from a single UI and set global policies. centrally, Green stated.

In addition to the FWaaS, Aruba added dashboards within HPE Aruba Networking SSE to enhance visibility into an organization’s security status. Dashboards include views into applications in use, user activity, security events, and ZTNA adoption. Security personnel can use this information to identify shadow IT applications and reduce the associated risk of unauthorized access.