WWT - Experts & Thought Leaders

Cisco announced innovations to help enterprises reimagine security for the AI era. Security teams are racing to securely adopt AI throughout their enterprises, while threat actors are using AI to increase the frequency and reduce the cost of launching sophisticated cyber attacks. To overcome this unprecedented challenge, Cisco is fusing security capabilities deeper into its networking infrastructure, helping companies implement zero trust architectures, innovating on security for AI apps and models, and delivering breakthrough AI tools that improve threat detection and remediation.   Cisco Splunk integrations Cisco announced further Splunk integrations that unify data across platforms, helping security teams Key advancements announced at Cisco Live include solutions for Hybrid Mesh Firewall and Universal Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) that simplify policy management, enhance visibility, and enable enterprises to scale securely without adding complexity to their security stack. In addition, Cisco announced further Splunk integrations that unify data across platforms, helping security teams automate tasks and respond faster to threats.  Cisco AI apps and models “Safety and security are the defining challenges of the AI era—and agentic AI multiplies the risk, as every new agent is both a force multiplier and a fresh attack surface,” said Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco. “At the same time, threat actors are already leveraging AI tools to launch more sophisticated attacks than ever. To help IT and security teams fight back, Cisco is reimagining how we secure networks, protect AI apps and models, manage identity, and equip security teams with the AI tools they need to meet the moment.”   Reimagining zero trust: Fusing AI-powered security  Cisco is addressing these challenges with innovative solutions for AI-ready data centres Robust network security has never been more critical, as enterprises navigate increasingly complex environments characterised by a growing number of applications, a highly-distributed and mobile workforce, and sophisticated AI-driven threats. Adopting a zero-trust security approach – including continuously verifying users, applications, and soon AI agents – is critical to preventing the lateral movement of threats across hybrid environments. Cisco is addressing these challenges with innovative solutions for AI-ready data centres and campus networks, centred on the Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall and Universal ZTNA.  Zero-trust security framework Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall and Universal ZTNA work together to deliver a robust zero-trust security framework that seamlessly integrates into the network. For zero-trust segmentation, AI application protection and advanced threat shield across diverse environments For zero-trust segmentation, AI application protection and advanced threat protection across diverse environments, including data centres and IoT, Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall offers a distributed security fabric.  This fabric includes Cisco and third-party firewalls, Cisco Hypershield and Cisco Secure Workload. For secure, identity-driven access for users and devices, regardless of location, Universal ZTNA unifies policy management and extends zero trust principles even to unmanaged devices and IoT. Cisco’s Security Cloud Control   Together, these solutions secure user-to-application connections and back-end interactions, simplify management through Cisco’s Security Cloud Control, and enhance observability with AI-driven insights, empowering organisations to scale securely and protect their digital assets in a complex threat landscape.  Cisco’s Hybrid Mesh Firewall is adding hardware as well as new enforcement points and policy management capabilities in Security Cloud Control with its latest innovations:  Cisco Secure Firewall 6100 Series: Addresses complexity, cost, and scalability challenges in AI-ready data centres with the highest performance density for data centre firewalling — 200 Gbps per rack unit — and modular scalability.   Cisco Secure Firewall 200 Series: Delivers advanced on-box threat inspection and integrated software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) for distributed branches, at up to 3x price-performance compared to competition.   Expanded Enforcement Points: Cisco Security Cloud Control will extend unified policy management to next generation firewall (NGFW) on Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (including on the new Cisco 8000 Secure Router Series), Cisco Hypershield-ready C9000 Smart Switches, and Cisco’s Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) data centre fabrics.  Multi-Vendor Segmentation Policy: Cisco Security Cloud Control introduces Mesh Policy Engine, enabling teams to define a single intent-based policy that is enforced across Cisco and third-party firewalls. Not only does this simplify day-to-day operations, it also enables organisations to change enforcement points without re-writing policy.  Cisco’s Universal ZTNA Cisco’s Universal ZTNA will also bring customers new innovations that simplify secure connectivity and enhance visibility across hybrid environments and AI agents.  Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Simplified: All Cisco SD-WAN offerings, including Meraki, now integrate with Cisco Secure Access. This enables customers to choose the optimal branch connectivity while still enjoying a unified security service edge (SSE) policy and consistent enforcement.   Frictionless Phishing Resistance: With the launch of Duo Identity and Access Management (IAM), Duo now acts as an identity broker. With a new complete passwordless option and unique proximity verification capability, Duo layers end-to-end phishing resistance—without clunky hardware tokens—on top of existing identity infrastructure.  Enabling agentic AI securely The emergence of agentic AI is revolutionising workplaces while introducing critical security and safety challenges. These AI agents autonomously access enterprise resources, make decisions, and act on behalf of users, necessitating robust safeguards. To tackle these pressing issues, Cisco is advancing its Universal Zero Trust architecture to:  Secure agentic identities  Enable seamless zero-trust access to enterprise resources  Provide comprehensive tracking of agent actions  Cisco Security investments Cisco's vision integrates cutting-edge capabilities, including automated agent discovery Cisco's vision integrates cutting-edge capabilities, including automated agent discovery, delegated authorisation, secure zero trust agentic access, and native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP).  This approach is powered by Cisco Duo IAM, Cisco Identity Intelligence, Cisco Secure Access, and Cisco AI Defense, unified under a single policy framework in Security Cloud Control. By leveraging these innovations, enterprises can confidently adopt agentic AI, ensuring unparalleled safety and security while maximising their Cisco Security investments. Transformative approach to security "The AI era demands a transformative approach to security. Organisations need distributed, identity-based, zero trust protection for applications, users, AI models and agents, supported by a unified policy framework," said John Grady, Principal Analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. "Cisco is in a very unique position to support this with its ability to embed advanced protections directly into the network through innovations like Hybrid Mesh Firewall and Universal Zero Trust Network Access, which safeguard AI models and applications, manage identity, and simplify policy management across distributed environments." Latest innovations from Hybrid Mesh Firewall "As AI continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace and new cybersecurity challenges emerge, it's even more important to fuse security into the very fabric of the network," said Chris Konrad, Vice President, Global Cyber, World Wide Technology. “Cisco is redefining security for the AI era with its latest innovations from Hybrid Mesh Firewall to Universal Zero Trust Network Access. This integrated approach will help our customers to prepare for an AI-driven future and achieve better outcomes, by protecting AI models and applications, managing identity, and providing essential tools to combat increasingly complex threats.”  Splunk integrations unlock new threat detection and response   As security challenges become more complex, organisations need integrated solutions that enhance visibility, accelerate detection, and streamline response. Advancements between Cisco and Splunk strengthen interoperability across key security workflows. By unifying and enriching data across platforms, these enhancements help security teams respond faster, reduce manual effort, and extract greater value from their security operations. This expanded functionality includes:  Surface Insights from Cisco Secure Firewall integrated with Splunk: Customers using Cisco Secure Firewall will be able to unlock deeper threat insights within Splunk by ingesting firewall log data. This enables advanced detections and helps security teams maximise the value of their Cisco and Splunk investments.  Expanded Threat Detection, Investigation and Response (TDIR) Coverage with Enhanced Detection Integration with Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense: The Cisco Security Cloud App for Splunk now delivers deeper support for Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD), enabling enriched correlation and detection content aligned to TDIR workflows. Combined with telemetry from Cisco AI Defense, Cisco XDR, Cisco Multicloud Defense, Cisco Talos, and other sources, Splunk accelerates detection use cases across hybrid environments.  Streamlined TDIR with Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) integrations for Cisco Secure Firewall: Expanded SOAR integrations now include Cisco Secure Firewall-specific actions to support containment and response within TDIR workflows. This is in addition to the currently available Cisco Talos Threat Intel integration. Playbooks can automatically isolate hosts, block outbound connections, and apply policy controls, reducing manual effort and accelerating resolution.  Connected Application Risk Signals from Splunk AppDynamics: By forwarding Secure Application events into Splunk, security teams gain visibility into application-layer vulnerabilities and threats, helping to contextualise findings within broader business risk. 

Illumio Inc., the Zero Trust Segmentation (ZTS) company, announced the evolution of its global Enlighten Partner Program, offering a significantly expanded set of enablement tools to the global partner community. A comprehensive curriculum and complimentary hands-on training will make it easier to sell, implement and operate Illumio solutions. A new pricing program, price protection and a no-cost services enablement program reassure partners that they are investing in a winning opportunity with Illumio. Cyber resilience Microsegmentation is a critical component of Zero Trust and essential for preventing breaches Despite organisations’ best efforts to prevent breaches, threat actors continue to get in and cause significant damage and destruction. Microsegmentation is a critical component of Zero Trust and essential for preventing breaches and ransomware from escalating into catastrophic disasters.  While many organisations realise the critical role microsegmentation plays in breach containment and cyber resilience, most don’t know where to start. Illumio is arming partners to step in and fill this critical gap for their customers. Value of microsegmentation “The value of microsegmentation is indisputable. Organisations understand the necessity and want to proceed, but the perceived complexity often stands in the way. This creates an enormous opportunity for our partners,” says Todd Palmer, Senior Vice President of Global Partner Sales and Alliances. “To empower our partners, we’ve evolved our partner program to ensure they have all the necessary resources and support to guide their customers forward with microsegmentation as part of their Zero Trust journey.” Zero Trust Segmentation “Microsegmentation is something the industry would have liked to have solved a long time ago. The inevitability of an attack makes limiting the blast radius paramount. But there are reasons why lateral movement has been allowed to go unchecked, not the least of which is a level of confusion in the market as to how to do this simply,” said Chris Nicholson, Area Vice President, Global Security Sales & Advisory, World Wide Technology. “Illumio has leveraged its expertise in Zero Trust Segmentation to thoughtfully evolve its program, providing WWT with resources to guide our clients through their Zero Trust journey.” Cybersecurity components Illumio was purpose-built to prevent attackers from moving laterally once they breach an organisation Described as “the original microsegmentation specialist” and a market pioneer by Forrester, Illumio was purpose-built to prevent attackers from moving laterally once they breach an organisation. “We have been distributing Illumio in France since 2020 and we can see now that customers are more and more conscious that microsegmentation is one of the main cybersecurity components of their infrastructure. As the pioneer in the microsegmentation market, Illumio’s technology presents a significant opportunity for our partners. Their solution is flexible, simple to use and to implement,” said Jean-Baptiste Pommé, General Manager, MIEL. AI-driven insights Pommé added: “We are convinced that Illumio is the best microsegmentation solution and our team will be heavily involved in helping our partners develop their skills and businesses thanks to the new channel program.” The Illumio ZTS platform prevents breaches from spreading across clouds, endpoints, and data centres. Illumio’s microsegmentation capabilities By combining a proprietary graph that continually visualises connectivity throughout the environment with AI-driven insights that discover and highlight anomalies and malicious connections, Illumio delivers immediate risk reduction.  By creating granular policies that only allow necessary connections to occur, Illumio’s microsegmentation capabilities automatically isolate breaches by reducing and restricting lateral movement either proactively or in response to an attack.

A Rubrik Zero Labs report found that 66% of IT and security pioneers report that data growth outpaces their ability to secure data and mitigate risk. Adversaries are noticing, increasing the sophistication of cyberattacks, and leveraging gaps in coverage to target critical data for destruction, theft, or extortion. As the volume of data continues to grow and exacerbate visibility challenges, organisations must find ways to manage and protect their constantly expanding data. Organisations need to be able to address this increasingly complex challenge. Therefore, Rubrik and Cisco join forces to enhance organisations’ cyber resilience and protect mission-critical data against cyberattacks.  Joining Cisco SolutionsPlus First, Rubrik joins Cisco’s SolutionsPlus program, a strategic move where all of Rubrik’s products–including the Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) offering–are added to Cisco’s Global Price List. DSPM, which proactively and comprehensively reduces the risk of data exposure and exfiltration across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS environments, solves one of the most annoying aspects of data security: knowing where all the data is and how to secure it. Cisco’s direct and channel sales network Cisco’s direct and channel sales network can now offer Rubrik Security Cloud with Cisco UCS and XDR Second, as part SolutionsPlus, Cisco’s direct and channel sales network can now offer Rubrik Security Cloud with Cisco Unified Computing Systems (UCS) and Cisco XDR. Across edge, public, and private cloud environments, the joint customers now have a validated architecture to mitigate ransomware and ensure business continuity with agility and orchestration resources. Together, Rubrik and Cisco aim to deliver unified computing and zero-trust data security, while ensuring data resilience against cyberattacks, malicious insiders, and operational disruptions–all with a seamless purchasing experience, from a single source. Rubrik Security Cloud on Cisco UCS is tested and pre-engineered with Cisco Validated Designs, offering automated deployment, multi-site scaling and lifecycle management through Cisco Intersight. Integrating with Cisco XDR Rubrik now integrates with Cisco XDR, making it easier for enterprises to quickly identify targeted attacks on data and keep businesses moving forward with secure recovery. Key benefits include: Identifying targeted attacks on data: With Rubrik and Cisco XDR's comprehensive threat coverage, customers benefit from rich, unified visibility of their environment and data to quickly detect and stop potential data attacks. Accelerating investigation and prioritisation: Organizations can combine threat intelligence and data context to prioritise and respond effectively to threats targeting critical data. Enabling effective recovery and restoration: Streamline security and IT operations to keep business moving forward with secure recovery and repair of attacks. Improving TCO and simplify lifecycle management: Cisco Intersight enables deployment and tuned configuration of the Rubrik Data Management Platform on Cisco UCS Computing infrastructure at the global scale. Solutions on computing infrastructure “Complex, siloed systems create gaps in visibility that hinder operations and slow down organisations’ ability to detect and respond to threats,” said Jeremy Foster, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco Compute. “Cisco and Rubrik are delivering threat detection and data context in one place, enabling security teams to effectively prioritise critical attacks and respond to them quickly. This partnership reflects our commitment to providing unified, modern solutions on computing infrastructure that simplifies operations and empowers organisations to protect and derive more value from their data.” Advanced data-centric attacks "Rubrik and Cisco are two industry pioneers with whom we have built strong relationships over the years,” said Matt Horner, EVP of Sales at WWT. “Cisco helps businesses solve complex IT and business problems, while Rubrik is vital in empowering organisations to achieve business resilience. We are confident that this collaboration will combine their strengths to bring immense value to organisations working to keep their data secure and systems up and running.” “Every organisation should have comprehensive threat intelligence to defend against advanced data-centric attacks,” said Jim Finn, Sales VP, Cyber at Presidio. “As a major partner to Cisco and Rubrik, we believe their collaboration will help our customers proactively advance and simplify their data security.”