Cisco and NVIDIA have launched a joint initiative called the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, aiming to deliver a highly secure, scalable, and simplified AI infrastructure for enterprises. The platform integrates AI-ready data center components with security baked into every layer — from infrastructure to workloads and AI applications — to help organizations accelerate their AI deployments while addressing growing cybersecurity risks. This AI factory framework leverages NVIDIA’s Spectrum-X Ethernet networking and AI Enterprise software suite, combined with Cisco’s Nexus Hyperfabric AI networking, UCS AI servers with NVIDIA HGX/MGX acceleration, and advanced security tools such as Cisco Hypershield, Hybrid Mesh Firewall, and Cisco AI Defense.
The architecture provides a modular design approach with flexible deployment models. Enterprises can choose a ready-to-deploy, vertically integrated AI factory or build a customized solution incorporating existing infrastructure. Core to the offering is the end-to-end security posture, where AI workloads are protected against lateral movement, runtime vulnerabilities, and emerging AI-specific threats, including prompt injection and AI model misuse. Cisco’s AI Defense integrates into CI/CD pipelines and aligns to industry-standard frameworks like NIST, MITRE ATLAS, and OWASP’s LLM Top 10. The Secure AI Factory also features integrations with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs and DOCA AppShield to extend security down to individual AI nodes and workloads.
Cisco and NVIDIA’s collaboration comes amid rising demand for AI factories—data centers purpose-built to power AI workloads at scale. Together, the companies are offering reference architectures validated on NVIDIA’s HGX H200 and Spectrum-X platforms, with security tools that dynamically adapt as infrastructure and AI workloads evolve. The full solution is expected to be available before the end of 2025, with several components already in market.
• Cisco and NVIDIA launch Secure AI Factory to deliver scalable, AI-optimized data center infrastructure with end-to-end security.
• Combines Cisco UCS AI servers, Nexus Hyperfabric AI networking, NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet, and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software.
• Embeds multi-layer security via Cisco Hypershield, Hybrid Mesh Firewall, AI Defense, and NVIDIA BlueField-3 integrations.
• Supports both ready-to-deploy and customizable modular designs for enterprise AI infrastructure.
• Validated reference architectures based on NVIDIA HGX H200 and Spectrum-X platforms.
• Full-stack solution expected by year-end 2025.
“AI can unlock groundbreaking opportunities for the enterprise,” said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco. “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.”
“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,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA.
- In February, Cisco and NVIDIA announced an expanded partnership to unify AI data center networking by integrating Cisco Silicon One with NVIDIA Spectrum-X. This collaboration aims to simplify AI-ready infrastructure deployment and provide enterprises with a seamless networking architecture to support AI workloads. The NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform will now incorporate Cisco Silicon One alongside NVIDIA SuperNICs, making Cisco the exclusive partner silicon for NVIDIA Spectrum-X. This will enable enterprises to standardize their networking on a combination of Cisco and NVIDIA technologies, optimizing performance and flexibility across AI data centers.Key advancements in the collaboration include:
Unified AI Networking Architecture: Cisco Silicon One will be integrated with NVIDIA Spectrum-X, enhancing Ethernet networking performance for AI workloads.
Enterprise AI Acceleration: Cisco and NVIDIA will co-develop reference architectures to simplify AI adoption for enterprises.
Expanded AI Data Center Infrastructure: Cisco will develop new data center switches compatible with NVIDIA Spectrum-X, offering greater flexibility and efficiency.
Enhanced Security and Observability: Joint innovations will improve congestion management, telemetry, and workload performance for AI applications.
Availability Timeline: Cisco plans to enhance its networking portfolio with Spectrum-X compatibility by mid-2025, including upgrades to Nexus, Hyperfabric, and UCS platforms.
