Akamai Secures Critical Infrastructure with Agentless Zero Trust Segmentation Powered by NVIDIA

Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) and NVIDIA launched an agentless Zero Trust segmentation solution combining Akamai Guardicore Segmentation with NVIDIA BlueField DPUs to protect OT and ICS, including "un-agentable" industrial equipment.

Rhea-AI Summary

Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) and NVIDIA launched an agentless Zero Trust segmentation solution combining Akamai Guardicore Segmentation with NVIDIA BlueField DPUs to protect OT and ICS, including "un-agentable" industrial equipment. The hardware-isolated approach enforces real-time policies, improves visibility and anomaly detection, and is expected globally in Q2 2026.

This aims to reduce operational disruption, align with stricter regulations, and lower cyber insurance risk while preserving host performance.

Positive

• Agentless Zero Trust segmentation for OT and ICS
• Hardware-isolated enforcement via NVIDIA BlueField DPU
• Real-time policy enforcement and anomaly detection
• Expected global availability in Q2 2026

Negative

• Requires NVIDIA BlueField hardware for full functionality
• No pricing, commercial terms, or partner deployment timelines disclosed

Argus Feb 23 session

+4.87% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – AKAM

On Feb 23, the day this news came out, AKAM closed 4.87% above the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Feb 23 session.

Key Figures

Global availability: Q2 2026

Global availability

Q2 2026

Expected global availability of Akamai–NVIDIA joint solution

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 19

5 events

1. Feb 19

   Q4/FY 2025 earnings

   24h Move

   -0.1%

   Reported Q4 and full-year 2025 results with mixed GAAP vs non-GAAP EPS trends.

2. Jan 27

   Gartner recognition

   24h Move

   +4.7%

   Named 2026 Gartner Customers’ Choice for network security microsegmentation.

3. Jan 21

   Partner expansion

   24h Move

   +4.6%

   Deutsche Telekom Security expanded managed cybersecurity offerings using Akamai programs.

4. Jan 15

   Earnings call notice

   24h Move

   +1.0%

   Announced timing and access details for Q4 and full-year 2025 investor call.

5. Dec 19

   Cloud ISV program

   24h Move

   +0.8%

   Launched ISV Catalyst program to accelerate ISV growth on Akamai’s cloud platform.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

zero trust segmentation, operational technology (ot), industrial control system (ics), data processing units (dpu), +2 more

6 terms

zero trust segmentation technical

"the joint solution enables Zero Trust segmentation without requiring software agents"

Zero trust segmentation is a cybersecurity approach that breaks a network into many small, isolated zones and requires each user or device to prove they are allowed to access each zone, rather than trusting them just because they are inside the network. Like putting keycard doors on every room in a building, it limits how far an intruder or a compromised system can roam, reducing the chance of large data breaches, costly outages, regulatory penalties, and damage to customer trust—factors that can materially affect a company’s financial health.

operational technology (ot) technical

"support the full operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) landscape"

Operational technology (OT) is the hardware and software that directly monitors and controls physical equipment—like sensors, controllers, valves and machinery—in industrial settings such as factories, power plants or utility networks. Investors care because OT drives a company's ability to produce goods or deliver services; failures, upgrades or cybersecurity incidents can halt operations, require costly fixes or trigger regulatory action, much like a car’s engine determining whether a trip succeeds.

industrial control system (ics) technical

"operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) landscape"

A system of computers, sensors and controllers that monitor and operate industrial equipment such as factories, power plants, water treatment facilities and pipelines. Think of it as the centralized control room that keeps machines running on schedule; failures, cyberattacks or upgrades can directly interrupt production, trigger regulatory scrutiny, drive unexpected costs, or change a company’s revenue outlook, so investors watch these systems for operational and risk signals.

data processing units (dpu) technical

"with NVIDIA BlueField Data Processing Units (DPU), the companies are delivering a way"

A data processing unit (DPU) is a specialized chip designed to handle heavy data movement, networking and security chores so the main processors can focus on running applications. Think of it as a dedicated assistant that speeds up and secures the flow of information across servers and cloud systems; for investors, DPUs matter because they can boost performance, lower operating costs, and enable new services, which may improve a technology company’s competitiveness and profit potential.

indicators of compromise technical

"the solution can identify anomalous network connections and indicators of compromise"

Indicators of compromise are observable signs that a computer system or network has been breached or is under attack—unusual files, strange network traffic, unexpected account activity or other anomalies that act like footprints or fingerprints left by intruders. They matter to investors because these signs can reveal past or ongoing cyberattacks that may disrupt operations, harm reputation, trigger regulatory penalties, and reduce a company’s value, so detecting them affects risk assessment and portfolio decisions.

high-performance computing (hpc) technical

"Whether you are running a water plant or a high-performance computing (HPC) cluster"

High-performance computing (HPC) involves using powerful computers to process complex data and run large-scale calculations much faster than regular computers. It helps organizations solve challenging problems, such as predicting market trends or analyzing scientific data, enabling quicker decision-making. For investors, HPC can highlight advancements in technology and innovation that may impact various industries and market opportunities.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and NVIDIA BlueField integration ends the long-standing trade-off between advanced security and system performance for energy, manufacturing, and transportation sectors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) has announced a new solution powered by NVIDIA to protect most vital systems from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. By combining Akamai Guardicore Segmentation software with NVIDIA BlueField Data Processing Units (DPU), the companies are delivering a way to support the full operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) landscape, including “un-agentable” industrial equipment — the heavy machinery and control systems that power modern society. Organizations can implement this hardware-isolated, “agentless” security approach to help align with strict new regulatory requirements and lower their risk profile for cyber insurance.

Protecting critical infrastructure has historically been a challenge. Most cybersecurity tools require installing agents — small pieces of software — directly onto a computer. However, as cyberthreats increasingly target mission-critical environments, organizations are seeking better ways to protect critical assets, including the specialized controllers used in water plants, power grids, and factories. Many of these systems are too old or too delicate to run extra software without risking crashes or production slowdown. As a result, organizations have often been forced to leave sensitive infrastructure exposed and vulnerable.

By offloading user-configurable security processes from the host system to the NVIDIA BlueField DPU, the joint solution enables Zero Trust segmentation without requiring software agents on fragile or legacy systems. It delivers deep, out-of-band visibility across systems, networks, and applications without disrupting operations. Security policies can be enforced in real time and are capable of creating a strong protective boundary around critical operational systems. The result is trusted insight into operational activity and improved overall cyber resilience.

In addition to segmentation, the solution can identify anomalous network connections and indicators of compromise. The agentless approach allows organizations to filter threats and isolate compromised systems at the hardware level, mitigating and obstructing threat proliferation even if a facility’s main computer is breached. Because NVIDIA BlueField acts as an independent “bump-in-the-wire” protector, users can lock down sensitive industrial equipment with minimal impact on system performance or operational uptime of the machinery itself.

“Whether you are running a water plant or a high-performance computing (HPC) cluster, your priority is keeping the system moving at full speed. You can’t afford to let security software tax your performance,” said Ofer Wolf, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Security at Akamai. “In the past, these environments were extremely difficult to secure because the machines could not handle the overhead of traditional tools without risking a crash or slowing down vital calculations. Akamai and NVIDIA are changing that. By offloading segmentation and observability to the DPU, we’re giving organizations a way to stop attacks in their tracks while maximizing CPU power for the heavy lifting it was meant to do.”

“AI is fundamentally reshaping every business, and as automation scales, safeguarding enterprise data and resources is absolutely critical — but security cannot come at the expense of uptime or resilience,” said Kevin Deierling, Senior Vice President, Networking at NVIDIA. “By integrating Akamai’s segmentation capabilities directly into NVIDIA BlueField, organizations can enforce Zero Trust at the infrastructure layer, protecting their most sensitive operations without impacting system stability or production performance.”

This collaboration between Akamai and NVIDIA comes at a crucial time. Recent assessments from the U.S. federal government highlight that energy, and transportation sectors are now primary targets for adversaries looking to cause widespread disruption.

The joint solution is expected to be available globally in Q2 2026. For more information on the Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and NVIDIA BlueField integration, please visit the Akamai blog and NVIDIA blog.

About Akamai
Akamai is the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. Our market-leading security solutions, superior threat intelligence, and global operations team provide defense in depth to safeguard enterprise data and applications everywhere. Akamai’s full-stack cloud computing solutions deliver performance and affordability on the world’s most distributed platform. Global enterprises trust Akamai to provide the industry-leading reliability, scale, and expertise they need to grow their business with confidence. Learn more at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on X and LinkedIn.

Contacts
Akamai Media Relations
akamaipr@akamai.com

Akamai Investor Relations
invrel@akamai.com

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

When will Akamai and NVIDIA's agentless segmentation solution (AKAM) be available?

The solution is expected to be available globally in Q2 2026. According to the company, global availability is targeted in Q2 2026, with commercial rollouts and partner deployments to follow but no pricing or exact schedules published.

What does "agentless" Zero Trust segmentation mean for AKAM customers?

Agentless Zero Trust segmentation enforces security without installing software on fragile devices. According to the company, enforcement runs on NVIDIA BlueField DPUs off-host, enabling visibility and policy controls for legacy OT/ICS without taxing host CPUs.

Which industries does the Akamai and NVIDIA integration target for AKAM security?

The integration targets energy, manufacturing, and transportation critical infrastructure. According to the company, it is designed for OT and ICS environments, including un-agentable controllers at water plants, power grids, and factories.

How will the NVIDIA BlueField DPU affect performance with Akamai Guardicore Segmentation (AKAM)?

Offloading security to the BlueField DPU preserves host CPU for core workloads while enforcing policies. According to the company, the DPU acts as a hardware "bump-in-the-wire," minimizing impact on system performance and operational uptime.

Can the AKAM solution help organizations meet regulatory or cyber insurance requirements?

The solution can help organizations align with stricter regulations and lower cyber insurance risk. According to the company, hardware-isolated segmentation and enhanced visibility support compliance and may improve insurers' risk assessments, though specifics depend on policy terms.