Aruba security fabric signals new partner strategy

Aruba Networks has rolled out a network security framework that it believes can help its partners expand customer reach.

The Aruba security framework, dubbed 360 Secure Fabric, combines the vendor's networking products with the user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) technology it acquired from Niara in February. Secure Fabric offerings include Aruba's IntroSpect UEBA and ClearPass access control and policy management product lines.

According to the vendor, the security fabric signifies a shift in company strategy, which has up until now focused mainly on the networking side of customer organizations.

"We now have for our partners who may only be selling networking products ... a way to bridge between [a customer's] networking group and the security group in an elegant way," said Larry Lunetta, vice president of marketing for security solutions at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Larry Lunetta

Lunetta said the 360 Secure Fabric aims "to deal with the new kind of threat environment that organizations are facing," characterized by an "expanded and expanding attack surface" due to burgeoning trends, such as mobility, cloud and internet of things.

IntroSpect software is central to the Aruba security framework, he said. "The idea is that we are using ... machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect attacks that have evaded the rest of the security infrastructure ... typically in place in an enterprise."

IntroSpect is available in a new entry-level Standard edition, as well as an Advanced version, and it integrates with Aruba ClearPass.

We now have for our partners who may only be selling networking products ... a way to bridge between [a customer's] networking group and the security group in an elegant way.

The Aruba security framework also features Aruba Secure Core, the foundational security capabilities embedded in Aruba's Wi-Fi access points, wireless controllers and switches, according to the vendor.

Functionality in multivendor environments is a key aspect of the Aruba 360 Secure Fabric strategy. Through Aruba's 360 Security Exchange Program, customers and partners can integrate Aruba's portfolio with more than 120 non-Aruba security and infrastructure products, Lunetta said.

"Our partners sell a wide variety of products. Our customers use a wide variety of products. So, the idea is that any of the elements of the [360 Secure Fabric] can ... interact [with] a wide variety of non-Aruba technologies."

He noted Aruba is updating its training and certification program to bring partners up to speed on the Aruba security framework.