HPE Buys Threat Detection Specialist Niara To Boost Aruba Networks

HPE’s spending spree continues with the acquisition of Niara, whose smart threat detection technology will be integrated into Aruba Networks’ ClearPass security platform.

Niara uses machine learning and big data analytics to detect threats that have penetrated the network perimeter, detecting inconsistencies automatically.

The company claims that examining packet streams and applying network and security policies using algorithms had never been done before because of the volume of data generated.

This, it claims, can turn a manual detection process of up to 25 hours to something that takes just four clicks.

HPE Aruba Niara

Niara was in fact founded by Aruba alumni who created much of the core ArubaOS system’s security components, including authentic encryption and deep packet inspection.

CEO Sriram Ramachandran and head of engineering Prasad Palkar, along with several engineers, will return to Aruba as part of the transaction. Aruba, of course was bought by HPE for £1.95 billion in March 2015 – it’s biggest since the troubled buyout of Autonomy in 2011.

“By integrating Niara’s behavioural analytics technology with our ClearPass Policy Manager, we can now offer our customers the industry’s most advanced threat detection and prevention solution for network security in wired and wireless environments, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) devices,” said Keeri Melkote, general manager of HPE.

“This team [behind Niara] developed the core technologies in the current ArubaOS operating system, including authentication, encryption, deep-packet inspection and more.

“As a result, the Niara team is very familiar with our customers’ networks and have designed their next-gen security solution to augment these capabilities in order to create a better-together combination.”

Niara is the third HPE acquisition is 15 days, following on from Cloud Crusier, a metering and billing software specialist, and SimpliVity a, hyperconverged infrastructure startup.

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