Discover how HPE universal ZTNA unifies security and networking, delivering zero trust protection across the hybrid workforce and edge-to-cloud environments.
HPE’s approach to universal zero trust network access (ZTNA) is different because it’s built on a true networking pedigree. While many vendors start from the cloud security layer and work downward, HPE starts from the ground up, with the switches, Wi-Fi, and SD-WAN infrastructure that every access decision must traverse.
This edge-to-cloud architecture is HPE’s defining advantage.
1. A unified fabric across every edge
With HPE Aruba Networking, universal ZTNA extends from the cloud to the physical edge:
- Campus and branch: HPE Aruba Networking industry-leading Wi-Fi and switching solutions already embed zero trust principles through HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass and dynamic segmentation. These now integrate directly with cloud-delivered policy engines to enforce identity-based access consistently across wired, wireless, and WAN.
- Remote and mobile users: The HPE Aruba Networking SSE platform, built from HPE’s acquisition of Axis Security, provides cloud-native ZTNA, secure web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB), and digital experience monitoring (DEM), extending protection to users anywhere without the need for VPNs.
- Edge and IoT environments: HPE’s private 5G and AI-driven NAC allow enterprises to extend zero trust to non-traditional devices such as sensors, robots, scanners, and all under the same access policy.
In short, HPE’s network isn’t an afterthought in zero trust; it’s the enforcement layer.
2. Deployment flexibility that meets sovereignty demands
In April 2025, HPE launched new deployment options for HPE Aruba Networking Central, the management and policy engine behind its networking and security stack. Enterprises can now choose from:
- Global SaaS—for speed and scalability
- Virtual private cloud (VPC)—for data residency and isolation
- On-premises or disconnected mode—for regulated or mission-critical environments
This flexibility is crucial for sectors such as government, defense, finance, and healthcare, where cloud-only control planes can violate compliance or operational mandates. Few vendors offer such sovereignty-aligned control over where policies and telemetry live, an increasingly important factor as data protection laws evolve.
3. Local performance meets global policy
A frequent criticism of zero trust models is latency, routing every session through a distant inspection point. HPE’s answer is distributed enforcement.
Using DPU-enabled distributed services switches (based on AMD Pensando technology), HPE can perform segmentation, micro-policy enforcement, and telemetry at line rate, directly in the fabric. This ensures low-latency, high-throughput security for east–west and local traffic, critical for manufacturing, healthcare imaging, and AI-driven workloads.
4. AI-driven visibility and automation
Managing thousands of identities and policies manually is impossible. HPE uses AI operations (AIOps) through HPE Aruba Networking Central and, with its 2025 acquisition of Juniper Networks, will integrate Mist AI analytics for unified network insight. The result: automated anomaly detection, faster root-cause analysis, and adaptive policy tuning all feeding into a stronger zero trust posture.
A universal ZTNA architecture designed for network leaders
For the network decision-maker, HPE universal ZTNA isn’t just another security feature. It’s a chance to simplify architecture, modernize control, and reduce operational silos. Here’s how the model works in practice:
|
Layer |
HPE component |
Zero trust role |
|
Users & devices |
HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass, Private 5G, AI NAC |
Identity & device posture enforcement |
|
Network access |
HPE Aruba Networking switches, Wi-Fi 7 APs, HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN |
Dynamic segmentation, policy-based routing |
|
Security edge |
HPE Aruba Networking SSE (from Axis Security) |
ZTNA, SWG, CASB, DEM, threat inspection |
|
Management plane |
HPE Aruba Networking Central (SaaS, VPC, or on-prem) |
Unified policy orchestration & AIOps |
|
Compute/cloud |
HPE GreenLake cloud |
Data-sovereign hosting for management & telemetry |
This layered design gives network teams a single source of truth for identity, access, and segmentation—managed through a unified console, governed by policy, and adaptable across any topology.
Built for hybrid work and future regulation
Hybrid work isn’t a temporary phase—it’s the new normal. Meanwhile, governments are tightening expectations on digital infrastructure.
Universal ZTNA of HPE directly addresses both realities:
- Hybrid workforce: Employees get secure, seamless access to corporate apps from anywhere, without the latency and fragility of VPNs.
- BYOD and IoT: Device posture, identity, and behavioral analytics determine access dynamically—not by static IP or VLAN.
- Compliance: The architecture aligns with key mandates in NIS2, ISO/IEC 27001, and zero trust maturity frameworks from NIST and ENISA. Granular audit trails and centralized policy management simplify proof of compliance.
- Operational resilience: On-prem and VPC control-plane options ensure business continuity even during cloud outages or geopolitical restrictions.
For network leaders facing tightening regulatory oversight and increased board scrutiny over cyber resilience, these are not optional capabilities; they’re existential requirements.
Security and networking—no longer separate disciplines
The traditional divide between networking and security teams has become a liability. Attackers don’t distinguish between a switch misconfiguration and an identity compromise—both are entry points.
Universal ZTNA of HPE model helps unify these domains:
- Single policy engine: Access decisions and segmentation rules are defined once in HPE Aruba Networking Central, not duplicated across NAC, firewall, and VPN systems.
- Context-aware enforcement: Policies adapt dynamically based on user, device, location, and threat signals from integrated security partners.
- Simplified operations: With AI-driven insights and unified management, network teams can focus on performance and availability without losing visibility into security posture.
By embedding zero trust directly into the network fabric, HPE helps organizations collapse silos, improve visibility, and accelerate incident response—all while simplifying infrastructure.
By embedding zero trust directly into the network fabric, HPE helps organizations collapse silos, improve visibility, and accelerate incident response—all while simplifying infrastructure.
Why choose HPE for universal ZTNA
For the network buyer tasked with modernizing secure connectivity, HPE brings unique advantages:
- Comprehensive portfolio from edge to cloud—covering wired, wireless, SD-WAN, SSE, and private cloud in a single ecosystem
- Deployment flexibility—cloud, VPC, or on-prem options that meet evolving sovereignty and compliance requirements
- High performance enforcement—DPU-enabled fabrics and AI-optimized operations help minimize latency while scaling security
- Operational simplicity—one console (HPE Aruba Networking Central) for policy, monitoring, and automation across all domains
- Future-proof investment—integration of Juniper Mist AI and IP fabric extends zero trust across campus, data center, and service provider environments.
- Proven heritage in networking—HPE Aruba Networking global leadership in enterprise connectivity helps ensure universal ZTNA isn’t bolted on; it’s built in.
The takeaway: Building resilience through universal trust
The network has become the new security perimeter, and resilience now depends on the ability to apply zero trust everywhere, for every connection.
HPE universal ZTNA provides a comprehensive, flexible, and performance-driven framework for this new reality. It merges the proven strength of HPE Aruba Networking with cloud-native security, AI-driven operations, and deployment models that respect data sovereignty.
For network buyers navigating hybrid work, tightening regulation, and relentless cyber threats, HPE offers a future-ready path: secure every connection, on every edge, under one policy.
Because in the age of universal connectivity, only universal zero trust can deliver universal confidence.
Meet the author:
Jaye Tillson, Field CTO
