A method of operating a Network Function Virtualization, NFV, Software Defined Network, SDN, (100, 600, 700) to maintain hardware trusted communications, the method characterized by: a source hardware trust controller establishing hardware trust with an NFV SDN hardware trust server; a target hardware trust controller establishing hardware trust with the NFV SDN hardware trust server; a source SDN Hardware Trust Virtual Switch, HT vSW, executing under control of the source hardware trust controller to serve a source Virtual Network Function, VNF,; a target SDN HT vSW executing under control of the target hardware trust controller to serve a target VNF; the NFV SDN hardware trust server exchanging Hardware Trust, HT, information with the source hardware trust controller that indicates the hardware trust for the target SDN HT vSW; the NFV SDN hardware trust server exchanging HT information with the target hardware trust controller that indicates the hardware trust for the source SDN HT vSW; the source hardware trust controller exchanging the HT information with the source SDN HT vSW that indicates the hardware trust for the target SDN HT vSW; the target hardware trust controller exchanging the HT information with the target SDN HT vSW that indicates the hardware trust for the source SDN HT vSW; the source SDN HT vSW receiving a Virtual Data Unit, VDU, from the source VNF for delivery to the target VNF over the target SDN HT vSW, and before transfer, verifying hardware trust of the target SDN HT vSW based on the HT information, and responsive to the hardware trust verification, transferring the VDU for the delivery to the target SDN HT vSW; and the target SDN HT vSW receiving the VDU from the source SDN HT vSW for delivery to the target VNF, and before transfer, verifying hardware trust of the source SDN HT vSW based on the HT information, and responsive to the hardware trust verification, transferring the VDU to the target VNF. a source hardware trust controller establishing hardware trust with an NFV SDN hardware trust server; a target hardware trust controller establishing hardware trust with the NFV SDN hardware trust server; a source SDN Hardware Trust Virtual Switch, HT vSW, executing under control of the source hardware trust controller to serve a source Virtual Network Function, VNF,; a target SDN HT vSW executing under control of the target hardware trust controller to serve a target VNF; the NFV SDN hardware trust server exchanging Hardware Trust, HT, information with the source hardware trust controller that indicates the hardware trust for the target SDN HT vSW; the NFV SDN hardware trust server exchanging HT information with the target hardware trust controller that indicates the hardware trust for the source SDN HT vSW; the source hardware trust controller exchanging the HT information with the source SDN HT vSW that indicates the hardware trust for the target SDN HT vSW; the target hardware trust controller exchanging the HT information with the target SDN HT vSW that indicates the hardware trust for the source SDN HT vSW; the source SDN HT vSW receiving a Virtual Data Unit, VDU, from the source VNF for delivery to the target VNF over the target SDN HT vSW, and before transfer, verifying hardware trust of the target SDN HT vSW based on the HT information, and responsive to the hardware trust verification, transferring the VDU for the delivery to the target SDN HT vSW; and the target SDN HT vSW receiving the VDU from the source SDN HT vSW for delivery to the target VNF, and before transfer, verifying hardware trust of the source SDN HT vSW based on the HT information, and responsive to the hardware trust verification, transferring the VDU to the target VNF.