Stay current with IT news on vendor moves, new products and tech deals in this fast-moving podcast that analyzes the stories that impact Networking Professionals. Get insights and context to stay informed, all in the time it takes to have a (longish) coffee break.
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The Packet Pushers - Network Break podcast is an absolute must-listen for anyone interested in networking. From the moment I discovered this podcast, it quickly became my favorite and the one I look forward to the most. The hosts bring a unique perspective and provide valuable information that is essential for staying up to date in the networking industry.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the variety of viewpoints they bring in through their guest speakers. They do an exceptional job of bringing in guests with interesting perspectives, which keeps each episode fresh and engaging. It's refreshing to hear opposing viewpoints and it adds depth to the discussions.
Additionally, the recap of top news in networking each week is incredibly valuable. The hosts not only provide the headlines but also spend a significant amount of time discussing their opinions and theories on how these developments will impact network administrators, networks themselves, and market trends. This level of analysis sets this podcast apart from others in its field.
However, if there was one minor downside to this podcast, it would be that occasionally there can be too much technical detail for some listeners who are looking for a more high-level overview. While this may not bother everyone, those without a deep technical background might find themselves getting lost at times.
In conclusion, I cannot recommend The Packet Pushers - Network Break podcast enough. It consistently delivers relevant content with interesting analyses and entertaining discussions between the hosts. Whether you're an experienced network engineer or just interested in keeping up with networking headlines, this podcast provides immense value and should be at the top of your list to listen to regularly.
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Take a Network Break! We start with a Red Alert for the IBM Tivoli Monitoring Tool, which has an unpatched (as of recording time) vulnerability that could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. On the news front, Salesforce ponies up $8 billion for Informatica to improve data governance capabilities, Google researchers revise estimates of... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We begin with a Red Alert for critical vulnerabilities Kubernetes Gardener. Up next, a threat actor has been squatting on unused CNAME records to distribute malware and spam, and IP Fabric rolls out a new firewall rule simulation capability to let administrators test the effect of firewall rules on traffic patterns.... Read more »
Take a Network Break! Guest co-host Tom Hollingsworth steps in for Johna Johnson. We start with Google patching a significant Chrome vulnerability and de-elevating Chrome running with admin rights when it launches on Windows. On the news front, we discuss a report, unconfirmed as of recording time, that Arista is acquiring VeloCloud, then discuss Broadcom... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with follow-up from a listener on the best way to listen to our podcast that helps the most. The answer? Any listen on any platform helps. Even better is to tell a friend! We discuss two critical security issues. First, CISA adds active exploits against known SonicWall vulnerabilities to... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we catch up on the Airborne vulnerabilities affecting Apple’s AirPlay protocol and SDK, and get an update on active exploits against an SAP NetWeaver vulnerability–a patch is available, so get fixing if you haven’t already. Palo Alto Networks launches the AIRS platform to address AI threats in the enterprise,... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with a Red Alert for SAP NetWeaver's Visual Composer Metadata Uploader, and then dive into a new endpoint discovery feature from Forward Networks, and Ericsson adding clientless ZTNA to its SASE offering. Aviatrix adds a Secure NAT Gateway for Microsoft Azure as a way to help Azure customers navigate... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with a red alert for the CVE program, which nearly lost government funding before CISA stepped in, and then raise an alert for a Dpanel vulnerability. Google makes its Cloud WAN available to enterprises and governments that want connectivity options, a US District Court rules Google’s ad business a... Read more »
Take a Network Break! Guest co-host Ned Bellavance steps in for Johna this week. We start with a Fortinet vulnerability, and then opine on a memo from Shopify’s CEO on the company requiring and measuring AI use by employees. Git celebrates 20 years, DARPA names 15 companies to participate in a Quantum Benchmarking Initiative to... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We check in on a serious Firefox vulnerability, explore NIST’s latest post-quantum encryption algorithm, and discuss a broken auto-update functionality in VMware Workstation. NetBox adds config drift detection to its network automation software, the startup Lightmatter tackles co-packaged optics, and Corning launches Glassworks AI in a bid to replace copper cabling... Read more »
Grab a virtual doughnut to blaze through this week's IT news with Johna Johnson and John Burke as Drew Conry-Murray is enjoying his glazed, filled and sprinkled vacation donuts. Today, we’re going to talk about getting good LLMs to do bad things, Dell’s workforce downsizing, Cloudflare’s recent outage, some developments in space networking, and more.... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover Google’s $32 billion acquisition of CNAPP provider Wiz, Cloudflare offerings for AI security and support for post-quantum encryption, and NVIDIA’s pledge to open a quantum research center in Boston. NVIDIA has also announced new switch platforms with co-packaged optics for greater efficiency, Cisco shares details on its... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with warnings about an Apple Webkit zero day and ransonware exploits against known Fortinet vulnerabilites, and discuss attribution issues with the X DDoS attack. Intel names Lip-Bu Tan as Chief Resurrection Officer, but how long does he have before investors get antsy? HPE plans to lay off thousands of... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we’re joined by guest analyst Tom Hollingsworth of The Futurum Group. We start with red alerts from Broadcom on multiple vulnerabilities and an emergency patch from Cisco for its Webex platform. In tech news we discuss SolarWinds’ acquisition of Squadcast and how it fits into the SolarWinds portfolio, Aviatrix’s... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we start with a couple of follow-ups and a Red Alert, and then jump into tech news. Cisco and Nvidia team up to put Cisco ASICs and the Nexus NOS into Nvidia Ethernet switches, the market reads tea leaves as Microsoft walks away from data center capacity, and Juniper... Read more »
Lots of good stuff in this week’s Network Break. Microsoft announces an 8-qubit quantum chip and declares that practical quantum computing is years, not decades, away. D-Wave says its quantum computers are now commercially available for research facilities, academic institutions, and governments. Apple rolls its own 5G modem into its iPhone 16e. Meta announces its... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with some Red Alert vulnerabilities to get your blood pumping, and then dive into networking news. Cisco announces new data center switches with AMD Pensando DPUs that let you deploy security and other services directly on to the switch. Cisco ThousandEyes is previewing Traffic Insights, which correlates flow records... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with some red alerts for Cisco ISE, Zyxel, Microsoft, and a Web manager suite called WeGIA. US senators and security experts sound the alarm about DOGE employees introducing security and stability risks in sensitive US government systems, security researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of supply chain attacks that start with... Read more »
Take a Network Break! The US Justice Department blocks the HPE-Juniper merger with a surprise lawsuit, DeepSeek shakes up the AI world, and Broadcom rolls out quantum-safe Fibre Channel controllers. Sweden seizes a vessel suspected of tampering with a subsea cable, a code update could make Linux significantly more power-efficient, and the WLAN market gets... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with critical vulnerabilities affecting the Android OS, Cisco Meeting Management, and SonicWall, and then discuss a report that tens of thousands of Fortinet security appliances still haven’t been patched despite active exploits. Palo Alto Networks releases an open API to make it easier for developers to access Quantum Random... Read more »
Take a Network Break! Guest co-host John Burke joins Drew Conry-Murray for this week’s analysis of tech news. They discuss a string of serious vulnerabilities in Wavlink Wi-Fi routers, Fortinet taking a one-two security punch, and CISA director Jen Easterly calling out US hardware and software companies for being “inherently insecure.” Microsoft and Google put... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with serious CVEs for Perl and Ivanti. On the news front, the FCC wants to license spectrum to raise money to help US telcos rip out Chinese network equipment–even though there’s no evidence Chinese equipment led to telco intrusions by Chinese attackers. Verizon boasts of 5.5Gbps download speeds on... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This is our final show for 2024. We start with critical vulnerabilities in Ivanti and OpenWrt, and then discuss what effect a proposed bill from US Senator Ron Wyden would have on telecom security (short answer: more paperwork but unlikely to improve protection). Extreme Networks announces a new AI platform that... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we warn of significant vulnerabilities in WhatsUp Gold and Cisco NX-OS. We also discuss US federal reaction to the penetration of US telco networks by Chinese state actors. These reactions include network and visibility hardening guidelines from CISA, the FBI (reluctantly) recommending the use of encrypted messaging apps, and... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We’ve got a full menu for our post-Thanksgiving episode. We start with a host of critical CVEs affecting Veritas and a couple more for QNAP. Cisco announces EOL for two version of its ACI software, Verizon runs field trials for 1.6Tbps throughput in a single wavelength (with Ciena optical transceivers), and... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with a brief follow-up on our CVE coverage, and then dive into a serious one-two set of vulnerabilities being exploited in Palo Alto Networks software, VMware taking a second crack at patching a vCenter vulnerability, and notable CVEs in D-Link and HPC gear. An AI company loses a quarter... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we get an update on SonicWall’s new firewall warranty. We also cover Cisco’s Wi-Fi 7 launch; in addition to new APs, Cisco also updates its branding and rolls out “simplified” licensing that bundles features you might not want. Aviatrix adds a PaaS option for its cloud networking software, but... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover a serious Cisco vulnerability, SonicWall offering a firewall warranty, and a security advisory from ID provider Okta. Apple buys a stake in a satellite telecommunications company, Lumen and Google team up on a joint networking/AI deal, and we check on financial results from Arista Networks, Extreme Networks,... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we discuss Google adding traffic shaping to its cross-cloud interconnect, Aviatrix bringing hybrid cloud transit to its cloud networking service, and Microsoft forcing MFA for Entra ID customers. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella forgoes $5 million in incentive pay for Microsoft security lapses, Extreme Networks adds new features to its... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we discuss a new ZTNA offering from NaaS startup Alkira, a serious vulnerability in Fortinet’s management software under active exploit, and a less-serious vulnerability in Cisco security software that’s also being exploited. Gluware adds new AI copilots to its network automation software, a judge orders Broadcom to continue to... Read more »
This week’s Network Break discusses a CISA warning that a serious SolarWinds vulnerability is being exploited, Microsoft turns the tables by discovering a MacOS vulnerability, and Amazon invests in small modular nuclear reactors to meet growing power demands and reduce carbon output. T-Mobile releases a new device using the 5G Reduced Capacity spec, Palo Alto... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover a new Juniper announcement and discuss how the company is bringing its security portfolio under its AI umbrella, Aryaka adding CASB to its SASE menu, and whether the FTC’s prescriptive security requirements for Marriott will actually lead to better security. Cisco invests in a GPU-as-a-Service startup, stealthy... Read more »
Take a Network Break! DDI specialist BlueCat is getting into network performance monitoring with its LiveAction acquisition, T-Mobile is ordered to spend almost $16 million to improve its infosec practices and get a CISO, and Cisco announced the end of life for its LoRaWAN IoT product line. Verizon recovers from a US-wide outage, security researchers... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we discuss significant vulnerabilities in HPE APs and Cisco Catalyst 9K switches, the benefits of bug bounties, how HPE is adding third-party device monitoring to Aruba Central, and whether Arista can succeed at positioning CloudVision as a management platform for enterprise data center, campus, and WAN environments. Alkira’s cloud... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we discuss Microsoft’s proposed deal to buy power from the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, new APs and switches from Juniper Networks, and T-Mobile landing a customer driven by the network slicing capabilities of 5G. China disbands a botnet, Nokia takes on data center switch giants with a new... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we discuss the theft of 440Gbytes of customer data from a Fortinet cloud repository, how to think about resiliency after an AT&T network update kills access to Azure apps, and new troubleshooting features in Juniper Apstra. HPE goes to the bond market to raise as much as $6.5 billion... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover an AT&T lawsuit against Broadcom over changes to a support contract for VMware software, why Verizon is spending $20 billion to buy Frontier, and new critical security patches from Cisco. ASML, which makes the machines that make high-end computer chips, gets antsy over US restrictions to China.... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover a couple of listener FUs, and then dive into the news. Attackers exploit a zero-day in Versa to harvest credentials, AT&T agrees to a fine of nearly $1 million for a network outage that affected 911 calls, and Intel and Broadcom tout integrated optics for more broadband... Read more »
Take a Network Break! A US appeals court will let a privacy lawsuit against Google go forward, striking telecom workers are a reminder to test your resiliency planning, and AMD spends nearly $5 billion to acquire systems engineering talent from ZT Systems. Juniper Networks offers deep discounts and other enticements to get network engineers to... Read more »
Take a Network Break! Hackers may have stolen millions of US Social Security numbers, HPE acquires a multi-cloud management company, and Cisco announces plans to lay off 7% of its employees. Pure Storage joins industry efforts to make Ethernet suitable for AI workloads by signing on to the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, Texas Instruments will add... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover a judge’s ruling that Google is monopolist and potential outcomes, the HPE/Juniper acquisition clearing regulatory hurdles, and Microsoft flipping the bird at Delta’s legal threats. HPE Aruba Networking adds NDR for IoT devices, Fortinet fortifies its DLP capabilities via acquisition, Azure lets you stack logs in different... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we discuss a proposed class action lawsuit against CrowdStrike, while Delta investigates options to seek damages from CrowdStrike and Microsoft. Microsoft Azure goes down after a DDoS defense error, campus switch sales are forecast to drop significantly in 2024, and DigiCert warns customers that an error it made will... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with listener follow-up on CrowdStrike and Microsoft, and then examine a CrowdStrike incident review in which the security company says a bug in its content validator meant that a problematic update was mistakenly validated. An insurance company estimates the CrowdStrike Windows crash will cost the Fortune 500 about $5... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover the CrowdStrike/Microsoft patch debacle, why SolarWinds isn’t entirely out of trouble following a judge’s dismissal of most–but not all–of an SEC lawsuit, and why an AT&T breach revelation highlights third-party risk. Juniper announces an AI infrastructure testing lab and enhancements to its capabilities to operate AI infrastructure,... Read more »
Take a Network Break! This week we cover why the Google Chrome browser won’t trust a set of Entrust digital certificates come November and what you should do about it, an emergency security patch from Juniper, and the reasons why France’s Competition Authority is scrutinizing Nvidia. A roaming provider in the EU says a massive... Read more »
Greg Ferro bids farewell to Network Break, and Drew Conry-Murray and Johna Till Johnson bid farewell to Greg. Of course, the podcast must go on, so we also cover some tech news. First, Nokia acquires optics maker Infinera, Broadcom brings new features to VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), and campus switch sales drop. A Microsoft subsidiary... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with a longish round of FUs, and then dive into news. HPE announces HPE Private Cloud, which includes software, switches, and GPUs from Nvidia for building out infrastructure to support AI workloads. HPE also announced KVM virtualization for HPE Private Cloud. We debate whether Britian’s anti-trust inquiry to the... Read more »
Take a Network Break! We start with an announcement from Greg about his impending retirement. After we dust ourselves off from that, we pivot to this week’s tech news. Fortinet acquires a company to bolster its offering in securing cloud deployments and workloads, Cisco announces an Ikea-like kit to build AI infrastructure on prem, and... Read more »
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