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HS084: Straight Talk from Cisco’s CIO (Sponsored)
Cisco CIO Fletcher Previn visits Heavy Strategy to talk about how to create a technology culture, what it’s like being “customer zero”, and other challenges and tribulations of running IT from inside one of the world’s largest tech companies. Episode Guest: Fletcher Previn, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Cisco Fletcher Previn has over two decades... Read more »
TL004: Fostering Psychological Safety for Tech Teams
The concept of psychological safety originated from research on surgical teams. Psychological safety is essential as it allows team members to voice concerns without fear of retaliation. As a leadership tool, it can help people perform at their highest levels. In this episode of Technically Leadership, guest Wesley Faulkner talks with host Laura Santamaria about... Read more »NAN074: Integrate and Collaborate with Codespaces and Containerlab
GitHub Codespaces aims to simplify spinning up a developer environment in the cloud. Containerlab, which provides virtual lab environments for network engineers, is now integrated with Codespaces to make it easy to set up and share network labs. On today’s Network Automation Nerds show, we delve into this innovative use of GitHub Codespaces and containerlab... Read more »PP032: Unpacking RPKI for BGP Security
Today on Packet Protector we get into BGP security. BGP is an essential protocol for directing traffic across the Internet, but it wasn’t designed with bad actors in mind, not to mention plain old configuration mistakes. Without additional controls in place, BGP is susceptible to issues such as route leaks and route hijacks that can... Read more »HS083: Why Protocols Fail: Russ White’s Perspective on Effective Architecture
Network veteran Russ White joins the Heavy Strategy team for a rousing discussion on why protocols fail, how much complexity is too much, why “premature optimization is the root of all evil” (Donald Knuth) and why architects should always remember to think about state. Episode Guest: Russ White, Senior Architect, Akamai Technologies For the last... Read more »
TNO003: DevOps, NetOps, and Batman – Part 1
Do you know what DevOps is? Really? And how well does it fit traditional NetOps? Host Scott Robohn and guest Tom McGonagle explore ways to apply DevOps to Network Engineering and Operations. They review the seven DevOps practices and Tom’s proposed adaptations of DevOps under the banner of GitNops. This is the first part of... Read more »PP031: Cloud Firewall Architecture Essentials
Today on Packet Protector we look at cloud firewall architectures. If you’ve deployed firewalls in the campus or a data center, it’s useful to know that there are differences in the public cloud. We’ll dive into what you need to know, including deployment options, the role of high availability in public cloud, selecting the right... Read more »HW036: eduroam Visitor Access (eVA): Simplifying Campus Guest Wi-Fi Access
In today’s episode, guest Cheryl Connell joins host Keith Parsons to talk about the eduroam Visitor Access (eVA) system. Cheryl explains that eVA is a free add-on for institutions with an existing eduroam setup, allowing them to create temporary usernames and passwords for guests without needing a separate guest network. They discuss the challenges of... Read more »TL003: Leveling Up Your Team’s Skills
IT work requires ongoing training and skills development. Laura Santamaria and guest Scott Robohn discuss strategies for leveling up your team to ensure they have the skills they need. Laura and Scott talk about the need for continuous learning and explore options for encouraging skill development, even in budget-constrained environments. Good leaders should guide by... Read more »NAN073: Some Final Words of Wisdom from Greg Ferro
This episode was recorded with Greg Ferro, co-founder of Packet Pushers, just days before his retirement in July 2024. Greg and Eric reflect on Greg’s influential career in network engineering and the evolution of the industry. Greg discusses the challenges of maintaining open-source projects amid increasing commercialization and corporate exploitation. He emphasizes the importance of... Read more »PP030: Volt Typhoon On the Attack, Starlink Joins the Navy, and More Security News
Today’s Packet Protector is an all-news episode. We cover the Volt Typhoon hacker group exploiting a zero-day in Versa Networks gear and a multitude of vulnerabilities in Zyxel network products. We also debate whether Microsoft’s endpoint security summit will be more than a public relations exercise, a serious backdoor in RFID cards used in offices... Read more »HS082: Citizen Coders: Boon Or Bane?
The low-code/no-code movement means business users who aren’t programmers can create software. This capability might make these citizen coders more efficient and productive, but could also pose risks due to a lack of formal training in software development and security. Is citizen coding a boon or bane to business? Johna Johnson and John Burke discuss... Read more »
TNO002: How Simplification Helps MSPs Scale
Simplification is the theme of today’s episode. Host Scott Robohn and guest Jack Maxfield explore the operational impacts of simplification for a Managed Service Provider (MSP). They discuss the challenges of managing multi-vendor environments and how to use templating and tools to simplify the management process. Proactive client communication and the integration of network and... Read more »HW035: The Experience Paradox
In this episode of Heavy Wireless, host Keith Parsons and guest Tom Hollingsworth delve into the “experience paradox” in the tech industry: to get experience, you need to have experience. They highlight the disconnect between job requirements and candidates’ actual experience. Tom emphasizes the importance of hands-on learning, home labs, and making mistakes as essential... Read more »PP029: Translating Security Objectives into Business Outcomes
On today’s Packet Protector we talk about how to talk about security objectives in ways that resonate with business and non-technical leaders in your organization. Tying security objectives to business outcomes can help you maintain (or increase) budgets, build trust and credibility with executives, and better align your risk management efforts with the organization’s broader... Read more »TL002: The Philosophical Roots of Leadership
On this episode of Technically Leadership, we talk about the philosophical underpinnings of leadership. We discuss what it means to hold and drive a vision for a technical organization, how to build a strong team culture, handling layoffs and letting people go, and exploring what philosophy can teach us about leadership. Guest Matt Butcher, CEO... Read more »NAN072: Exploring Internet2’s Network Automation for University and Research Networks
On today’s episode we delve into Internet2’s mission to advance research and education through high-speed connectivity. University and research networks may have more complicated designs, requirements, and restrictions than you’d expect. We talk about these challenges, along with innovative network automation solutions. The discussion emphasizes the collaborative, member-driven approach of Internet2 and its commitment to... Read more »PP028: Can SecOps and NetOps Work Together?
IT tends to divide itself by job function and technological specialization, especially as technology gets more complex. However, each IT domain is part of a larger system, and these systems require coordination and cooperation to operate effectively. On today’s Packet Protector we look at how and why Security Operations (SecOps) and Network Operations (NetOps) should... Read more »HS081: What’s Your Strategic Plan for AI Infrastructure?
AI seems to be changing everything, including your IT infrastructure. Do you have a strategic plan for your AI infrastructure? Today we discuss the merits and challenges of cloud computing, on-premises solutions, hybrid models, and edge computing along with the importance of low latency for real-time AI applications and the potential of edge computing in... Read more »