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Category Archives for "Networking"

New Lab Server & random updates

New Server:

So I just completed a purchase off eBay for a new server for my lab purposes.

For a while now I’ve been limited to 32Gb of memory on my old ESXi server, which is really more like 20Gb when my regular servers have had their share. Running a combination of different types of devices, each taking at least 4Gb of memory, doesn’t leave much room for larger labs.

I decided to go with a “real” server this time around. So I got an older Cisco UCS C200 M2 server with 2 x Xeon 5570 processors and an additional 96 Gb ram (on top of the 24 it came with). That stil leaves room for a bit of memory upgrades in the future (it supports a total of 192Gb) (had a budget on this one, so couldn’t go crazy).

Work:

Work has been crazy lately. 2 of my Team members just resigned so a lot of workload has to be shifted until we find suitable replacements. That means I’ve been working 65+ hour work weeks for a while now. Something that I dont find even remotely amusing to be honest. But I’ve been reassured that everything is being done Continue reading

4 Tips for a successful virtual network deployment

As new technologies like software defined networking, SD-WAN, cloud computing and the Internet of Things continue to grow in maturity and adoption, organizations are faced with transforming their networks to keep up with the changes.Many of these technologies involve using software to automate management of the network or to virtualize the network. Recent research from IDC suggests revenues from networking and communications software will grow from a $6 billion market in 2017 to a $12 billion by 2021.+ MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: Experts: The future of IoT will be fascinating and also potentially catastrophic +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

NSA’s EthernalBlue exploit ported to Windows 10

If you were running Windows 10, then you didn’t need to worry about your box being hit with the leaked NSA EternalBlue exploit; but things change and now researchers have ported EternalBlue to Windows 10.After the WannaCry ransomware attack, some defenders focused on building detection rules to protect against the DoublePulsar backdoor implant; but beware as RiskSense researchers completely removed DoublePulsar. They warned that DoublePulsar is a “red herring for defenders to focus on, as stealthier payload mechanisms can be crafted.”While they are not revealing all the details about the exploit chain so attackers can jump on them, they hope white hat security researchers benefit from the technical overview of the exploit process “so that new generic and targeted techniques can be developed to prevent attacks.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

NSA’s EthernalBlue exploit ported to Windows 10

If you were running Windows 10, then you didn’t need to worry about your box being hit with the leaked NSA EternalBlue exploit; but things change and now researchers have ported EternalBlue to Windows 10.After the WannaCry ransomware attack, some defenders focused on building detection rules to protect against the DoublePulsar backdoor implant; but beware as RiskSense researchers completely removed DoublePulsar. They warned that DoublePulsar is a “red herring for defenders to focus on, as stealthier payload mechanisms can be crafted.”While they are not revealing all the details about the exploit chain so attackers can jump on them, they hope white hat security researchers benefit from the technical overview of the exploit process “so that new generic and targeted techniques can be developed to prevent attacks.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

25% off Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard for Computer, Phone & Tablet – Deal Alert

Rewrite the rules of desktop typing. Logitech's K780 is the type-on-everything keyboard with full-size keys and a convenient number pad. Enjoy quiet, comfortable typing, on your Windows PC or Mac, and switch typing to your phone or tablet at the touch of a button. An integrated rubber stand holds your mobile devices within reach and always at the perfect typing angle. A generous two-year battery life virtually eliminates the need to switch out batteries. The K780 typically lists for $79.99, but right now is discounted 25% to $59.99. See this deal now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Counting things, a lot of different things…

Counting things, a lot of different things…

Back in April we announced Rate Limiting of requests for every Cloudflare customer. Being able to rate limit at the edge of the network has many advantages: it’s easier for customers to set up and operate, their origin servers are not bothered by excessive traffic or layer 7 attacks, the performance and memory cost of rate limiting is offloaded to the edge, and more.

In a nutshell, rate limiting works like this:

  • Customers can define one or more rate limit rules that match particular HTTP requests (failed login attempts, expensive API calls, etc.)

  • Every request that matches the rule is counted per client IP address

  • Once that counter exceeds a threshold, further requests are not allowed to reach the origin server and an error page is returned to the client instead

This is a simple yet effective protection against brute force attacks on login pages and other sorts of abusive traffic like L7 DoS attacks.

Doing this with possibly millions of domains and even more millions of rules immediately becomes a bit more complicated. This article is a look at how we implemented a rate limiter able to run quickly and accurately at the edge of the network which Continue reading

Survey says: Enterprise IT needs a Zoloft and a life coach

For the past seven years, I’ve conducted Uptime Institute’s Annual Data Center Industry Survey (over 1,000 end user respondents from around the globe, conducted by email).Every year, some trend jumps out as the main theme. Maybe it’s because I’m turning 40 this year, but my takeaway from 2017 is that enterprise data center professionals need to relax—and reevaluate what’s important to their organizations.Over the course of the survey, I’ve watched our respondents wrestle with uncertainties as the IT profession continues to evolve. But the data from this year’s survey illustrates that many of the industry’s concerns are not coming to pass, meanwhile chronic management problems go untended.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Survey says: Enterprise IT needs a Zoloft and a life coach

For the past seven years, I’ve conducted Uptime Institute’s Annual Data Center Industry Survey (over 1,000 end user respondents from around the globe, conducted by email).Every year, some trend jumps out as the main theme. Maybe it’s because I’m turning 40 this year, but my takeaway from 2017 is that enterprise data center professionals need to relax—and reevaluate what’s important to their organizations.Over the course of the survey, I’ve watched our respondents wrestle with uncertainties as the IT profession continues to evolve. But the data from this year’s survey illustrates that many of the industry’s concerns are not coming to pass, meanwhile chronic management problems go untended.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here