network security

The term NEXT-Generation, (especially when it comes to firewalls…) has been around awhile…to the point that I almost think NOW-Generation may be a more accurate term. There has been too much focus on application & access control and we have forgotten about threat defense. How do you know i…

Hybrid Cloud.  These two words are individually or collectively on the minds of just about every business today, regardless of size.  Why?   If you’re implementing a private cloud, you will inevitably ask yourself if you should be leveraging public cloud for dev/test or an alternative place to deplo…

Holidays are here. It is time to take a pause from work for travels and family celebrations. But hackers are not taking a rest. Just recently, a major hotel chain reported that it suffered a security breach related to customer credit and debit card payments. The hospitality industry is certainly not…

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a trickster king cursed with the eternal torment of fruitless labor. As punishment for his hubris and wile, Zeus condemned this hapless figure to the unending task of pushing a boulder up a mountain. Once he reached the top, the boulder would fall back down. And he w…

I speak with Cisco customers regularly. The topic of the Internet of Everything (IoE) comes up often.  Put simply, their concerns can be summed up in a single question: How can I prepare for the network of tomorrow when it’s difficult to keep pace with managing the fast-moving complexity of my netwo…

After several months leading the managed security services portfolio at Cisco, I sat down with the social media team to discuss my path to Cisco, the evolution of the security market, and the future of security. [Note: This is an abridged version of the full interview.] Q: After nearly 20 years at S…

It’s no secret, networks, in general, are more challenging to manage than before. As networks increase in complexity to embrace new business innovations, they may require more supporting devices, which, in turn, can result in even more alerts to manage. If you’re a network manager or security office…

DDoS attacks are no longer just a nuisance and they can cause lasting damage. Organizations that ignore this threat often learn the high costs involved in the damage from these attacks – ranging from mild service degradation and to extended service outage. According to Aberdeen Group research, the c…

When Apple Pay was announced in September this year, it brought a lot of attention to the digital payment business. But this is certainly not the first sign that we are moving rapidly towards a digital society. For example, Starbucks has been doing this for years by handling millions of mobile walle…