NETWORKING

Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we’ve observed between January 8 and January 15. As with previous roundups, this post isn’t meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we’ve observed by highlighting key behavioral characteristics, indicators of compromise, and discussing how our customers are automatically protected from these threats. As a reminder, the information provided for the following threats in this post is non-exhaustive…

Many of you are familiar with the 40G BiDi pluggable optic, but did you know that the 40G CSR can serve similar use cases and is sometimes an attractive alternative? Written by Craig Pasek, Product Manager, Cisco Optics As network operators increase their link bandwidth from 10G to 40G, they need to choose between two categories of 40G pluggable optics: Those that require ribbon fiber or those that use duplex fiber via advanced transceiver technology. …

The office will never look the same – and maybe that’s a good thing. According to a survey conducted by Dimensional Research, 53% of larger organizations plan to reduce the size of their office space and more than three quarters will increase work flexibility. This is a direct and lasting consequence of the recent increase in working from home. Companies see an opportunity to reduce real estate and save on expenses with remote work on…

As you jump on your brand-new exercise equipment to celebrate a newer version of yourself in this new year, I’m reminded of this idea of building some new muscle –for ourselves personally and perhaps even as a business. Moving into 2021, we all find ourselves in a head space of deep reflection, on the year that has past, the successes we’ve achieved, the challenges we’ve overcome and more importantly, how we’re determined and destined to…

Next week we will publish our third annual “Defending Against Critical Threats” report; a roundup of some the most impactful cyber attacks from the past 12 months. Included in the publication are articles about how cyber criminals sought to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also cover Big Game Hunting attacks, whereby cyber criminals seek to monopolize a ransomware deployment in a ‘post compromise’ phase. Of course, last year saw one of the most momentous general elections in United States history, and Cisco Talos have spent…

One convenient way to list details about user logins on a Linux system is to use the lslogins command. You’ll get a very useful and nicely formatted display that includes quite a few important details. On my system and likely most others, user accounts will start with UID 1000. To list just these accounts rather than include all of the service accounts like daemon, mail and syslog, add the -u option as shown in the…

2020 was a year we all were more than happy to finally put behind us. Between COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns, manufacturing was one of the hardest hit industries, with over $1 trillion lost (Source: IDC’s Worldwide ICT Spending Guide: Industry and Company Size, 2020). Worker safety, product mix and supply chain breakdowns were some of the biggest areas impacting manufacturers trying to stay open and satisfy their customers during the pandemic. And since responding…

In 2020, one common theme that we have seen amongst businesses big and small was the building of resilient networks. The new normal has accelerated digitization many folds and organizations are navigating how they leverage advanced technology to aid virtualization, remote connectivity, shift to cloud, connected security, and e2e automation. We have seen the future workplace radically changing, with the modern workplace moving to a hybrid model, where physical locations and remote working will need…

The dawn of any new year is met with optimism, fanfare, and celebration. With our world under pressure from the global pandemic and social unrest, the arrival of 2021 holds greater importance and potential for a fresh start and new hope for so many of us. This collective resolve will serve us well as we tackle the challenges ahead. Here, at Cisco Networking Academy, we’re acutely aware of the extraordinary impact the pandemic has had…

After some saber-rattling, Cisco has sweetened the pot to acquire optical technology firm Acacia. The amended agreement calls for Cisco to pay $4.5 billion instead of the originally agreed upon $2.6 billion deal. The companies said the amended acquisition should close by the end of the first calendar quarter of 2021, but it is still subject to closing conditions, including Acacia stockholder approval. Upon completion of the acquisition, Acacia CEO Raj Shanmugaraj and company employees will…