Monthly News Update: The "S" in MCP Stands for Security
Send us a textTim and Chris dive into the month's most significant tech developments, exploring antitrust rulings, emerging AI security threats, and the financial sustainability of the AI industry.• Google avoids having to sell Chrome in federal antitrust ruling but is barred from exclusive distribution contracts• Cybercriminals deploy "S1ngularity Attack" using LLM prompts to steal credentials from 2,100 GitHub accounts• Cisco reintroduces dedicated wireless certification track with focus on Wi-Fi 6/7 and Meraki technologies• Google Cloud introduces "agentic IAM" services to manage AI agent identities and improve MCP security• Zscaler CEO creates controversy by suggesting customer logs are used for AI training before company clarification• Avaya offers voluntary exit packages to all employees, suggesting potential acquisition or restructuring• OpenAI increases projected spending through 2029 by $80 billion to $115 billion totalShare this episode on social media and tell a friend about the podcast if you enjoyed it. You can find us on all platforms @Cables2Clouds.Purchase Chris and Tim's new book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/ Check out the Fortnightly Cloud Networking Newshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/Visit our website and subscribe: https://www.cables2clouds.com/Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cables2clouds.comFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cables2clouds/Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cables2cloudsMerch Store: https://store.cables2clouds.com/Join the Discord Study group: https://artofneteng.com/iaatj
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Cloud Networking Basics: VPC - AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud
Send us a textWhat happens when three major cloud providers each reimagine network design from scratch? You get three completely different approaches to solving the same fundamental problem.The foundation of cloud networking begins with the virtual containers that hold your resources: AWS's Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), Azure's Virtual Networks (VNets), and Google Cloud's VPCs (yes, the same name, very different implementation). While they all serve the same basic purpose—providing logical isolation for your workloads—their design philosophies reveal profound differences in how each provider expects you to architect your solutions.AWS took the explicit control approach. When you create subnets within an AWS VPC, you must assign each to a specific Availability Zone. This creates a vertical architecture pattern where you're deliberately placing resources in specific physical locations and designing resilience across those boundaries. Network engineers often find this intuitive because it matches traditional fault domain thinking. However, this design means you must account for cross-AZ data transfer costs and explicit resiliency patterns.Azure flipped the script with their horizontal approach. By default, subnets span across all AZs in a region, with Microsoft's automation handling the resilience for you. This "let us handle the complexity" philosophy makes initial deployment simpler but provides less granular control. Meanwhile, Google Cloud went global, allowing a single VPC to span regions worldwide—an approach that simplifies global connectivity but introduces new challenges for security segmentation.These architectural differences aren't merely academic—they fundamentally change how you design for resilience, manage costs, and implement security. The cloud introduced "toll booth" pricing for data movement, where crossing availability zones or regions incurs charges that didn't exist in traditional data centers. Understanding these nuances is crucial whether you're migrating existing networks or designing new ones.Want to dive deeper into cloud networking concepts? Let us know what topics you'd like us to cover next as we explore how traditional networking skills translate to the cloud world.Purchase Chris and Tim's new book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/ Check out the Fortnightly Cloud Networking Newshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/Visit our website and subscribe: https://www.cables2clouds.com/Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cables2clouds.comFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cables2clouds/Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cables2cloudsMerch Store: https://store.cables2clouds.com/Join the Discord Study group: https://artofneteng.com/iaatj
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Where's Palo Sailing this CyberArk? - NC2C041
Send us a textCloud security and infrastructure providers are making strategic moves to maintain competitive advantage through acquisitions and service enhancements while combating emerging threats. We explore the latest developments including Palo Alto's massive acquisition, new cloud services, and enhanced security features that are reshaping the industry.• Palo Alto Networks announces $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk to strengthen identity security capabilities, particularly for machine identities and agentic AI• AWS launches Elastic VMware Service, allowing customers to bring their own licenses without application replatforming as organizations seek alternatives amid Broadcom changes• Network World article questions why enterprises aren't fully replacing infrastructure with SD-WAN, highlighting the ongoing gradual adoption approach• Wiz discovers "zombie hosts" on Google Sites pages with SoCo 404 exploit that installs cryptocurrency mining malware• Megaport Cloud Router now supports IPsec tunnels, enabling direct encrypted connections through their fabric without additional hardwareJoin us next month for more cloud and infrastructure news updates.Purchase Chris and Tim's new book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/ Check out the Fortnightly Cloud Networking Newshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/Visit our website and subscribe: https://www.cables2clouds.com/Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cables2clouds.comFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cables2clouds/Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cables2cloudsMerch Store: https://store.cables2clouds.com/Join the Discord Study group: https://artofneteng.com/iaatj
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Navigating Career Changes with Will Collins
Send us a textMaking a career transition is never easy, especially in specialized technical domains. In this episode, we dive into the world of professional evolution with returning guest Will Collins, who shares his journey from cloud networking at Alkira to automation engineering at Nintex."I'm not lazy, but I hate repetition," Will explains, describing the mindset that led him toward automation throughout his career. This natural inclination eventually blossomed into a specialized focus, demonstrating how following your technical interests can create new career pathways. His experience mirrors my own recent transition from Aviatrix to a network security-focused role, giving listeners multiple perspectives on navigating change in the networking industry.The conversation explores how cloud experience fundamentally transforms your technical thinking – shifting your approach from traditional infrastructure management to a more developer-oriented mindset. We discuss how cloud environments break down traditional silos, forcing networking professionals to collaborate with application teams and security specialists in ways that weren't necessary in traditional data centers. This cross-functional experience creates valuable T-shaped professionals who understand both the depth of networking and the breadth of adjacent technologies.We also tackle tough questions about the evolution of networking as a discipline. Has it expanded, contracted, or simply morphed into something new? Will suggests "it's been watered down or diluted," pointing to the consolidation of networking and security responsibilities in many organizations. This trend requires today's professionals to master multiple domains while still maintaining core expertise.For those contemplating their next move, we offer practical advice on evaluating opportunities, balancing risk at different career stages, and the importance of developing fundamental understanding rather than relying on AI shortcuts. As Will counsels, "Learn one thing... actually learn it. That is what's going to keep you marketable in 2035, 2040."Connect with our guest:https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-collins/https://packetpushers.net/podcast/the-cloud-gambit/Purchase Chris and Tim's new book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/ Check out the Fortnightly Cloud Networking Newshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/Visit our website and subscribe: https://www.cables2clouds.com/Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cables2clouds.comFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cables2clouds/Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cables2cloudsMerch Store: https://store.cables2clouds.com/Join the Discord Study group: https://artofneteng.com/iaatj
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Monthly News Update: When Your SD-WAN Gets More Frequent Flyer Miles Than You
Send us a textThe tech industry's shifting strategies and priorities take center stage in this episode as we examine several major developments reshaping the landscape. We dive into Ingram Micro's recent ransomware attack by the SafePay group, analyzing both the immediate impacts and potential long-term consequences of the four-day operational disruption. The incident raises important questions about security protocols, attack vectors, and the possibility of data exfiltration that could have lingering effects.Next, we explore CoreWeave's massive $9 billion acquisition of CoreScientific, representing a fascinating pivot from cryptocurrency mining infrastructure to AI computing resources. This transaction epitomizes the tech industry's current trajectory – moving away from speculative cryptocurrency ventures toward equally speculative but potentially more productive AI applications. We discuss the diminishing returns of crypto mining versus the still-unprofitable but product-focused world of AI, questioning where this astronomical investment might lead.The networking world sees significant realignment as Arista acquires VeloCloud from Broadcom, bolstering their WAN portfolio after VMware's SD-WAN solution changed hands multiple times in recent years. We compare potential integration approaches with Cisco's historical challenges integrating Viptela, speculating on how Arista might handle this transition while maintaining their commitment to a unified operating system.Perhaps most concerning is Microsoft's continued workforce reduction – cutting 4% of employees while pledging billions toward AI development. This "robbing Peter to pay Paul" approach appears throughout the tech industry as companies bet heavily on AI's future promise while sacrificing present human capital. We contrast these widespread layoffs with contradictory reports claiming robust tech hiring, questioning the true state of industry employment.Join us biweekly for future episodes as we transition to a fortnightly schedule focusing on quality over quantity. Share your thoughts about our schedule change or any topics discussed – we're especially interested in hearing from VeloCloud customers who've experienced the product's journey through multiple corporate owners.Purchase Chris and Tim's new book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/ Check out the Fortnightly Cloud Networking Newshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/Visit our website and subscribe: https://www.cables2clouds.com/Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cables2clouds.comFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cables2clouds/Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cables2cloudsMerch Store: https://store.cables2clouds.com/Join the Discord Study group: https://artofneteng.com/iaatj
Join Chris and Tim as they delve into the Cloud Networking world! The goal of this podcast is to help Network Engineers with their Cloud journey. Follow us on Twitter @Cables2Clouds | Co-Hosts Twitter Handles: Chris - @bgp_mane | Tim - @juangolbez
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