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Shortly before we released this year’s Cisco VNI Forecast 2012-2017* on May 29th, I had a chance to contemplate the implications behind all the report’s data. The Forecast makes it clear that IP traffic will continue to grow “in leaps and bounds” through 2017, but there is so much more information lying hidden within the report.

* an annual projection of global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic, now in its seventh year,
used by companies, analysts, media, academia, and governments wordlwide.
For a quick overview of this year’s findings, read Thomas Barnett’s VNI blog post.

Here are six significant conclusions that came about in my review of VNI’s findings and what they mean for the future functioning of the Internet: Continue reading “Six Insights: Implications of the VNI Forecast 2012-2017”



Authors

Doug Webster

Vice President

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Update 6/6/2013:

We’re seeing reports of exploitation of this vulnerability. We can confirm Global Correlation – Network Participation telemetry is seeing multiple exploitation attempts across many customers. Customers who participate in Global Correlation – Inspection have a higher chance of this signature blocking in the default configuration since the sensor will take the reputation of an attacker into account during the risk rating evaluation. One of the reports mentioned the use of an IRC-based botnet as a payload for a large number of compromised machines. Since this report is similar to one I previously blogged about, I examined the IRC payloads in depth. Many of the variable names and functions are identical, with the new bot’s source code indicating that it is a later revision of the one we saw previously. Additional features have been added in this revision, which can allow the bots to transfer files directly to other bots via the command and control channel. Given the nature of this vulnerability and the ease of exploitation, it is very likely that unpatched machines will continue to be compromised if not remediated.

A 0-day vulnerability has been publicly posted which affects older versions of the Parallels Plesk software. The author of the exploit included an informational text file, which appears to indicate public servers have already been exploited. This vulnerability does not affect the latest major version of the software; nevertheless we expect to see widespread exploitation, due to the age of the affected versions — sites still running these versions of Plesk, which should enter End of Life of June 9, are unlikely to be regularly maintained.

plesk_2_1  Continue reading “Plesk 0-Day Targets Web Servers”



Authors

Craig Williams

Director

Talos Outreach

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This week, I invited Chris Cullan, product marketing manager, business
services solutions at InfoVista to discuss his “grumpy old man syndrome (GOMS).”

Not really a grumpy old man, Canadian
Not really a grumpy old man, Canadian

Chris will share how Cisco and InfoVista are working together to solve GOMS by giving  communications service providers (CSPs) and their enterprise customers the ability to bridge the application – user – business gap.  Specifically, Cisco and InfoVista can help CSPs and customers detect and apply QoS to over 1400 applications, including bit-torrent, p2p apps, Netflix, Youtube and about 1400 others – without probes and at a hardware cost up to 30% lower than standalone appliances. Cisco also produces monthly updates to application signatures that can be implemented without interruption to the network.

Please join our free upcoming joint webinar on Thursday, June 13th at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time; it will be moderated by Light Reading, a leading trade publication.

Take it away, Chris!

Thanks, Bob. I’m not really that grumpy. I’m Canadian, after all.

One thing really annoys me…okay, many things really annoy me, and the number seems to increase as I get older. I call it “grumpy old man syndrome”. My wife just calls it painful. But for this audience, the one thing I am referring to is “dumb pipes”. I am continually frustrated by the industry’s willingness to down-play its core value.

Continue reading “Are “Dumb Pipes” Causing Grumpy Old Man Syndrome?”



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Hello Cisco Live attendees!  As your host this year, I am looking forward to seeing you at Cisco Live in Orlando, running June 23rd through June 27th.  We have an incredible time planned for you and already, with record attendance, we are certain this will be the best show yet!

This year’s Cisco Live is dedicated to you – our customers – and how together we are changing the world.  As we enter an era of The Internet of Everything (#IoE), the role of the network is growing and shaping the future of the ICT industry.

While it’s my first year as your host, I’m a 14 –year Cisco veteran and a huge Cisco Live fan. I’ve been attending Cisco Livefor years, and whether its Anaheim, San Diego or Orlando, this is my favorite event of the year. I know first-hand how valuable this event is for you and for the entire Cisco team. There is no better opportunity for fellow innovators and Cisco experts to meet with and learn from each other. Continue reading “TOMORROW Starts Here. I hope you are ready for it.”



Authors

Blair Christie

Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

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The insatiable demand for smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices is generating staggering amounts of mobile data and placing a crushing burden on networks. One barometer is the recently released Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI), which predicts that global mobile data traffic will increase 13-fold from 2012 to 2017, reaching 11.2 exabytes per month. The study also predicted that two-thirds of all mobile traffic will be video by 2015, and an additional 20 percent of this traffic will be devoted to both the mobile web and mobile data.

In parallel, we are witnessing a “perfect storm” in both Wi-Fi availability and customer acceptance that is resulting in a worldwide rise in the popularity of Wi-Fi. Consumers can now readily use their numerous Wi-Fi enabled devices in their homes, offices and increasingly in many of the other places where they spend their lives. Mobile users are actively searching out Wi-Fi connectivity as a cost-effective and adequate substitute or complement to mobile access to the Internet.

Based on this Wi-Fi “perfect storm” and the explosion of mobile data traffic traversing their networks, Service Providers realize that they now need to pay attention to Wi-Fi. In our conversations with SPs around the world they now recognize that that Wi-Fi is more than just data-off load and needs to be Continue reading “The Path to Wi-Fi Profitability”



Authors

Stuart Taylor

Director

Service Provider Transformation Group

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President Obama yesterday provided executive leadership on an issue that is of critical importance to American businesses, consumers and the U.S. economy.

The U.S. patent system has long been held up as a model for promoting ingenuity and encouraging our national history of invention and entrepreneurship.  Recently, however, abusive patent litigation brought who have figured out how to game the system for personal gain has become an assault on innovation.  As evidenced by a new White House study out today, this impact on our economy is significant.

This issue has moved from being a tech issue to being a Main Street one where consumers and the middle class are being affected. 

Continue reading “A Tipping Point in Rebalancing Our Patent System”



Authors

Mark Chandler

Retired | Executive Vice President

Chief Legal and Compliance Officer

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Doug Webster – Cisco’s VP of Marketing for Service Provider Routing, Video, and Mobility – testified yesterday in front of the Senate Commerce Committee on trends in mobile data, highlighting Cisco’s Visual Networking Index and the need for more spectrum for broadband.  The following is the text of Doug’s opening statement:

“Good afternoon.  Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.  Mr. Chairman and members of the committee:  we are in the midst of an absolute avalanche of mobile data.

I’m here representing Cisco Systems, the world’s leading networking company, which has unparalleled insight to network data traffic.

Every year, we at Cisco comb through the data, look for emerging trends, and share our forecast and predictions through our annual Visual Networking Index, or VNI.

In our latest forecast, Cisco predicts that in 2017, mobile data in the United States will be 687 times greater than it was in 2007.  Think of that, 687 times the volume of mobile data traffic compared to just six years ago.

And the growth shows no sign of abating.

Five years from now, there will be nine times as much mobile data traffic in the U.S. than there is today.  More email.  More apps.  And, especially, more video, which by 2017 will represent two-thirds of all mobile traffic.

The question is:  are we prepared for this avalanche?  Can our current network infrastructure handle the massive growth that is coming?

The answer, of course, is no.     Imagine the Washington Beltway at rush-hour.  That’s basically what wireless networks are today.  Sometimes open road; but frequently congested, especially at peak hours.

Now imagine adding 50% more traffic to the Beltway each year for the next five years – a nine-fold increase.  You’d get grinding gridlock, with major delays… frustration, anger, and a major loss of productivity.

Mr. Chairman, that’s precisely what will happen if Congress and the FCC don’t act to address the looming spectrum crunch.

Now, how did we get to this point?

Just a few years ago, mobile data traffic was at relatively low levels, the product of a handful of text messages, mostly by our teenagers.

Fast forward to a few years later.  Each of us has multiple mobile devices connected wirelessly to the internet – smartphones, tablets, laptops, video streaming devices, smart TVs and gaming consoles.

And the devices will continue to proliferate — in just a few years, we forecast that that there will be 8 devices for every American.

Not only do we send email and text messages constantly, but we’re watching massive amounts of video – from short clips of our children’s first steps to entire feature-length movies on hand held devices.

Taken as a whole, this change has really transformed mobile data traffic, with profound implications for technology policy.

Last week, Cisco released our latest VNI forecast, and the hard data show that there’s simply no stopping the growth. We’ve become attached to our mobile devices and have integrated them into our daily lives.

So what should policymakers do now to ensure that we have the infrastructure and investment in place to meet this demand?

Put simply, more licensed and unlicensed spectrum must be allocated for broadband access.  To return to our Beltway metaphor, adding spectrum will add more lanes for traffic, widen lanes which today are too narrow, and create more on-ramps, off-ramps, and feeder roads to reduce bottlenecks.

Congress’s authorization of Voluntary Incentive Spectrum Auctions in 2010 was a critical first step on the licensed side of the equation.  And on behalf of Cisco, I want to thank you for taking that meaningful action.

Now, thanks to this committee, the FCC is studying potential expansion of Wi-Fi in the 5 gigahertz band.  The FCC is conducting an analysis of whether additional sharing for commercial purposes is technically feasible.  We hope that this analysis can be completed as quickly and thoroughly as possible, to help increase broadband speed and adoption.

This is increasingly important, given that approximately 50% of all data moves over Wi-Fi or mobile networks, and given that Wi-Fi helps alleviate pressure on licensed cellular networks.

The bottom line is this:

The mobile revolution is here.  It’s changing the way we communicate… the way we analyze data… the way health care, education, government and public safety services are delivered.

And it’s creating new American jobs and economic growth every day.  As if you need more reason to act, studies show that doubling mobile data, results in a 0.5% increase in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, growth which is necessary now more than ever. (Deloitte)

It’s imperative that we address the looming spectrum crunch here in the United States and allow providers to invest private dollars in network infrastructure.

This will help ensure that the United States remains at the cutting edge and continues to be a global leader when it comes to mobile technologies.

Thank you again for the opportunity to appear today.  I look forward to your questions.”

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Authors

Scott Gerber

Senior Manager, Government Affairs

Government Affairs

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I have lost count of the number of trade shows I’ve worked over my career. But working trade shows for Cisco over the past 14 months has been a uniquely positive experience. Microsoft TechEd North America 2013 makes my 5th show evangelizing Cisco UCS and our solutions.

I have been able to have long (sometimes up to 45 minutes) conversations with potential customers who have heard about UCS and want to learn more. Their reactions on how Cisco does it differently from others in the industry is an eye-opener for them – whether it the technology or the economics of the solution. They all walk away saying they are going to have to dig deeper into our solutions and contact their account team / partner.

It has become almost embarrassing the amount of praise our current customers heap on us when they come by the booth. Embarrassing because I’m just a very small part of what makes UCS successful; Cisco has a very strong team behind UCS and I wish they all could hear the great things the customers are saying about their experiences.

There are still two days left to stop by the Cisco booth and learn about:

  • UCS
  • UCS Solutions FlexPod, VSPEX, Exchange, SQL Server
  • UCS Manager
  • Nexus 1000V
  • VM FEX
  • Cisco Email Security

CiscoUCS_MSTechEd_Small



Authors

Bill Shields

Senior Marketing Manager

Product and Solutions Marketing Team

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ISTE2013logo

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference will take place in San Antonio, TX from June 23rd through June 26th.  ISTE is an annual conference providing hundreds of sessions, emerging education tech solutions, keynotes, face to face demonstrations and a collaboration of like-minded educators.  To register for this event please click here.

Join Cisco BYOD Solutions for K-12 Education will be featured along with Cisco Meraki Cloud Solutions in booth 11270 for live presentations and face to face time with knowledgeable experts discussing innovative technologies utilized in today’s classrooms.

Cisco BYOD Solutions for K-12 Education at booth 11270 will showcase four hosted demos: Continue reading “Register Now for ISTE 2013”