Cisco Podcast Network

Episode 9 - CDW

In this episode of Cisco SE Talks, we sit down with industry experts Joe Chenevey, AI Solutions Strategy Lead, and Cody Weaver, Cisco AI Team Lead from CDW to cut through the noise surrounding Artificial Intelligence. As AI moves from experimental "front-office" use cases to core IT infrastructure, organizations are facing a critical inflection point.
Our panel explores the shifting landscape of AI integration, focusing on how businesses can move beyond the "demo" phase to achieve tangible, scalable results. We discuss the transition of AI ownership from lines of business to IT, the vital importance of security and governance in an era of "shadow AI," and why understanding the specific business problem is the only way to build a successful AI strategy.
Whether you are looking to optimize your infrastructure or navigate the complexities of AI governance, this episode provides the practical context needed to stay ahead in an ever-changing technological landscape.

404 Script Not Found: We Love MFA!

Join Kat and Ian as they stumble through the basics of DRIP (yes, we finally figured it out!), share some questionable life advice for surviving a seven-hour meeting marathon, and geek out over why Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is the ultimate digital bodyguard. We’re breaking down the "something you know, have, and are" magic that blocks 99% of attacks, and why that extra verification step is actually your best friend, not a nuisance. Plus, Ian drops some secret lore about his past life building cybersecurity programs.
Get your MFA ready, and let’s get into it!
Check out Cisco's cybersecurity solutions (like MFA) for SMBs here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/security/index.html

SHIFT HAPPENS: Ep. 36: Talking Shift - The Coach’s Playbook: Unlocking your Potential w/Sam Barcus

In this special edition Talking Shift episode, host Jeff Edwards sits down with executive coach and NewLeaf Partners International co-founder Sam Barcus — the trusted advisor behind many of Cisco’s most influential leaders.
But this conversation is bigger than leadership coaching. It’s about the invisible ceilings that hold ambitious people back… the difference between performing and simply looking performative… and why the best leaders train more like elite athletes than corporate executives.
From his early days at Texas Instruments and Price Waterhouse to helping shape consultative selling at IBM during one of the biggest transformations in tech history, Sam shares the experiences that shaped his coaching philosophy — one built on awareness, authenticity, curiosity, and relentless growth.
Along the way, Jeff and Sam unpack:
🔥 Why high performers often become their own biggest obstacle
🧠 The power of a personal “brand promise” — and how it changes the way you show up
⚡ Why “what got you here won’t get you there” has never been more true in the age of AI
🤖 What executives are really wrestling with right now as AI reshapes work, leadership, and decision-making
💡 Why recovery, reflection, and curiosity may be the ultimate competitive advantages
This episode is thoughtful, deeply human, and filled with practical wisdom for anyone trying to grow into the next version of themselves — whether you lead a global organization or are simply figuring out your next move.
We are Talking Shift to make shift happen.

Is AI Ready for Healthcare? Real Talk from the Frontlines | Tech Unscripted

As hospitals move toward Automation and Smart Buildings, we explore how Integrated Technology is transforming the Patient Experience. We discuss the infrastructure required to make "Smart Hospitals" a reality.

What Complex Failure Modes at Anthropic and X Reveal

The Internet Report explores recent disruptions at Anthropic and X, analyzing how architectural differences and deployment cycles impact digital reliability.
CHAPTERS
00:54 Anthropic's Claude: Three Early April Events
06:03 The Deployment Hypothesis
08:51 The Reliability Challenge for AI Services
11:24 A Pattern to Disruptions at X
12:45 Outage Trends: By the Numbers
17:59 Get in Touch
For additional insights, check out The Internet Outage Survival Kit: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/the-internet-outage-survival-kit?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy26q4_internetreport_q4fy26ep135_podcast 
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Want to get in touch? 
If you have questions, feedback, or guests you would like to see featured on the show, send us a note at InternetReport@thousandeyes.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn or X.
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ABOUT THE INTERNET REPORT 
This is The Internet Report, a podcast uncovering what’s working and what’s breaking on the Internet—and why.  
Tune in to hear ThousandEyes’ Internet experts dig into some of the most interesting outage events from the past couple weeks, discussing what went awry—was it the Internet, or an application issue? 
Plus, learn about the latest trends in ISP outages, cloud network outages, collaboration network outages, and more. 
Catch all the episodes on your favorite podcast platform:  
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-report/id1506984526  
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ADFvqAtgsbYwk4JiZFqHQ?si=00e9c4b53aff4d08&nd=1&dlsi=eab65c9ea39d4773  
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ciscopodcastnetwork/sets/the-internet-report  
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinternetreport_official

Beyond the Fiber - S1E3 - Tech Talk on AI with Jim Grubb

The Challenge: AI is fundamentally changing traffic patterns, operations, and customer expectations, exposing the limits of legacy network architectures built for static connectivity rather than intelligent, real-time automation. Service providers are now under pressure to scale AI-ready infrastructure, manage growing operational complexity, and deliver predictive, always-on customer experiences.
The Solution: AI-ready networks require a new approach where the network becomes both the foundation for AI workloads and a rich source of real-time intelligence. In this Tech Talk on the Beyond the Fiber podcast, Jim Grubb explores how AI is driving autonomous operations, proactive assurance, and the transformation from reactive networks to intelligent, self-optimizing platforms.

404 Script Not Found: Bad Actors

We’re back to tech this week, and Ian and Kat are tackling a question that feels equal parts fascinating and mildly terrifying: how are bad actors using LLMs? From prompt injection attacks (Kat's really passionate about these) to phishing emails that sound way more convincing than they used to, they dig into the very real ways AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape—and why that matters for everyone (even you).
Along the way, they get into their own AI habits, debate their LLMs of choice, and uncover the fact that Kat’s AI talks to her like a supportive best friend while Ian’s is… a little more buttoned up. They also talk through why these threats are getting harder to spot, how security teams are using AI too, and why good old-fashioned awareness still matters just as much as the technology.
Spoiler: bad actors may be getting smarter, but your best defense is still a healthy dose of skepticism—and maybe reminding your parents not to click random Wells Fargo links.
If you want to learn what products Cisco has to help with your own security set up, we got you covered: https://id.cisco.com/app/ciscoid_aemcloudprodsaml_1/exk14lk1xf6SKDANc5d7/sso/saml

S7 E5: Talking AgenticOps and the evolution of artificial intelligence with Akshay Bhargava

AB sits down with Akshay Bhargava, Cisco's VP of Product Management, AI Software and Platform, to chat about AgenticOps, how Cisco is providing guardrails to keep AI safe, and the risks modern businesses face if they fail to adopt AI quickly.

S7 E5: Talking securing legacy networks in the AI era with Anthony Grieco and Eric Wenger

AB chats with Anthony Grieco, Cisco's SVP & Chief Security & Trust Officer, Security and Trust Organization. and Eric Wenger, Cisco's Senior Director, Technology Policy, Global Government Affairs, about how Cisco is revolutionizing product security by removing insecure protocols, updating defaults, and strengthening authentication across our portfolio.

AI Insights - Ep.4: Can AI Pick Stocks by Reading the News?

In this month’s episode of The Cisco AI Insights Podcast, hosts Rafael Herrera and Sónia Marques explore the evolving landscape of sentiment analysis with Cisco machine learning engineer Joan Rossello. The conversation centers on the research paper from Imperial College London, “FinDPO: Financial Sentiment Analysis for Algorithmic Trading Through Preference Optimization of LLMs,” which proposes a new way to train large language models to better interpret nuanced human language.
By comparing output quality, this preference-based training improved generalization and helped models interpret complex financial language without relying on simple memorization. Additionally, the discussion explored how sentiment scores derived from model probabilities were used to rank companies based on the strength of their news coverage, yielding promising results.
A special thank you to the team that developed this month's paper. If you are interested in reading the paper yourself, please visit this link: ⁠ https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.18417