Computerworld

Catch up on Interop 2016 with these videos

Interviews with leading experts in the field of networking and security

Last week, the Network World and IDG.TV video crew was out in Las Vegas gathering interviews at the Interop 2016 event. We tallied up 10 interviews at the show, ranging in topics from networking to security to Wi-Fi. If you missed the show and want to get a sense of some of the companies and issues discussed, take a look below:

Cisco: How the Digital Network Architecture can help the network
Cisco had a big presence at Interop (it was the first booth you saw when you entered the expo hall). We got a chance to speak with Jeff Reed, a Cisco SVP and one of the Internet keynoters. In the video, he explains a little bit more about what its Digital Network Architecture (DNA) can do for the future of the enterprise network.

Physical security and the Internet of Things
At the Axis Communications booth, we caught up with Vince Ricco, who talked about how the Internet of Things trend will affect security devices (such as IP video cameras and sensors), as well as the network managing these devices (not much more bandwidth, but more management/tracking).

How to work with rogue users
This was a fun interview - we spoke with John Hurley from SmartFile about some of the issues surrounding “rogue” users, also known as “Shadow IT”. Hurley’s company is in the middle of the issue, as it has seen lots of users installing its software on company networks, and now it wants to bridge the gap by working more with enterprise IT to make sure those apps are secure.

Wi-Fi’s next step: High-density scenarios
At the Extreme Networks booth, we chatted with Mike Leibovitz, who told us about the company’s high-density deployments (they’ve covered 10 NFL stadiums with Wi-Fi coverage), and the challenge of doing such deployments (including covering classrooms and healthcare facilities).

Why ransomware works so well
This was another fun interview - John Pironti from IP Architects LLC was another Interop speaker, and he gave us a boatload of information around the issues of ransomware, and why it’s one of the biggest growth areas in computer security. Pretty scary stuff.

Early warning signs of a DDoS attack
Avi Freedman of Kentik was one of the first interviews we did at the show - we chatted about why Distributed Denial of Service attacks are still very popular with hackers (despite a seemingly low financial benefit), and how you can look for some early signs that your site may be hit with one.

Why passwords fail end users
This was more of a product demonstration, but talking with Robert Guccione from Keeper Security, we learned about the biggest reasons that regular passwords don’t work, and why it’s more important for companies to invest in password management systems (or apps like Keeper Security!).

Methods hackers use to attack DNS
Angela Knox from Cloudmark was an Interop speaker who gave us a rundown of the different methods that hackers use to go after Domain Name Service servers. If you’ve ever wondered what DNS cache poisoning is, check out the video.

Ethernet’s future goes fast and slow
We had a repeat video interviewee in David Chalupsky from the Ethernet Alliance (we chatted with him in 2015). David gave us a rundown of the 2016 Ethernet Roadmap, which includes six new data rates - but not just faster ones, but slower ones that can handle specific applications. Find out why slow is good in the video.

Protecting devices at the edge of the network
Finally, we hear from Brian Ballard of APC by Schneider Electric, who gave us a quick update and reminder that the Internet of Things isn’t just about getting data from sensors, cameras and other devices on the network’s edge.