Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) 2.6, the latest version of our premier network virtualization platform, is finally here. CML 2.6 offers quite a list of useful tools, with additions like Amazon Web Services… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) 2.6, the latest version of our premier network virtualization platform, is finally here. CML 2.6 offers quite a list of useful tools, with additions like Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud deployment and a new Maintenance mode for system admins.

However, I’m here to discuss the feature I’m most excited about:

CML 2.6 includes a revamped Workbench that allows users to see multiple devices, tools, and configs in the same view.

New features within revamped Workbench include:

a menu to add nodes to your workplace.
a sidebar hub to modify lab elements.
multi-select and right-click action menus.
keyboard shortcuts.
lab actions.
a panes panel for a more flexible workspace.

Continue reading for an in-depth look inside the Workbench revamp available in Cisco Modeling Labs’ latest feature release.

Inside the CML 2.6 Workbench revamp

CML 2.6’s revamped Workbench includes UI enhancements that allow its users to contain multiple devices, tools, and configs in a single, integrated view. (Pictured: [1] Toolbar [2] Sidebar [3] Panes panel showing two open panes.)

Adding nodes with—or without—a mouse 

Incorporating new nodes into your workspace is still a straightforward process, whereby you can drag and drop your chosen type of node onto the canvas. But prior to CML 2.6, the interactive drag menu was on the right-side menu. Now, it’s activated by selecting the Add Nodes icon in the Workbench toolbar. 

Select the “Add Nodes” icon (1) in the Workbench toolbar to activate the interactive drag menu.

In addition to this traditional method of adding nodes, we’ve introduced a brand-new feature called Bulk Add. It is designed with accessibility in mind, so you can add as many nodes as you need—using only your keyboard, eliminating the need for a mouse.  

Now you can add nodes in bulk, mouse-free. Available in CML 2.6’s revamped Workbench.

Editing elements in the Sidebar 

We have redesigned the user interface to provide a more streamlined and unified experience for users as they edit elements within a lab. Now, in CML 2.6, the Sidebar serves as the single, consolidated hub for changing all your lab elements. Whether you want to edit a node, link, or annotation, simply select it, and the Sidebar will display the relevant editing options. 

Select an element within your lab to instantly activate the Sidebar, a single, consolidated hub that offers a convenient menu of relevant editing options. (Pictured: [1] Node has been selected; [2] Sidebar appears with tabs categorized by property: SETTINGS, CONNECTIVITY, CONFIG, INTERFACES.) This streamlined way to manage your lab elements eliminates the need for the bottom panel to shift in response to the Workbench state. In turn, you benefit from a more focused experience. With this setup, you can keep your attention on the bottom pane while simultaneously editing the properties of a lab element using the Sidebar. 

Using the Multi-select Action menu 

You can activate the Multi-Select action menu by selecting multiple elements and right-clicking anywhere on the canvas. This action opens a Context-sensitive menu with a distinct section for each element type. 

Select multiple elements and right-click anywhere on the canvas to activate the multi-action menu in the CML Workbench.

Within each section, you can perform actions on the corresponding element type. Please note: the system currently does not verify the validity of an action. Also, when you select multiple nodes, an Alignment section becomes available in the menu, providing options to align the selected nodes. 

Using the Right-click Context menu 

The Right-Click Context menu displays when you right-click a type of element: annotation, node, or link. This menu presents a list of actions specifically tailored to the selected element type. 

Pictured above is an example of the Right-click Context menu for a link.

Note: the Right-click Context menu typically provides more actions for each element type compared to the Multi-select Action menu.

Keyboard shortcuts 

Lab Actions menu 

You can find the Lab Actions menu in the toolbar under the “LAB” section. You can also activate this menu by right-clicking the canvas while no elements are selected. 

Panes panel 

The Panes panel is a versatile tool designed to give you a flexible workspace. For one, the Panes panel allows you to open multiple tabs, each hosting a Console, VNC, or PCAP session. You can also choose how you want to host tabs: in only one pane or across multiple. For instance, you can have one pane containing an open console session while another runs a packet capture.

What to keep in mind when using the Panes panel:

One single pane is set by default, but you can add others by selecting the “+” icon.
If you have more than one pane, you will see one pane highlighted with a blue square, which indicates it will be the target for any new sessions you open. (You can change this by clicking in a different pane, which sets it as the new target.) 

To open a tab, simply right-click a running link or node, and open the corresponding session for VNC, Console, or PCAP. As an added convenience, you also have the option to select multiple nodes and simultaneously launch multiple sessions, streamlining your workflow. 

Once you have a tab open, you can easily reposition it by dragging it from one pane to another. This drag-and-drop functionality provides a straightforward way to organize your workspace according to your preference or need. 

The panes and their respective tabs are designed to retain their state on a per-browser and per-lab basis. This means your arrangement of panes and tabs, as well as the content within them, will remain as you set them (even if you navigate away or close your browser), providing a persistent working environment. 

Each pane tab is equipped with a context menu, which you can access by right-clicking the tab. This context menu contains options and actions that pertain specifically to the type of tab, giving you a set of relevant controls right at your fingertips. 

If you have more than one pane, you will see one pane highlighted with a blue square (pictured above). This blue square indicates the target for any new sessions you open. You can change this by clicking in a different pane, which sets it as the new target.

To make your workspace even more customizable, you can rename tabs to reflect their content or purpose. You can either double-click on the tab, which will allow you to edit the name directly, or right-click on the tab and choose the Rename option from the context menu. 

The Carrot Down icon associated with each pane (see below) serves as a gateway to a menu. This menu displays a searchable list of all currently open sessions, making it easy for you to navigate directly to the session you need. 

Using the Carrot Down menu option (1), you can quickly view all open sessions at a glance.

To help you track the relationship between your tabs and their associated elements, you can select a tab to view its corresponding node (or link) on the canvas. This means you can instantly see which parts of your lab you are currently interacting with via your session. 

If you need more canvas space temporarily, you can hide and show the Panes panel by clicking the “PANES” toolbar option.  

Until next time…

I hope this article has sparked your interest in CML v2.6, the newest version of Cisco Modeling Labs. For more information on what’s new in Cisco Modeling Labs 2.6, view the release notes. You can also watch this recent demo for a guided walkthrough of the new CML 2.6 updates.

I’m eager to hear about your experiences as you give the new Workbench a spin. Please feel free to share your feedback in the comments section below. Until next time, happy labbing… and enjoy exploring all that this update has to offer! 

Connect with the  CML – Personal Community on the Cisco Learning Network.

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Telemetry data holds the key to flawless, secure, and performant digital experiences

Organizations need to build complete customer-centric environments that deliver superb, secure, personalized… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Telemetry data holds the key to flawless, secure, and performant digital experiences

Organizations need to build complete customer-centric environments that deliver superb, secure, personalized digital experiences every time, or risk losing out in the race for competitive advantage. Prioritizing both internal- and external-facing applications and ensuring they are running optimally is the engine behind every successful modern business.

The complexity of cloud native and distributed systems has risen in lockstep with the expectations of customers and end users. This rachets up the pressure on the teams responsible for applications. They need to aggregate petabytes of incoming data from applications, services, infrastructure, and the internet and connect it to business outcomes.

This telemetry data — called MELT or metrics, events, logs, and traces — contains the information needed to keep digital experiences running at peak performance. Understanding, remediating, and fixing any current or potential breakdown of the digital experience depends on this collective data to isolate the root cause.

Given our dependence on performant, real-time applications, even a minor disruption can be costly. A recent global survey by IDC reveals the cost of a single hour’s downtime averages a quarter of a million dollars — so it’s vital that teams can find, triage, and resolve issues proactively or as quickly as possible.

The answers lie in telemetry, but there are two hurdles to clear

The first is sorting through vast volumes of siloed telemetry in a workable timeframe. While solutions on the market can identify anomalies, or issues out of baseline, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are a meaningful tool for cross-domain resolution. In fact, only 17% of IDC’s survey respondents said current monitoring and visibility options are meeting their needs, though they are running multiple solutions.

The second is that some data may not even be captured by some monitoring solutions because they see only parts of the technology stack. Today’s applications and workloads are so distributed that solutions lacking visibility into the full stack — application to infrastructure and security, up to the cloud and out to the internet where the user is connected — are missing some vital telemetry altogether.

Effective observability requires a clear line of sight to every possible touchpoint that could impact the business and affect the way its applications and associated dependencies perform, and how they are used. Getting it right involves receiving and interpreting a massive stream of incoming telemetry from networks, applications and cloud services, security devices, and more, used to gain insights as a basis for action.

Cisco occupies a commanding position with access to billions upon billions of data points

Surfacing 630 billion observability metrics daily and absorbing 400 billion security events every 24 hours, Cisco has long been sourcing telemetry data from elements that are deeply embedded in networks, such as routers, switches, access points and firewalls, all of which hold a wealth of intelligence. Further performance insights, uptime records and even logs are sourced from hyperscalers, application security solutions, the internet, and business applications.

This wide range of telemetry sources is even more critical because the distributed reality of today’s workforce means that end-to-end connectivity, application performance and end-user experience are closely correlated. In fact, rapid problem resolution is only possible if available MELT signals represent connectivity, performance, and security, as well as dependencies, quality of code, end-user journey, and more.

To assess this telemetry, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are essential for predictive data models that can reliably point the way to performance-impacting issues, using multiple integration points to collect different pieces of data, analyze behavior and root causes, and match patterns to predict incidents and outcomes.

Cisco plays a leading role in the OpenTelemetry movement, and in making systems observable

As one of the leading contributors to the OpenTelemetry project, Cisco is committed to ensuring that different types of data can be captured and collected from traditional and cloud native applications and services as well as from the associated infrastructure, without dependence on any tool or vendor.

While OpenTelemetry involves metrics, events/logs and traces, all four types of telemetry data are essential. Uniquely, Cisco Full-Stack Observability has leveraged the power of traces to surface issues and insights throughout the full stack rather than within a single domain. Critically, these insights are connected to business context to provide actionable recommendations.

For instance, the c-suite can visualize the business impact of a poor mobile application end-user experience while their site reliability engineers (SREs) see the automated action required to address the cause.

By tapping into billions of points of telemetry data across multiple sources, Cisco is leading the way in making systems observable so teams can deliver quality digital experiences that help them achieve their business objectives.

Additional Resources

Learn more about Cisco Full-Stack Observability

Read further on future-proofing observability with OpenTelemetry

  End-to-end connectivity, application performance and user experience are closely correlated and data has to be holistically observed across multiple domains. Cisco Full Stack Observability can help you turn your MELT data into actionable insights so you can deliver the best user experience.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

IoT has come of age. Early adopters have proven its worth as the Internet of Things has made organizations more efficient, sustainable, and capable of realizing new business models and revenue… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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IoT has come of age. Early adopters have proven its worth as the Internet of Things has made organizations more efficient, sustainable, and capable of realizing new business models and revenue streams. The sky is the limit in what we can do with IoT, as millions to billions to trillions of connected devices come online making this the single greatest digital business transformation that most of us will see in our lifetime. And now, more than ever, Communication Service Providers must scale to support it, which means connectivity must be simplified for both deployment and management, and the mobile business service must evolve to become a much more lucrative offering.

To turbo charge our recently announced Mobility Services Platform, Cisco is announcing its intent to acquire Working Group Two (WG2), a Norwegian company that pioneered a cloud native mobile services platform that’s fully API consumable and highly programmable. Built for simplicity, innovation, and efficiency, WG2’s platform uses the web-scale playbook and operating models, which makes it a natural fit with our Mobility Services Platform. WG2’s technology and team beautifully align with the same approach: simplifying the Mobile network architecture to deliver a radically innovative mobile service. And with WG2 and the Cisco Mobility Services Platform, we’ll be able to boost our service edge deployment and API first strategy for application development partners, Enterprise customers and Service Provider partners.

WG2 and Cisco have a unique synergy. We share a common ambition to deliver a global, programmable mobile core as a service, and are remarkably aligned to this shared vision. The goal? To enable our Communication Service Provider customers to cover ground faster, as we work together to monetize their 5G investments. The consumption model is simple and comprehensive, supporting all stakeholders. The end result is a mobility services platform that can dramatically simplify Mobile network deployments, provide enhanced edge experiences, enable new and advanced use cases, as well as support simple application development.

WG2’s expertise in the mobile space brings capabilities crucial to the enterprise market including complete authentication, provisioning, voice, messaging, and data services, all of which will be rolled into our existing Control Center offers. Together, our Mobility Services Platform, and the Cisco Networking Cloud, Assurance, Security, and Collaboration portfolios, deliver remarkable value to our Service Provider partners and address business critical use cases for our enterprise customers.

We can’t wait to welcome the WG2 team to Cisco and work with them to deliver the most advanced mobile IoT use-cases at scale. WG2 will join my Provider Mobility organization within Cisco Networking. The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of Cisco’s FY24.

  Cisco announces intent to acquire Working Group Two to boost its service edge deployment and API first strategy for application development partners, Enterprise customers and Service Provider partners.   Read More Cisco Blogs 

The constant evolution of the digital world has not only presented an abundance of opportunities, but also raised an equal amount of security challenges, ransomware being one of the most sinister. In… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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The constant evolution of the digital world has not only presented an abundance of opportunities, but also raised an equal amount of security challenges, ransomware being one of the most sinister. In response to this growing threat, our team of Principal engineers at Cisco (including myself under the guidance of our project sponsors from Cisco’s Security Business Group and Cisco IT), embarked on a journey towards automating ransomware recovery not just for our own enterprise, but for everyone.

The underlying problem we sought to address was the ability to automatically recover hosts from a ransomware attack. An intricate analysis of assumptions and facts was necessary, as our initial assumptions had to be validated against reality. We began by knowing all incidents require an eradication and recovery process. This responsive process could leverage automation or orchestration. Furthermore, we believed that ransomware could be mitigated by response initiated from events or alerts. This meant that activities that normally would be considered administrative in nature or “living off the land” had to be considered in detecting adversarial activity.

We began looking at all the prevalent sources of threat intelligence on ransomware activities and analysis from sources like our own Talos Intelligence, CISA ransomware[1] guide, Splunk SURGe, our internal Cisco IT, and others. As our journey progressed, we identified new facts that shaped our approach to automated ransomware recovery. We found that effective responses needed to be close to the source, and the alerts often lacked a clear progression to the ransomware target(s).

A significant revelation was the limited window for response, typically less than 45 minutes[2], which drove us to think critically about the time-sensitive nature of ransomware recovery. Microsoft Windows is the predominate operating system used for ransomware operations. However, there have been Linux variants of ransomware too, so we needed a solution that could help in the most severe situations.

As we began exploring various conceptual solutions, we considered three main options:

API Responsive Recovery: Using Automation on Endpoint Recovery using third-party integration seemed promising, especially with the easy applicability of cloud capabilities. However, this solution might lead to the loss of locally stored data on user systems.

 Selective Response: Selective response on critical systems stood out as a solution that allows for fast recovery and rollback to the last known good state for systems. However, database and transactional systems could pose challenges for recovery. 

Operating System Centric: Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) administration with protection drivers, a Windows-only feature, was an intriguing solution. Despite its limitations, it offered multiple benefits, such as local storage limits and immunity to restore the system, effectively disabling the attacker’s capabilities which is why almost all of the ransomware attacks target this native Windows capability.

Our long-term recommendation centered around the preventive measures, which include the development of a Secure Endpoint Transformation Roadmap. Incorporating endpoint integrations with memory or device protection drivers is vital for advanced protection. New recovery options for Windows systems and protection for native capabilities, and endpoint policy advancement with permit and deny lists, means that adversaries would have a harder time disabling a service that the system has access to.

Linux doesn’t have a “volume shadow service”, and yet by creating our protection driver(s), we’ll be able to add a service like Linux Volume Management to “snap” the image to a location for protection in the future.

We also evaluated third-party solutions like virtual systems protection from Cohesity, Endpoints with Code42, and thin-client architectures like Citrix. Some other innovative solutions, like Bitdefender and Trellix, keep a small copy of recovery data either in-memory or on disk, providing additional layers of security.

Moving forward, we intend to thoroughly analyze the assumptions underlying our project. For instance, we need to decide on the systems we can protect effectively, including the most at risk (servers), the most volatile (customer devices), and the least impacted (cloud devices).

A critical part of our project was learning from real-world ransomware attack cases. We understand that while commodity malware provides significant value from a recovery model focused on the endpoint, targeted attacks require more prescriptive and preventative capabilities.

We are considering two main models for remediation:

Shutdown Everything: This model involves predicting suspicious behavior and preemptively backing up data, then restoring to that last known configuration. Predicting suspicious behavior is difficult, because you can’t just use one event or parts of multiple events. You really needed to correlate an attack pattern and then preemptively backup and recover.

Just in Time: Here, we notice suspicious behavior and backup changes as they occur, like Bitdefender’s module. Giving the analyst a way to surgically restore objects within the operating system on the fly.

We had two final recommendations that have driven our innovation and efforts into this blog and future capabilities. We knew we needed something now that would help all measures of customers. Our smaller customers are underserved by not having all the resources to create synchronized, effective recovery options for their environments.

We determined that API Responsive Recovery option was less than adequate, while pretty much readily available now and does provide a measure of protection, but at the selection of cost and potential to storm a backup solution with “snaps” or backup requests along with the load to recover all systems.

Traditional API implementation with a SIEM/SOAR solution would be chaotic to manage effectively and lack the ability to provide enough context related to the systems that are impacted. This solution provides the most customizable solution and mostly customer created. This isolates teams with lean IT options to ensure that the SOC and IT have adequate controls prior to recovery options. While this capability was well within our grasp, it left us wanting more.

Moving on to Selective Response, which focused on only recovering critical systems. During our interview with our team of experts at Cisco, we found a common theme: recovery processes needed to be for the most important systems first, think Business Continuity Plan. Individual computers in a disaster recovery scenario weren’t always the first systems to be recovered. We needed to restore and recover the most critical systems that served the business. We also identified this as a critical task for all teams, including the smallest. A lot of times small teams are forced to pay the ransom because they can’t trust the restoration processes based on individual recovery software, or the data loss is too great.

This is where our partner Cohesity comes into the picture. Cohesity provides a comprehensive protection plan for virtual systems[3]. One of the best defensive capabilities for ransomware is a solid recovery process for those systems. Virtualizing systems has become the standard for most hybrid data centers to allow for efficient resource allocation and high availability capabilities, but it lacked features for restoration of combined application services systems. Cohesity, which works with the Cisco UCS chassis[4] for virtualization, provides configurable recovery point objective for systems assigned to a protection plan. Cohesity Helios coalesces the data recovery needs of separate application services by synchronizing the restoration process of disparate system snapshots into a single recovery process. For example: Being able to protect a database with a one-hour recovery point objective (RPO), application server with a four-hour RPO, and web server with a twelve-hour RPOs into a single protection plan. This recovery capability allows you to restore your application service under protection with a minimal amount of effort and maximized service restoration by restoring the images at the same recovery point while protecting it from adversarial tampering

We started our ransomware recovery partnership with Cohesity and SecureX, which provided us with the capability to recover after the backup solution found a ransomware event. Now, Cisco XDR steps this up a level, leveraging true detection and correlation and integrated response capabilities. Cisco XDR and Cohesity can help you protect and recover from ransomware events rapidly, matching the speed of an attack.

The proven recovery capabilities of Cohesity are enhanced by allowing XDR to send a just-in-time request to snapshot a server. For example, in a Ryuk ransomware campaign, the adversary will infect the first target, use lateral movement to infect another system with malware to establish both persistence and a command-and-control point. This leads to the last infected system to “kerberoast” the domain controller or infecting other sensitive systems. These events from email, endpoint, network and identity protection products creates a correlated attack chain of events to XDR incidents, which then signals XDR to automatically execute a built-in Automate workflow to request a snapshot for any asset in the incident from Cohesity Helios. If a plan exists for an asset, Helios sends back the last known good snapshot of the protection plan and any data sensitivity information it knows about the protection plan, and immediately starts a new snapshot process. Using Coherity’s DataHawk, customers will be provided a data classification which is great for incident responders, because knowing that an asset has HIPAA, PCI, PII or any defined sensitive information, can change the scope of the investigation and provides a better asset contextual understanding.

The Cisco XDR response plan has an existing integration for requesting a ServiceNow request for system recovery that would include the known backup information, the request of the snapshot and the sensitivity classification of the system. This will allow backup administrators to act quickly to restore the system back to full functioning capability. To avoid snapshot or recovery storms, Cohesity has built in a back off capability that alerts everyone that an existing snapshot request was executed with last known runtime back off. Meaning that if the snapshot took two hours last time, the snapshot would have to wait two hours until the next request or when the last request is finished whichever occurs first.

We did not forget about our other option, Operating System Centric. This capability exists, but few systems can use them effectively, because the attackers know about them and actively disable them. So, we need drivers to isolate the service and protect it from tampering and misuse. This transformational capability is in the roadmap for our Secure Endpoint module of Secure Client.

Ultimately, the development and implementation of automated ransomware recovery is a complex yet essential task.  We have some additional work to complete before this integration can be completed and released as a feature to Cisco XDR. For existing XDR customers, (which is now generally available) you will need to have a valid Cohesity license and API credentials. If you have Cisco XDR and you want to purchase Cohesity, please reach out to your Cisco or Cohesity sales representative.

As we progress on our journey, we remain committed to developing an effective solution to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience against ransomware threats, providing our customers with a secure and reliable digital environment.

View our integration in action:

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build our solution for the future!

RELATED LINKS/RESOURCES

Cisco XDR Product Page
Cisco XDR At-a-Glance
5 Ways to Experience XDR eBook
Click-Through Demo

[1] Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, “https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware/ransomware-guide”

[2] An Empirically Comparative Analysis of Ransomware Binaries, Shannon Davies, Splunk SURGe, “https://www.splunk.com/en_us/form/an-empirically-comparative-analysis-of-ransomware-binaries.html”

[3] Battle the Scourge of Ransomware with Cisco and Cohesity, Cisco Blogs, “https://blogs.cisco.com/partner/battle-the-scourge-of-ransomware-with-cisco-and-cohesity”

[4]Cisco Cohesity Data Management Solutions, Cisco, “https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/global-partners/cohesity.html”

We’d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with Cisco Secure on social!

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  Learn how a team of Principal Engineers at Cisco embarked on a journey towards automating ransomware recovery.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

If the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasing need for security have you wondering how to make the best use of technology in learning, you’re not alone. I encourage you to… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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If the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasing need for security have you wondering how to make the best use of technology in learning, you’re not alone. I encourage you to check out our special podcast featuring Cisco education experts as they explore the key trends in school technology that they’re seeing globally and in the U.S.

From AI, to security, to hybrid logistics – there’s a lot to digest. So grab your favorite snack and a cup of joe as you join host Danny Vicente for our latest “Coffee and Conversations” podcast. He’ll be joined by Cisco education experts Brad Saffer (Global Education Lead), Mary Schlegelmilch (US Cisco Business Development Manager for Education), and myself as we offer insights into the latest trends we’re seeing among customers and emerging from conferences. Plus, you’ll:

Learn the difference between the use of AI in terms of a school’s network and facilities management versus how teachers are using AI in the classroom. You’ll also learn about Cisco’s involvement with AI that goes back over two decades.
Explore how Cisco solutions can help create a zero-trust environment to keep students, faculty, and staff safe.
How new models of learning are driving innovation in today’s classroom.
What flexible teaching and learning means for the future workforce and opportunities for students to follow career paths in technology – plus, how programs like the Networking Academy and Skills for All are available to support advancing careers and education in tech.

So, grab that snack and your coffee of choice. Then dive into the latest school tech trends to grow your understanding of AI, security, and the future IT workforce.

Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Explore all of Cisco’s education solutions to learn how we are helping drive an inclusive future of learning for all.

  Does the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasing need for security have you wondering how to make the best use of technology in learning? Hear from CIsco's education experts as they explore the key trends in school technology that they're seeing globally and in the U.S.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

This post was authored by Tanishq Maheshwari, a recent technical intern on our Service Provider TAC Team.

I started my six-month internship journey at Cisco in January 2023, joining the Service… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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This post was authored by Tanishq Maheshwari, a recent technical intern on our Service Provider TAC Team.

I started my six-month internship journey at Cisco in January 2023, joining the Service Provider TAC team. Having grown up in a quaint little town, the transition to the bustling city was nothing short of daunting. However, the welcoming atmosphere at Cisco, the unwavering support of my fellow interns, and the sheer ease with which I could approach anyone at the company, even the senior-level employees, were remarkable. It played a pivotal role in shaping my journey from a wide-eyed newcomer to a confident and capable member of the team.

Over the course of my internship, I expected to have a lot of career-focused learning, but Cisco’s culture made a lasting impact and empowered my growth in even more significant ways.

Mentally

Two months into my internship, I had a conversation with a senior employee, expressing my concerns about my limited experience and feeling intimidated by the talented colleagues around me.

She shared her journey, including her mistakes and how she learned from them, emphasizing the importance of self-belief, embracing learning opportunities, and setting achievable goals. She reminded me that feeling overwhelmed is natural when starting something new, and many people go through it.

That heart-to-heart conversation was one of the most impactful moments for me, knowing that many, including her, also initially experienced overwhelm when starting their journeys. It reassured me that if she could overcome challenges and succeed, I could do the same. Her insights not only helped me overcome my fears but also instilled in me a growth mindset, enabling me to approach challenges with confidence and resilience.

Physically

Well-being goes hand in hand with personal and professional growth, and Cisco strongly emphasizes overall wellness, which I had the privilege of experiencing first-hand. For instance, we had a “Wellness Week” in February dedicated to wellness practices, where we could explore a diverse range of activities, including yoga and meditation sessions, health check-up camps, and even a marathon. I participated in the marathon — my second marathon ever —  and, to my delight, won 3rd place in the race!

Additionally, June was an exciting time designated as Emerging Talent @Cisco Sports Month, where employees competed in various tournaments, from badminton to volleyball. I didn’t win anything this time, but it was a fun way to meet people and try something new.

By Building Personal Connections

Although my internship was in-person, I discovered many supportive communities through Webex groups. These groups cater to various interests such as running, book clubs, gaming clubs, and more. It was a wonderful way to connect with like-minded individuals and expand my network of friends and co-workers. There is even a general Webex group where people help each other with their queries, which helped me finally find good accommodations when mine initially fell through.

The Service Provider Bash event, hosted quarterly, where interns, technical leads, and managers come together for lunch and fun activities, was a great way to build camaraderie and help me feel at home with the interns on the larger team.

Collaboratively

There was always a culture of teamwork and collaboration in my work environment. Whenever I encountered challenges understanding complex concepts, delivering project tasks, or navigating internal systems, the collaborative atmosphere at Cisco provided invaluable support. Colleagues and mentors were always there to offer guidance and feedback. Engaging in brainstorming sessions, sharing ideas, and receiving constructive input from them improved the quality of my work and deepened my understanding of my role and responsibilities.

Through Personal and Professional Development Opportunities

Emerging Talent @Cisco provides a mentorship program exclusively for interns, and through that, I was paired with an experienced employee. Throughout my internship, my ETC mentor guided me through workplace challenges, offering valuable advice passed down from their mentor, personal experience, industry insights, and constructive feedback that will help me navigate professional life now and in the future.

I also participated in the optional weekly and bi-weekly workshops focused on personal and professional growth. Expert speakers shared their knowledge and insights on subjects such as personal finance and personal branding, equipping me with practical skills that I will use daily.

As I reflect on my journey, I feel immense gratitude for all the growth I experienced during my time at Cisco and for the numerous development opportunities that were made available to me.

My Cisco internship enriched my skill set and provided me with a valuable network of connections and friendships that will endure long beyond this experience. I am excited to take the next step in my career as a full-time employee on Cisco’s Service Provider TAC team, carrying with me the valuable lessons and experiences gained during my internship. I’m excited to contribute to the organization’s goals and am confident this new chapter will bring even more growth and success!

Are you ready to grow with us? See how through opportunities with Emerging Talent!

Subscribe to the We Are Cisco Blog.

  Technical Intern Tanishq M. went from a small-town student to a capable, confident team member. Here are the six ways he grew during his Cisco internship.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

A company isn’t crowned “best place to work in the U.S.” for a third year in a row by chance. It takes intentionality, awareness, and commitment. From publicly dedicating  $300-million-dollars to supp… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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A company isn’t crowned “best place to work in the U.S.” for a third year in a row by chance. It takes intentionality, awareness, and commitment. From publicly dedicating  $300-million-dollars to support social justice, to internally holding leaders accountable for sponsoring the next generation of diverse talent through The Multiplier Effect (TME)–Cisco’s dedication is always bold. And the accountability is always there.

To build on its purpose of Powering an Inclusive Future for All, Cisco offers nearly 20 diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and events. Last fiscal year, more than 2,500 Cisconians accumulated almost 34,000 hours of structured DEI learning. Nakia Stringfield was one of them.

Owning your career takes initiative

Nakia Stringfield, a director on Cisco’s Customer Experience team

Nakia is a director on Cisco’s Customer Experience team and has been a proud Cisconian for 23 years. However, there was a time earlier in her career where she contemplated resigning. This all changed when she attended a life-changing conference in 2008.

“The Simmons Women Leadership Conference was my first time going to a large professional event targeted at women, helping to empower and develop leaders,” Nakia says. She saw women of different backgrounds including some who looked like her, proudly speaking as their true selves. And this meant a lot. As a Black woman who grew up in the rural southern United States, Nakia went from sometimes being the only woman and/or person of color in the room, to being in a room filled with women of different backgrounds who were current or aspiring leaders. It was powerful.

“I got a booster shot of confidence and encouragement. It was empowering to see people who have been on the same journey as me and have navigated challenges. I realized I needed to stay in those spaces every so often to be inspired to keep going. If those women at Simmons can go from engineers, to leaders, to CEOs–why can’t I?”

Owning your career takes opportunity

Roughly half of Cisco’s DEI programs are available through strategic partnerships and conferences like Simmons. And Nakia has worked her way to attending many. In the years since Simmons, she’s also participated in the Executive Leadership Council, Information Technology Senior Management Forum, and Management Leadership for Tomorrow–programs all dedicated to developing leaders.

Through Cisco’s own learning and development solutions, Nakia has attended Next Generation Leaders, where managers and employees develop trust as a foundation for connecting across difference. She’s also been a sponsee and currently sponsors four people of different backgrounds through The Multiplier Effect (TME).

And, as a member of Connected Black Professional (CBP), Nakia participates in reverse mentoring which partners staff with senior executives to bridge gaps in differences and understanding. CBP is one of Cisco’s 28 Inclusive Communities where more than 30,000 employees can connect, develop leadership skills, and serve as change agents.

“These programs taught me more about showing up, networking strategically, and advocating for myself and others,” reflects Nakia. “They’re not the only reason I was promoted, but I know they were key factors in how I showed up as a leader in the organization and marketplace. They were transformational.”

Owning your career takes an investment

For years, companies treated DEI like leg day at the gym. They knew they should do it, skipped it anyway, and hoped it’d go unnoticed.

But jobseekers and current employees are more aware than ever. Today, DEI is a critical building block for a successful business, and the numbers back this up:

86% of job candidates globally say DEI in the workplace is important to them. [1]
Diverse companies are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability. [2]
Companies with inclusive cultures have 22% lower turnover rates. [3]

Creating spaces for DEI learning is a vital part of Cisco’s DNA. Leadership recognizes the need to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce to create a workplace where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. This also helps Cisco attract and retain the best talent possible–like Nakia–and is one reason why almost half of its workforce has been with the company for more than five years [4] despite the Great Resignation.

Nakia invested in herself by taking full ownership of her career journey through Cisco’s DEI programs. And these programs continue to provide a learning environment for her growth at every turn. It’s why she’s still here and plans to be for years to come.

Contact the DEI registrations team if you’re a Cisconian interested in learning more about how you can own your career through DEI programs and events.

For everyone else, learn more about Cisco’s commitment to DEI work and powering an inclusive future for all by reading the 2022 Purpose Report and Cisco’s 12 Social Justice Actions.

See what others are saying about DEI learning and development at Cisco!

Bryan Stewart

“NGL was/is one of the best programs for developing new leadership talent. NGL allowed me and my manager, Christopher Whittaker, to understand how one’s culture plays a major part in development. I was fortunate that my manager, Chris is African American, so we were able to understand our position on a unique level. Being able to communicate with other leaders while having disruptive/tough conversations was invaluable.” Bryan Stewart, Next Generation Leaders

“Lesbians Who Tech was the best conference I have been to. The opportunities to learn spanned multiple aspects of technology (to include data) and diverse possibilities on how to continue to evolve as a human being in the workplace. In my view, this is particularly vital for those of us who work in tech, which continues to dramatically shape the world in which we live.” – Anonymous, Lesbians Who Tech

Sol Solorzano

“What a great conference! As usual, the HITEC conference is invigorating, and plants seeds for next wave of innovation.” – Sol Solorzano, Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council

[1]Diversity and Inclusion in Hiring (Hiring.Monster.ca)

[2]Diversity wins. How inclusion matters (McKinsey & Company – May 2020 – PDF)

[3]Inclusive Mobility: How Mobilizing a Diverse Workforce Can Drive Business Performance (Deloitte – PDF)

[4]Great Place to Work – Cisco – Certified Aug 2033 – Aug 2024 USA

  Nakia Stringfield has been a proud Cisconian since 2000. Read about how Cisco's commitment to DEI learning and development enabled her to invest in herself and take ownership of her career.  Read More Cisco Blogs