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PODCAST

IT SPARC Cast

IT SPARC Cast is a digest of the Enterprise IT news over the last week, with insights, opinions, and a little sarcasm from 2 experts each with over 20 years of experience working in IT or for IT vendors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All Episodes

19:47

Apple Taps Google for AI, Copilot Pushback, AI...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2026/01/19

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John Barger & Lou Schmidt break down a week of moves that signal where enterprise AI, cloud platforms, and data center infrastructure are really headed. From Apple officially leaning on Google to power its AI ambitions, to Microsoft giving IT admins the ability to remove Copilot, this episode highlights growing tension between vendor momentum and enterprise control.They also explore Google’s push to standardize AI-driven commerce through agent

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8:53

Cisco Secure Email Gateway CVSS 10.0 Zero-Day Via the...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2026/01/16

This week on IT SPARC Cast – CVE of the Week, John Barger and Lou Schmidt break down CVE-2025-20393, a CVSS 10.0 zero-day vulnerability affecting Cisco Secure Email Gateway (SEG) and related AsyncOS-based email security products.The flaw is actively exploited in the wild, remains unpatched, and—ironically—uses the spam filtering engine itself as the attack vector. With no user interaction required and evidence of nation-state activity, this vulnerability represents a worst-case scenario for

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23:27

CES Brings New CPUs, AI Agents, and Deep OS-Level...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2026/01/12

CES may be a consumer show, but this week it sent shockwaves through enterprise IT. In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John Barger and Lou Schmidt break down why nearly every major chip vendor chose CES to unveil next-generation CPUs, what Lenovo’s new agentic AI strategy means for IT teams, and why Microsoft embedding Copilot deep into Windows could fundamentally change how operating systems work.From Intel’s attempt at a comeback, to AMD and Qualcomm’s positioning against NVIDIA, to

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8:18

Ni8mare in n8n: CVSS 10 Workflow RCE Hitting...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2026/01/09

In the first regular IT SPARC Cast - CVE of the Week episode of 2026, John & Lou dive into a critical, actively exploitable vulnerability shaking the automation world. CVE-2026-21858—dubbed Ni8mare—targets the popular workflow automation platform n8n, earning a full CVSS 10.0 due to unauthenticated remote code execution.They break down how a content-type confusion bug inside n8n’s webhook processing engine allows attackers to fully compromise systems, why automation platforms are uniquely

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13:18

2026 Predictions: AI Reality Check, Quantum...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2026/01/05

In this special predictions episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John Barger and Lou Schmidt kick off 2026 by trading bold, unfiltered forecasts for enterprise IT, AI, cloud, energy, and geopolitics. With five predictions each—and no prior coordination—they round-robin through what they believe will define the next year in technology.From the deflation of the AI hype cycle and Apple’s inevitable AI acquisition, to quantum computing entering nation-state playbooks, nuclear power reshaping data

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18:40

The 5 Biggest IT Security Failures of 2025 (Cloud,...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2026/01/02

n this special CVE Year in Review episode of IT SPARC Cast, John Barger and Lou Schmidt break from the usual single-CVE format to count down the five worst IT security failures of 2025.From long-lived remote code execution flaws in enterprise networking gear, to a ransomware attack that shut down a global distributor, to systemic cloud outages that shattered the concept of “five nines” availability, this episode looks at what really went wrong—and why it matters heading into 2026.These weren’t

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20:40

CEOs Double Down on AI, Crystal Storage Goes...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/12/22

This week on IT SPARC Cast, John Barger and Lou Schmidt break down three stories shaping the future of enterprise IT—from continued AI spending despite questionable ROI, to radically new approaches to long-term data storage, and a major consolidation in the online learning market.⸻📰 News Bytes00:46– CEOs Keep Spending on AI Despite Spotty ReturnsDespite mixed financial outcomes, a growing number of CEOs plan to increase AI investment through 2026, viewing AI as strategically unavoidable rather than

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9:01

Microsoft Disables RC4: Why This Legacy Cipher Had to...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/12/19

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – CVE of the Week, John Barger and Lou Schmidt break down a long-overdue security move from Microsoft: disabling the RC4 cipher by default across Windows authentication infrastructure. After more than two decades of known cryptographic weaknesses, RC4 is finally being deprecated in favor of modern encryption standards like AES.The discussion covers why RC4 persisted for so long, how legacy Active Directory and Kerberos environments kept it alive, and why attackers

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23:18

AI Layoffs, Data Centers in Space, Jet Engines for...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/12/15

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou tackle one of the most emotionally charged weeks in enterprise IT. Google CEO Sundar Pichai openly acknowledges that AI-driven layoffs will cause real pain before progress—a statement that sparks a candid Hot Take on disruption, job loss, and opportunity.From there, the show dives deep into the mounting backlash against U.S. data centers, with over 200 environmental groups demanding a halt to new builds—ironically accelerating plans for

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9:21

React Server Components Under Active Exploit:...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/12/12

This week on IT SPARC Cast – CVE of the Week, John Barger and Lou Schmidt break down a code-red security situation affecting a massive portion of the modern web. CVE-2025-55182 is a critical, actively exploited vulnerability in React Server Components (RSC) that enables unauthenticated remote code execution, even in applications that don’t explicitly use server functions.With an estimated 33–35% of cloud-based services running React, attackers are already leveraging automated tooling to deploy

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24:27

Apple’s AI Shakeup, India’s Surveillance App, OpenAI...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/12/08

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou cover a packed week in tech policy, AI disruption, and cloud infrastructure. Apple loses its AI chief as the company struggles to keep pace with rivals. India orders smartphone makers to preload a government surveillance app—then backpedals after Apple pushes back. Sam Altman declares a “Code Red” inside OpenAI as pressure mounts from Google, Anthropic, and the entire LLM ecosystem. And finally, Amazon and Google partner on a new high-speed

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18:52

UniFi’s New Bridges, ChatGPT Group Chats, and… an IT...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/11/24

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou break down Ubiquiti’s brand-new UniFi wireless bridging lineup, test drive the surprisingly powerful ChatGPT Group Chat feature, and review the newly released IT Specialist Simulator game—yes, it’s a real thing.Lou also shares his SuperComputing 25 highlights, covering quantum computing, CXL memory extension, and why this year’s show was one of the most energetic he’s ever seen. A packed week for enterprise IT, networking, AI tooling, and

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11:44

SuperComputing 25 Highlights: Cooling Wars, CXL...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/11/21

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast,Lou brings you a packed 8-minute walkthrough of the biggest themes and technologies from SuperComputing 25—the largest and busiest HPC show he’s ever attended.In this video, Lou covers:🔥 Cooling Wars: immersion cooling, PG25 liquid loops, cavitation risks, phase-change fluids, and long-term hardware reliability.🧠 CXL & Memory Expansion: shared GPU pools, multi-host memory fabrics, and how CXL can extend server life.☁️ Hybrid Cloud AI Platforms: two

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20:11

Grounded Planes, Open-Source Drama, Russian Stealth...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/11/17

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou tackle a wild week in enterprise IT—from grounded aircraft disrupting hardware logistics, to open-source maintainers calling out Google, to sophisticated VM-based malware hiding inside Windows systems, to Santa Clara’s power grid collapsing under the weight of the AI boom.First, a tragic UPS MD-11 crash in Louisville forces both UPS and FedEx to ground all MD-11 aircraft—creating ripple effects for enterprise sparing strategies and next-day

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11:40

Cisco CVE Double Feature: ASA Firewall RCE + ISE Root...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/11/14

In this week’s IT SPARC Cast, John and Lou break down a Cisco security double feature—three critical vulnerabilities impacting Cisco ASA, Cisco Secure Firewall (FTD), and Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). These flaws include authentication bypass, chained remote code execution, and a CVSS 10.0 root-level compromise via an undocumented ISE API.We explain how CVE-2025-20333, CVE-2025-20362, and the newly revealed CVE-2025-20337 work, why federal agencies issued emergency patch directives, and what

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18:17

AI in Orbit, Microsoft’s Missteps, and the OpenAI...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/11/10

In this week’s IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou go galactic—covering AI data centers in orbit, Microsoft’s blunders, and a nasty new Windows backdoor exploiting OpenAI’s API.First, it’s “IT in SPAAAAAACE!” as Google unveils Project Suncatcher, an effort to launch radiation-hardened Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) into orbit for solar-powered, space-based AI compute. Then, SpaceX announces plans to build low-Earth-orbit data centers using its Starlink satellite infrastructure and Tesla’s

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7:29

CVE-2025-52665: Ubiquiti UniFi Access Vulnerability —...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/11/07

In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – CVE of the Week, John Barger and Lou Schmidt dive deep into CVE-2025-52665, a critical 10.0 CVSS vulnerability impacting Ubiquiti’s UniFi Access Management API. This flaw blends physical security and cybersecurity risks — allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute remote code, manipulate door access, or even lock users inside buildings.John and Lou break down how this misconfigured API opens the door (literally) to full network takeover and discuss the

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24:05

EA’s AI Divide, Qualcomm’s Data Center Push, and...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/11/03

In this week’s IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou explore the intersection of AI, hardware, and IT freedom — from creative tension at EA to chipmaking disruption.First, Electronic Arts (EA) launches ReefGPT, an internal AI design tool meant to boost productivity across studios. Developers say it’s unreliable and fear job losses, while leadership insists AI is the future. John and Lou unpack the deeper message: AI won’t take your job, but someone using AI will.Then, Qualcomm jumps into the AI

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10:38

DNS Nightmare: CVE-2025-40778 and the Scariest...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/10/31

In this special Halloween edition of CVE of the Week, John and Lou dive into a truly chilling scenario — a high-severity DNS poisoning flaw that could be the perfect setup for a wave of phishing attacks and credential theft across enterprise networks.The star of the episode: CVE-2025-40778, a newly discovered vulnerability in BIND 9’s resolver logic. This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to inject forged DNS records, redirecting legitimate queries to malicious servers — all without user

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21:38

OpenAI’s Atlas Browser | Quantum Breakthrough | AWS...

IT SPARC Cast ·

2025/10/27

In this week’s IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou explore the fast-moving world of AI, quantum computing, and cloud reliability.First up, OpenAI launches Atlas, an AI-powered browser with ChatGPT built in—complete with persistent memory, agent mode, and deep personalization. But as John warns, “If ChatGPT can see everything you do, that includes your company’s data.” Lou connects it to last week’s 7-Zip discussion, emphasizing the need for strict data access policies in enterprises managing

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124 results

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