PodcastsTechnologyDavid Bombal

David Bombal

David Bombal
David Bombal
Latest episode

577 episodes

  • David Bombal

    #581: AES Explained: How Encryption Protects Your Data

    13/06/2026 | 28 mins.
    Big thanks to TryHackMe for sponsoring this video. Learn Cyber Security with Practical Labs on TryHackMe:https://tryhackme.com/DavidBombalTech
    Use my code DAVIDTECH25 to get 25% OFF on Annual Subscription!

    Dr. Mike Pound joins David Bombal to explain symmetric encryption, AES, secret keys, VPN encryption, TLS, block ciphers, stream ciphers and why encryption is one of the most important building blocks in modern cybersecurity.

    In this video, Mike explains what encryption actually does: it takes readable plaintext and turns it into unreadable ciphertext so that only someone with the correct secret key can decrypt it. He breaks down how symmetric encryption works, why the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt, and why algorithms like AES are used everywhere from secure websites and VPNs to BitLocker and full disk encryption.

    You’ll learn why AES is so fast on modern CPUs, how keys interact with encryption algorithms, and why AES uses rounds of substitution and permutation to scramble data. Mike also explains the difference between block ciphers and stream ciphers, including AES, DES, Triple DES, ChaCha20 and older algorithms like RC4 and A5/1.

    The discussion also covers why symmetric encryption is used for bulk encryption in protocols like TLS and IPsec, why asymmetric encryption is used differently, and why you should never write your own encryption algorithm or implement your own AES code for real-world security.

    If you want to understand how encryption protects your data, how VPNs and secure web traffic work, and why AES is still one of the most important algorithms in cybersecurity, this is a great place to start.

    // Mike SOCIAL //
    X: / _mikepound
    YouTube Channel: / computerphile

    // YouTube Video REFERENCE //Password Cracking: Can a Rainbow table reverse a hashed password?: • Password Cracking: Can a Rainbow table rev...

    // David's SOCIAL //
    Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb
    Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co
    TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal
    YouTube: / @davidbombal
    Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE...
    SoundCloud: / davidbombal
    Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

    // MY STUFF //
    https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal

    // SPONSORS //
    Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com

    // MENU //
    0:00 - Coming Up
    0:27 - TryHackMe Sponsor
    0:49 - Intro
    01:18 - Symmetric vs Asymmetric Encryption
    04:38 - Key Exchange and VPN Analogy
    06:10 - Examples of Symmetric Algorithms
    08:56 - Advantages of Stream vs Block Cyber
    10:31 - Deeper AES Explanation
    14:34 - Substitution, Permutation, Mixing in AES
    19:24 - Don’t Implement your Own Encryption
    20:16 - TryHackMe Sponsor - DEMO
    24:21 - DES Algorithm and the NSA
    26:01 - Where to Learn More about Encryption
    27:42 - Outro

    Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel!

    Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only.
    #symmetricencryption #aes #des
  • David Bombal

    #580: Cisco's first Quantum Switch: What it means for you

    13/06/2026 | 47 mins.
    Big thanks to ‪@Cisco‬ for sponsoring this video and sponsoring my trip to Cisco Live Vegas 2026.

    In this deep dive into the future of networking, we explore the reality of quantum networking and Cisco's groundbreaking announcement of the world's first Universal Quantum Switch. Quantum computing is no longer just a buzzword; it's moving into the mainstream, bringing massive implications for network engineers and cybersecurity professionals in 2026 and beyond.

    We discuss why a quantum switch is essential for scaling distributed quantum computers and how it translates different quantum modalities, acting as a universal fabric. We also break down the quantum stack, from entanglement sources generating 200 million photon pairs per second to nanosecond switching speeds.

    Beyond the hardware, we tackle the elephant in the room: Shor's algorithm and the imminent threat to classical encryption (RSA/Diffie-Hellman). With "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks already happening and the January 2027 CNSA 2.0 compliance deadline approaching, we cover exactly how you can prepare using post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Finally, we explore fascinating real-world applications, including high-frequency trading advantages, unbreakable eavesdropper detection using the no-cloning theorem, and secure position verification.

    // Ramana Kompella’s SOCIAL //
    LinkedIn: / rkompella

    // Website REFERENCE //
    https://outshift.cisco.com/

    // Videos REFERENCE //
    • Cisco Quantum Summit 2026 - Quantum Data C...
    https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/5305787/...

    // David's SOCIAL //
    Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb
    Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co
    TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal
    YouTube: / @davidbombal
    Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE...
    SoundCloud: / davidbombal
    Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

    // MY STUFF //
    https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal

    // SPONSORS //
    Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com

    // MENU //
    0:00 - Coming Up
    0:28 - Intro
    02:13 - Universal Quantum Switch
    04:11 - Why do we need a Quantum Switch?
    06:42 - Scale Out Quantum Fabric
    09:02 - Multi-Modality Ability
    10:17 - Sharing an Entanglement Source
    14:08 - Testing the Universal Quantum Switch
    17:20 - The Stack: Application Layer
    21:30 - Using Quantum to Detect a Tap
    24:24 - Quantum Use-Cases
    28:37 - The Stack: A Summary
    30:26 - Advice for the Future
    33:28 - Response to “Quantum is Fake”
    36:12 - Holistic Quantum Security
    40:06 - Shor’s Algorithm
    41:47 - Cisco’s Quantum-Safe Devices
    46:00 - Resources to Learn More
    47:00 - Outro

    Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel!

    Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only.
    #quantum #quantumnetworking #cisco
  • David Bombal

    #579: New CCNA Exam: Stop Memorizing and Start Labbing

    08/06/2026 | 39 mins.
    Big thank you to Cisco for sponsoring my trip to Cisco Live Vegas

    // Ryan Rose’s SOCIAL //
    LinkedIn: / ryanrose3
    Cisco Blogs: https://blogs.cisco.com/author/ryanrose
    X: https://x.com/RyanRose

    // Cisco Blogs //
    Cisco Announcement: https://blogs.cisco.com/learning/ai-u...
    CCNA 2.0 Blueprint: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/c...

    // Websites and YouTube Channel links //
    Cisco U: https://u.cisco.com/
    Cisco Learning Network: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/
    Netacad: https://www.netacad.com

    // David's SOCIAL //
    Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb
    Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co
    TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal
    YouTube: / @davidbombal
    Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE...
    SoundCloud: / davidbombal
    Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

    // MY STUFF //
    https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal

    // SPONSORS //
    Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com

    // MENU //
    0:00 - Coming Up
    0:18 - Intro
    0:25 - CCNA Update Announcement
    03:03 - Practical Skills/Troubleshooting as the Focus
    08:23 - Simlets/Lablets in the CCNA
    11:40 - AI in the CCNA
    15:24 - Biggest Changes in the New CCNA
    18:35 - Goals of the New CCNA
    20:58 - Transitioning to the New CCNA
    24:37 - CML, Packet Tracer and Other Free Tools
    26:25 - CCIE Update Announcement
    32:57 - Communication and Critical Thinking Tutorials
    35:29 - Free and Paid Training Resources
    38:24 - Final Thoughts

    Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel!

    #ccna #cisco #ai
  • David Bombal

    #578: How Cisco Is Using AI to Fix Networks

    05/06/2026 | 22 mins.
    Cisco is bringing AI agents into network operations with Cisco Cloud Control, AI Canvas, and Agentic Ops. In this demo, David Bombal is joined by DJ Sampath (SVP and General Manager, AI Software and Platform) to look at how Cisco is using AI to simplify complex network troubleshooting, infrastructure management, agent security, and observability. Instead of jumping between multiple dashboards, tools, teams, and tickets, Cisco Cloud Control brings network, security, observability, and infrastructure context into one interface.

    The demo starts with a simple real-world problem: why can’t a phone connect to the network? From there, Cisco AI Canvas investigates the topology, calls the right agents, checks the wireless environment, moves into the firewall/security domain, and identifies the root cause: a site-to-site VPN tunnel issue caused by missing OSPF route exchange.

    You will see how Cisco is using MCP servers, topology agents, troubleshooting agents, firewall agents, and purpose-built models to help network engineers understand what is happening across Meraki, Catalyst, Firepower, Intersight, Splunk, Security, and other Cisco platforms.

    The video also covers the Unified Cisco Fabric app, which connects campus and data center environments with a firewall in between, plus Cisco’s agentic security app for monitoring and controlling AI agents in the enterprise. DJ also shows how Cisco is thinking about token usage, runaway agents, agent observability, Splunk, Galileo, policy enforcement, and secure AI adoption.

    The interview also covers Cisco’s work with OpenAI and Codex, including how frontier models, purpose-built Cisco models, MCP servers, APIs, Cisco data fabric, and real network data are being used to reduce hallucinations and make AI more useful for infrastructure teams. If you are a network engineer, cybersecurity professional, infrastructure engineer, or someone trying to understand how AI will affect networking, this demo shows where things are going.

    Thank you to ‪@Cisco‬ for sponsoring this video and my trip to Cisco Live!

    // DJ Sampath’s SOCIAL //
    LinkedIn:  / djsampath
    X:  https://x.com/djsampath

    / David's SOCIAL //
    Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb
    Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co
    TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal
    YouTube: / @davidbombal
    Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE...
    SoundCloud: / davidbombal
    Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

    // MY STUFF //
    https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal

    // SPONSORS //
    Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com

    // MENU //
    0:00 - Coming up
    01:05 - Is AI working?
    02:55 - Cisco Cloud Control quick demo
    09:38 - Cisco Cloud Control Summary
    10:50 - Unified Cisco Fabric demo
    12:38 - Agentic Security demo // Securing agents
    15:25 - Agent Observability demo // Monitoring tokens
    17:38 - Cisco Cloud Control in the real world
    18:49 - Summary
    19:22 - Cisco Cloud Control AI model explained
    20:22 - Addressing hallucinations & false information
    22:19 - Conclusion

    Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel!

    Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only.
    #cisco #ai #cybersecurity
  • David Bombal

    #577: My Dream "home lab"

    22/05/2026 | 28 mins.
    Join me for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of Cisco's purpose-built $20 million AI data center lab in San Jose. AI is revolutionizing the tech industry, but running massive 10,000 GPU clusters can cost up to $175 million a year—and a mere 5% network bottleneck can flush $8 million down the drain. In this video, we break down the hardware, software, and networking topologies required to build, secure, and scale massive AI data centers.

    I sit down with Cisco engineers to explore scale-up domains with NVIDIA H200 and AMD MI350X servers, scale-out rail-optimized topologies, and the massive Cisco Silicon One G300 ASIC delivering 102.4 Terabits per second with innovative liquid cooling. We also dive into the Ethernet vs. InfiniBand debate for scaling to 100,000 GPUs, the power of Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) to reduce power draw, and how Cisco used AI to safely refactor 500,000 lines of legacy code. Whether you are building
    an AI network today or upgrading your engineering skills for the future, this is video can help you learn.

    Big thanks to Cisco for sponsoring my trip to Cisco Data Center and Operational Control Center in San Jose.

    // Will Eatherton SOCIAL //
    LinkedIn: / willeatherton
    Newsroom: https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsro...

    // Rakesh Kumar SOCIAL //
    LinkedIn: / rakesh-kumar-78559b

    // Richard Licon SOCIAL //
    LinkedIn: / rlicon75

    // Ram Gandikota //
    LinkedIn: / ramgandikota

    // Faraz Taifehesmatian SOCIAL //
    LinkedIn: / faraztaifeh

    // YouTube video REFERENCE //
    • The 100Tbps AI Switch: Inside the Beast

    / David's SOCIAL //
    Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb
    Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co
    TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal
    YouTube: / @davidbombal
    Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE...
    SoundCloud: / davidbombal
    Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

    // MY STUFF //
    https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal

    // SPONSORS //
    Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com

    // MENU //
    0:00 - The power of AI data centers
    0:51 - Cost and challenges of AI data centers
    02:35 - How to connect GPUs in an AI cluster
    05:23 - The future of data centers
    08:45 - NeoCloud infrastructure in Australia
    10:28 - The right components matter
    16:32 - Testing to avoid failures
    21:43 - Ethernet vs InfiniBand
    23:27 - Cisco security services
    26:14 - Future of speeds in the data center
    27:23 - Conclusion

    Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel!

    Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only.

    #ai #network #datacenter
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About David Bombal
Want to learn about IT? Want to get ahead in your career? Well, this is the right place! On this channel, I discuss Python, Ethical Hacking, Networking, Network Automation, CCNA, Virtualization and other IT related topics. This YouTube channel has new videos every week! Subscribe for technical, detailed, no fluff content. David’s details: Discord: https://discord.com/invite/usKSyzb Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/davidbombal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidbombal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co Website: http://www.davidbombal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/davidbombal All the best! David
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