Switches as distributed firewalling

Thank you to Cisco for sponsoring this video and sponsoring my trip to Cisco Live Amsterdam 2026. In this interview, Cisco VP Rick Miles breaks down the evolution of the firewall, the massive hardware leap of the 6100 series, and how AI agents and eBPF are completely reshaping the industry. Whether you're trying to secure AI models against prompt injection or wondering if AI will replace your networking job by 2030, this is the technical reality check every engineer needs to hear right now. Has the role of the traditional firewall changed? Rick Miles, VP of Product at Cisco, joins David Bombal at Cisco Live EMEA to reveal the massive architectural shift from static "firewalls" to dynamic "firewalling." This deep-dive interview covers the incredible specs of the new Cisco Secure Firewall 6100 series—boasting 80% less space, 60% less power, and up to 8 Terabits of clustered throughput in a 2RU form factor. We also explore how eBPF is revolutionizing deep visibility and virtual patching directly at the application layer, moving security beyond the edge. But hardware is only half the story. We also break down the new "Wild West" of AI cybersecurity. Learn how to secure the network against prompt injection, poisoned AI models, and unsecured Model Context Protocols (MCP). Finally, Rick shares his vision for 2030: "Agentic" security. Will AI agents replace network engineers, or will they become the ultimate force multiplier for your career? // Rick Miles’ SOCIAL // LinkedIn: / rcmiles09 // 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 0:19 - Introduction 01:17 - Are Firewalls Dead? 04:18 - Cisco and Firewalls 08:30 - Hyperscalers vs Neo-Clouds vs Enterprises 10:46 - EBPF and Switches as Firewalls 14:32 - Managing your Hybrid Mesh Firewall 16:20 - Cisco’s Compatibility with other Firewalls 17:40 - Identity within Systems 19:05 - More on Hybrid Mesh Firewall 19:53 - Model Context Protocol and Security 23:57 - The Future of “Firewalling” 25:15 - The Effect of Agentic AI 26:57 - Will AI take all our Jobs? 27:56 - Should you get into Cyber Security? 28:48 - Cool Story about Firewall 30:30 - Talk to your Younger Self 32:32 - Does AI give Advantage to Attackers? 33:09 - 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. #firewall #cisco #cybersecurity