NB588: Active Threats Target Siemens PLCs; IBM Chills Qubits With Modular Cryogenics @PacketPushersNetwork

Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

Take a Network Break! It's a Red Alert double feature for Oracle's Internet Directory LDAP server and Cisco's Secure Workload Software.
In tech news, US law enforcement and intelligence agencies release a joint advisory warning of active threats against Siemens PLCs, Marvell wins a deal to make chips for Google that could bring billions in revenue, and Google Cloud gives customers more control over Google staff's access to customer data.
IBM plays it very cool with a new modular cryogenic design to connect superconducting quantum chips, AWS adds hit count stats for its network firewall, a satellite startup raises $250 million, and NASA demonstrates a new form of spacecraft navigation that uses orbital junk as landmarks.

AdSpot Sponsor: Itential
Itential’s FlowAI delivers agentic operations for infrastructure - meaning easily build AI agents that actually work the way engineers need them to: governed, deterministic, and built for production. Add intelligent automation to your network operations without the usual AI chaos. Find out more at itential.com/flowai

Links:
Links to all of these stories can be found on the Packet Pushers website - packetpushers.net/podcasts/network-break/nb588-active-threats-target-siemens-plcs-ibm-chills-qubits-with-modular-cryogenics

Network Break is part of the Packet Pushers network. Visit our website to find more great networking and technology podcasts, along with tutorial videos, the Human Infrastructure newsletter, and loads more resources for building your IT career. packetpushers.net

NB588: Active Threats Target Siemens PLCs; IBM Chills Qubits With Modular Cryogenics

PP118: IPv6 Risks In Dual-Stack Environments (i.e. Most Environments)

$What to Do About the 6GHz Upper Band Split The upper 6 gigahertz band is fracturing among national lines after a verdict from regulatory bodies in the UK and the EU. While the US enjoys full Wi-Fi access along the entire 1200 megahertz, the EU has decided to reserve most of the upper band for mobile services, and the UK is testing a split priority model. Keith breaks down why your data sheets may start to mislead you in global rollouts and how to design networks with confidence in this new regulatory landscape. AdSpot Sponsor: Meter Meter delivers full-stack networking—wired, wireless, and cellular—to leading enterprises. It’s a single integrated solution with everything included. Meter has designed the hardware, written the firmware, and built the software. Meter deploys and manages everything required at your site, or sites, so that you get performant, reliable, and secure connectivity. If you’re ready for fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of managing multiple providers or tools, it’s time to check out Meter. Go to https://www.meter.com/heavywireless to book a demo now! Links: FCC Opens 6 GHz Band to Wi-Fi and Other Unlicensed Uses - FCC - https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-opens-6-ghz-band-wi-fi-and-other-unlicensed-uses-0 FCC Fact Sheet - April 2, 2020 (PDF) - https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/doc-363490a1.pdf FCC 6 GHz Update Fact Sheet - Nov 2024 (PDF) - https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-407628A1.pdf Expanding access to the 6 GHz band for commercial mobile and Wi-Fi services (PDF) - Ofcom - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-3-4-weeks/consultation-expanding-access-to-the-6-ghz-band-for-commercial-mobile-and-wi-fi-services/main-document/expanding-access-to-the-6-ghz-band-for-commercial-mobile-and-wi-fi-services.pdf Statement and further consultation: Expanding access to the 6 GHz band for commercial mobile and Wi-Fi services - Ofcom - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/innovative-use-of-spectrum/consultation-expanding-access-to-the-6-ghz-band-for-commercial-mobile-and-wi-fi-services Mandate to the CEPT (PDF) - CEPT - https://cept.org/files/1412/Mandate%20to%20CEPT%20upper%206%20GHz%20band.pdf Upper 6 GHz - Outcome of the 2023 ITU-R WRC-23 - IEEE - https://www.ieee802.org/11/email/stds-802-11/msg07844.html Ofcom maps out split-priority approach for upper 6 GHz band - RCR Wireless - https://www.rcrwireless.com/20260109/policy/ofcom-6-ghz Ofcom publishes statement and launches further consultation on 6 GHz spectrum sharing - techUK - https://www.techuk.org/resource/ofcom-publishes-statement-and-launches-further-consultation-on-6-ghz-spectrum-sharing.html Ofcom proposes sharing 6GHz band between Mobile and Wi-Fi - thinkbroadband - https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/ofcom-proposes-sharing-6ghz-band-between-mobile-and-wi-fi Ofcom sets out plans for mobile, Wi-Fi to share upper 6 GHz spectrum band - Computer Weekly - https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637063/Ofcom-sets-out-plans-for-mobile-Wi-Fi-to-share-upper-6-GHz-spectrum-band WRC-23 and the unresolved battle for 6 GHz - IIC Intermedia - https://iicintermedia.org/vol-52-issue-1/wrc-23-and-the-unresolved-battle-for-6-ghz/ Special Feature: The Road to WRC-23: Regional Bodies Debate the Future of the Upper 6 GHz Band - Wi-Fi Alliance - https://www.wi-fi.org/beacon/the-beacon/special-feature-the-road-to-wrc-23-regional-bodies-debate-the-future-of-the-upper Wi-Fi 7 and the Growing Future of Wireless Design Guide - Cisco - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/networking/wireless/wifi7-future-of-wireless-dg.html Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Technical Guide - Cisco - https://documentation.meraki.com/Wireless/Design_and_Configure/Architecture_and_Best_Practices/Wi-Fi_7_(802.11be)_Technical_Guide Innovation, productivity – and common sense: Contrasting UK and EU proposals for upper 6 GHz Wi-Fi regulation - Wi-Fi NOW Global - https://wifinowglobal.com/news-blog/innovation-productivity-and-common-sense-contrasting-uk-and-eu-proposals-for-for-upper-6-ghz-wi-fi-regulation/ GUEST PAPER: What Ofcom’s ‘Better Together’ 6 GHz plan means for Wi-Fi, mobile, & the EU - Wi-Fi NOW Global - https://wifinowglobal.com/news-and-blog/guest-paper-what-ofcoms-better-together-6-ghz-plan-means-for-wi-fi-mobile-the-eu/ Socio-economic benefits of IMT versus RLAN in the 6425-7125 MHz band in Europe (PDF) - Dynamic Spectrum Alliance - https://dynamicspectrumalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DSA-Report-6425-7125-MHz-EU-Study.pdf Heavy Wireless is part of the Packet Pushers network. Visit our website to find more great networking and technology podcasts, along with tutorial videos, the Human Infrastructure newsletter, and loads more resources for building your IT career. https://packetpushers.net$

TNO069: Network to Code Gets Enterprise Open-Core Right with Nautobot (Sponsored)

Well Actually 03 - Multicast, Routing Protocols, RFC 1918

Demystifying Automation Tools, Processes, and Culture Gates

Brute Force Password Attack Bleeds Fortinet; US Sued Over AI Model Order

From SOAR to Agents: Why Practical Automation Has to Survive Contact with Real Infrastructure

LIU021: Justin Ryburn - The Road More Traveled with a Field CTO

NB586: AI Angst Abounds; Arista Revs Up Q2 Revenue