S9|E16 Protect Your Network from Counterfeit Products

Counterfeiting hardware and software is an illegal and lucrative trade which leads to an estimated $100B loss of revenue annually across IT industries. As one of the largest and most reputable brands in the world, Cisco is often a target of counterfeiters.   For all end-users across Cisco’s ecosystem, counterfeiting presents serious risks to network quality, performance, safety, and reliability. It is dangerous because counterfeit products are not designed or built to meet the same safety standard certifications that genuine Cisco products attain.   The Cisco Brand Protection team partners closely with both law enforcement and customs officials around the world to stop counterfeit products at borders, identify counterfeiting operations, and pursue legal actions against infringers of Cisco’s intellectual property rights, including trademarks. Our goal is to actively support our partners and customers in protecting their investment in Cisco solutions. In this episode of Cisco Champion Radio we’ll talk about how counterfeiting impacts the IT industry, explore how Cisco safeguards against counterfeit products, and explore best practices to consider when purchasing Cisco goods and services. (4:30) A story about how counterfeit product infiltrated the US Marines. (7:35) What is considered a gray product? (12:57) What kind of cases could we be looking at in terms of counterfeit products deployment? (14:49) Why should people stay away from the gray market channel? What is the brand protection perspective? (17:10) How to identify if a product is counterfeit? (19:52) What tools should customers use before buying a product or selecting the right source? (23:10) From a security aspect, what is Cisco doing to ensure your traffic and data is secure? (25:03) How is technology like blockchain being used? (27:29) Is reselling a product originally sold to one customer to a different customer considered a gray market product? (30:47) If we identify a counterfeit product, who do we contact? (31: 23) Stranger than fiction: A story about how a counterfeit was caught. (33:53) Does Brand Protection look at small deals or just large ones? (35:24) Does the process apply to refurbished products as it does to new products? (36:40) Is the call coming from inside the house? Do you see issues, like channel stuffing, arising from inside Cisco? Learn more: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/legal/brand-protection.html?dtid=opdcsnc001469?dtid=opdcsnc001469 Follow us: https://twitter.com/ciscochampion Cisco Champion Hosts Amr Nasher (twitter.com/Amr_Nasher), Twaasol, Managing Director Liam Keegan (twitter.com/liamjkeegan), 24/7 Networks, Solutions Architect Jonathan Mahady (twitter.com/jonathan_mahady) BHP, Senior PCN Network Engineer Guest Al Palladin, Cisco, Chief - Global Brand Protection Moderator Amilee San Juan (twitter.com/amileesan1), Cisco, Customer Voices and Cisco Champion Program Did you like this episode? Please comment below. Even one sentence helps! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ciscochampion