
Private Networks Offer Big Security Advantages for Small Businesses
It’s not that society is obsessed with our smartphones; we just can’t seem to put them down. According to recent data, the average person spends around 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone each day. That’s more than 25% of our waking hours. Perhaps more concerning is that much of that time is spent on a public unsecured network (think hotspot) where your information can be exposed and those with darker intentions can wreak havoc. Anyone who accesses a public network, theoretically, has access to our sensitive personal, financial and even healthcare data.
For small businesses, the risks of operating on an unsecured network are even greater as approximately 43% of cyber attacks specifically target them. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 60% of small businesses that experience a cyber-attack go out of business within six months. Cybersecurity incidents can paralyze your business and destroy customer trust, plus recovering from these attacks is expensive.
Protect Customer Data and Your Business
For small businesses, especially those with point-of-sale (POS) systems, operating on a publicly available network poses another serious risk. Exposing customer data and incurring steep fines. Brick and mortar stores and service providers collect a wide variety of customer data, including customer transaction data, security video footage, customer loyalty information and data collected through in-store sensors.
To stay on the right side of the law, owners must ensure that all data collection practices comply with applicable privacy regulations such as:
- Providing clear notices about data collection
- Obtaining the necessary consent
- Implementing robust data security measures
But compliance isn’t as easy as meeting these three requirements. The laws regarding customer data privacy are complicated and highly varied depending on where you do business. Individual states have crafted their own laws, creating a convoluted patchwork of sector-specific and medium-specific laws. These include laws and regulations that address telecommunications, health information, credit information, financial institutions, and marketing.
Beyond Data Security Concerns
Data security isn’t the only drawback of a publicly shared network. For starters, you’re sharing bandwidth with everyone else on the network and may not have enough to support the needs for your business. In addition, because you don’t own the network, you have very little control over things like security, data speeds and user permissions.
So, the question for small business owners is how to protect their company’s digital assets, customer’s data and the future of their business? Take your network in-house.
Private Networks for Small Businesses
Private networks have become a critical tool for businesses of all sizes who need to operate, manage and secure their business processes efficiently and affordably. There are multiple types of private networks, ranging from a basic home network to a wide-area-network that can support tens of thousands of users across multiple locations. A virtual private network (VPN) is also an option. This is a private network that is typically cloud-based and software-driven. While a VPN can offer security and efficiency, it can also be somewhat restrictive.
Three tips for a more secure network:
- Fortify your browser privacy
- Use two-factor authentication
- Strengthen your passwords
The most popular network solution for small businesses is a local area network (LAN). It connects devices and computers over a relatively small area, such as a single store, building or small group of buildings. The LAN connects to the business’s service provider network via a wired connection, preferably fiber. Inside the store or building, devices and systems such as computers, POS terminals, security systems, wireless access points, etc. are all connected to the network through wired connections, such as Ethernet cables.
While a LAN is far more secure than a public unsecured network, there is still room for improvement. A LAN allows all devices in the network to communicate with each other freely. So, for example, a customer or employee with bad intentions could get on to the network from, say, the store’s Wi-Fi and, theoretically, navigate into the business’s POS system or accounting system where they can do serious damage.
One way to close this LAN security gap is to implement a private virtual LAN (vLAN). A private vLAN enables you to set up and partition off various segments of your business’s operations that cannot be accessed from any other segment with the proper credentials. For example, you may set up a VLAN for your POS system, one for customer wi-fi traffic, and another for back-office management and keep everybody in their lane.
SmartBiz Secure Private Networking for Small Businesses
Glo Fiber Business’s SmartBiz solution provides a highly secure and flexible private network environment with vLAN segmentation and a robust suite of features. Business owners can create four dedicated network segments, one for the management team, one for staff, another for the POS system and a fourth supports customer Wi-Fi traffic. You can lock down the most sensitive parts of your network while ensuring plenty of bandwidth for everyone. The solution runs on both wired and wireless LAN technology.
Unlike a public network, SmartBiz puts you in control. With the SmartBiz mobile app you can monitor and manage each element of the solution to match the unique needs of your small business. Set up service-specific networks, enable network security, create a branded customer Wi-Fi portal and more!
Offered as a managed network solution, SmartBiz is deployed and maintained by Glo Fiber Business’s network experts, taking the burden of network management off you and enabling you to focus on growing your business. We keep your network updated and resilient with the most recent security patches and anti-virus software and can guide you through setting up important safeguards like two-factor authentication, firewall protection and secure data backup. Glo Fiber Business also manages our own local network operations center (NOC) where we monitor your network 24/7/365, looking for potential issues and resolving them before they can impact your business.
Glo Fiber Business’s SmartBiz is included with all 1 Gig and 2 Gig plans or can be added to other plans for a nominal fee. This solution is a cost-effective way to securing your company data making your small business a mighty one.
Learn more about the benefits of switching to a SmartBiz private network from Glo Fiber Business.