The SecurEdge Blog

In a world where physical security in schools has so much urgency, coming from so many different threats, most teachers, school administrators and parents aren’t losing a lot of sleep over their school’s WiFi security. But perhaps they should be.

The Internet of Things- The slew of new WiFi enabled devices and technology that are reshaping the way that we live and interact, bring with them not just convenience, efficiency, and let's be honest, some major cool-factor, but also some potential problems for your wireless network. Slow WiFi speeds, storage problems, potential security threats, these are all concerns that are probably top of mind for your companies IT team. But don't worry! The right wireless network design can make sure you are ready for everything the IoT boom has to throw at you. Here are a few tips to help you get ready for the future:

Airport WiFi: the bane of the business traveler or jet-setting social media star. If you’re tasked with managing an airport WiFi network, or are responsible for the implementation and design, then you know how daunting it can be to manage and monitor a network on this scale. Reliable, secure airport WiFi is crucial for your users, so before you upgrade your wireless network or start a new design, consider these 4 common airport WiFi problems:

Just like devices and applications, new network security threats are popping up all the time--causing massive problems for both businesses and their end-users. One of the more notable types of malicious attacks that have dominated the headlines this year is ransomware. In this week's episode, we outline six steps that will protect your business from a ransomware attack.

On Friday, May 12th, 2017 a ransomware attack going by the name of WannaCrypt, invaded and infected over 50,000 computers worldwide.

Do you know who or what is accessing your network? If your answer is no or you're just making an assumption based on what you "think" is on the network, then how can you guarantee that your data and end-users are safe?

The internet of things or the IoT as it’s also known, has quickly crossed-over into buzzword territory these days. From warehousing and manufacturing to higher education, healthcare and even retail, the IoT is everywhere.

You're either secure or you're not, there is no middle ground when it comes to having proper network security.

The internet of things is a hot topic within every industry today, and for good reason. The IoT offers numerous opportunities and benefits such as decreasing operational costs and increasing productivity and efficiency. However, there's one glaring challenge that has to be addressed and that's how do you secure the IoT? In this week's episode we explain the four features your network will need to ensure proper IoT security.

While no one can accurately predict how many IoT devices will be in use over the next three years, (Gartner estimates around 20.8 Billion) the fact of the matter is there's going to be a lot. This raises many questions, but one of the most important is how will you secure those connected devices against security threats? 

Most IT Managers and IT Directors are asked to do a lot. From server support, PC support, to printer support and even application support, they have to wear many hats. Securing their wireless network is just one of those hats, a very critical hat but one of many none the less. 

Mobile devices are an indispensable tool in both our personal lives as well as our professional lives today. With an endless amount of new applications and devices coming out every year, employees, guests, students, faculty, administrators etc expect to be able to use their mobile devices to access the network from anywhere at any time. With many IT departments being outpaced by user demand, they need an answer to help them keep up. 

Did you know that more than 80 percent of healthcare providers spend less than 6% of their total IT budgets on security, and that more than 50% actually admit to that number being less than 3%! According to a recent study by HIMSS Analytics and Symantec, the alarming stats don’t stop there, with almost 75% of the 100 health IT decision-makers surveyed saying security is rarely talked about at board meetings, and typically only by request. This lack of preparation and lack of strategic importance when it comes to cybersecurity makes it far too obvious why hackers are targeting healthcare organizations more and more.

No matter what the industry, IT professionals know that having the right defense (network security infrastructure) is just as important as or possibly more important than any other element in their entire system.

Did you know that 80% of healthcare facilities employ traveling nurses, and that doctors today are more like independent contractors working at multiple hospitals in their local regions? Combined with the staggering growth of connected devices (BYOD and IoT), tougher regulations, and increasing competition, healthcare IT teams are faced with some serious security problems.

Have you logged onto a public Wi-Fi network in a Starbucks or Panera Bread recently? If you have, you’ve seen a log on page otherwise known as a “captive portal” page. It looks like a standard webpage and most people click through the log on process without giving it much thought. But there are some really important things captive portal pages do that you need to understand if you’re the one offering free wireless guest access.

BYOD isn't a new concept, so why do so many enterprise wireless networks lack the necessary security policies to safely support it? A recent survey conducted by Champion Solutions Group, found that out of 447 businesses that both varied in size and vertical market, over one-half of them didn't have a formal BYOD policy and over a quarter admitted they do not have a proper security approach to supporting BYOD. This is rather concerning considering it's expected that one out of every two businesses will not be able to provide devices to their employees by 2017.

With every new year comes new technologies, but that new tech also means new security threats. How prepared is your business's network for new cybersecurity threats in 2016? In 2015, IBM and the Ponemon Institute determined the average cost of a data breach to be $3.79 million. We saw plenty of major companies find themselves vulnerable to hackers and data breaches throughout last year, and as data grows, so will the threats.

Hospitals and clinics have long been sitting on a data-filled gold mine, with electronic health records (patient data) as the black-market’s highest currency today. In fact, according to the 2015 KPMG Healthcare Cybersecurity Survey, 81% of health care CIOs reveal that their data has been compromised by either botnet, malware or some other sort of attack at least once in the past two years. And half of these IT executives feel insecure about their current ability to prevent future data breaches. But with all your efforts to secure your network, have you considered that the weakest link might be you?

As security is an ever-growing concern when it comes to using technology in the classroom today, it must evolve to keep up with threats, while remaining as user-friendly as possible. However, while wireless network security tools are increasing in effectiveness so too are the potential data risks. Threats to your school's network are becoming more complex, and more abundant thanks to the increasing amount of mobile devices and other connected gateways hackers look to exploit. 

There seems to be some denial within colleges and universities about how vulnerable they really are to cyber attacks. This mentality is misguided and potentially very dangerous, as hackers already have their sights set on the information goldmine that is our colleges and universities. 

Many businesses today are scrambling to support the increasing demand for safer and faster guest wireless access to their networks. Wifi users today expect a certain level of access, you can't just throw up some access points anymore and call it a day, you need to deliver an experience to your users that enables mobility and security for both them and your organization.

Do you ever find yourself asking the question, how secure is secure enough? 

Did you know that by March of this year (2015) over 11 million people's personal health information had been breached?