One of the most prominent trends contributing to this challenge is the growing reliance on business cloud applications. Companies are increasingly adopting cloud services for their scalability, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility. However, this shift also exposes businesses to new security risks. IT managers must grapple with the complexities of securing sensitive data and applications stored off-site, often in third-party data centers.

Another critical aspect of this challenge stems from the inherent vulnerabilities of using broadband internet connections. While these connections offer high-speed access to the cloud, they also expose businesses to various security threats. Cybercriminals exploit these vulnerabilities through tactics like phishing attacks, DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, and malware distribution. IT managers are expected to deploy, configure, and maintain advanced firewall security policies to safeguard their networks against such threats.

The proliferation of remote workers has further complicated the security landscape. With the advent of flexible work arrangements, employees access corporate networks from various locations and devices. This introduces the risk of unauthorized access, data leakage, and unsecured connections. IT managers must implement secure remote access solutions, enforce strong authentication protocols, and educate employees on cybersecurity best practices.

Moreover, the rise of “bring your own devices” (BYOD) has become a double-edged sword for businesses. While it enhances employee productivity and flexibility, it also increases the number of endpoints connecting to the corporate network, each potentially carrying its vulnerabilities. IT managers need comprehensive BYOD policies, mobile device management solutions, and regular patch management to mitigate these risks.

The challenges of network and cloud security for business network IT managers are continuously evolving. To navigate these challenges successfully, IT managers need a more cost-effective approach that optimizes network security and cloud application performance while reducing the cost and complexity.

The Cybersecurity Challenge for Small & Medium Businesses

• 51% of small businesses have no cybersecurity measures in place
• 61% of SMBs were the target of a Cyberattack in 2021

Retailers are increasingly focusing on their network transformation to give the best digital experience to their customers. With the high cost of legacy MPLS links and the need to deploy experts on-site for network-related changes or adding new sites, SD-WAN is becoming the de-facto technology to simplify connectivity for retail stores.

While SD-WAN accelerates time to market and enables fast turn-up of connections at the site, not selecting the right SD-WAN partner can leave the retailer grappling with the complexities related to the deployment and integration of new network infrastructure into their existing business network.

Adaptiv Networks has extensive experience in helping retailers fill this gap by providing frictionless delivery of SD-WAN services that result in a seamless network transformation at each store using a Network-as-a-Service model.

Today’s factories gather data from various sources, including production lines, autonomous guided vehicles, employees, and warehouses. Losing communications with any part of the process or anyone in the loop can mean production delays. Factories need dependable, high-performance cloud connectivity for fast and consistent data transfer inside the factory and with business-critical cloud applications.

If a factory isn’t connected, it’s losing money. Estimates as to what downtime costs a factory range from $4,333 to $22,000 per minute. That’s $260,000 to $1,320,000 per hour. Companies need a networking solution that will never cause an unplanned stoppage.

Adaptiv Networks solutions keep factory networks online 24/7/365 – providing guaranteed connectivity all the time. Our cloud-managed SD-WAN uses multiple data transport methods, including broadband, cellular, fixed wireless, and MPLS, from numerous ISPs. We can bond all network connections together to create an unbreakable internet connection that eliminates downtime and increases network throughput.

Small and medium-sized businesses face various IT challenges, but have limited network management resources. The result is they spend too much time trying to manage their network and not enough time focusing on their day-to-day business operations. Many companies experience network downtime and unpredicatable cloud performance over their broadband internet connections, while others are paying for expensive MPLS links that are over-engineered to handle peak data traffic rates. Additional challenges include ensuring network security, optimizing voice and video call quality, and managing remote access for employees who now work from anywhere. All these challenges have increased the IT workload in recent years.

Additionally, many IT leaders don’t have adequate visibility and control of their networks – how close is the network to capacity, which apps use the most bandwidth, and how to block malicious or unauthorized traffic? Overworked in-house IT staff often can’t do everything necessary to optimize network security and connectivity across the entire operation.

Guests put a lot of pressure on hotel WiFi. From live video calls in the lobby to presentations in the conference room, and everything in between – real-time bandwidth demands are place a continuously strain on a hotel network.

Hundreds of properties have come to rely on ELFIQ by Adaptiv Networks for flexible and powerful link balancing solutions that keep up with guest demand and deliver reliable High Speed Internet Access (HSIA).