Bill Geary is the Executive Vice President and General Manager – Communications & Security Solutions (CSS) at Wesco International.
The need for organizations to prioritize digital security is only increasing as hackers target businesses of all sizes with sophisticated attacks. According to a Chainanalysis report, ransomware schemes alone cost victims nearly $457 million in 2022.
The good news—there are many ways for organizations to improve digital security before making any major infrastructure investments, including:
• Auditing the number of employees with access to sensitive online information and then reducing the list where possible.
• Mandating IT training modules for all employees to learn best data security practices.
• Introducing multifactor authentication.
• Obtaining cyber incident insurance is a low-cost way to hedge against catastrophic breaches.
But for organizations facing a dramatic increase in connected devices and the need for faster network speeds in addition to evolving digital security threats, taking only the steps above may fall short.
Here are some effective ways for executive teams to land on the strategic approach to digital growth and security issues that make the most sense for their organization.
Determine the organization’s security profile
When it comes to network security on the back end, Wi-Fi with optional VPN and the latest encryption may be secure enough for many use cases, such as multi-tenant dwellings, smaller retailers and hospitality venues. But larger businesses, and any size organization handling high volumes of sensitive data, are increasingly installing PCNs because they offer a far greater level of data security. That’s especially true in the finance, legal, healthcare, government, utilities and other highly regulated sectors, as well as in large manufacturing, industrial and retail companies.
PCNs enable security protocols that protect data and devices from external and internal threats. They offer end-to-end encryption and zero-trust authentication at the individual device level. By helping to minimize the risk of catastrophic data breaches, private networks enable leaders to focus more on strategic planning and less on crisis management.
Weigh the benefits of deep data usage insights
With public networks, organizations can access only how much data is being used, not what operations the data is being used for. Businesses without the need to dive extensively into internet usage data may find that these simpler network options suffice.
But the ability to analyze and understand how much data is being used for e-mail, voice and streaming video is another key driver of PCN adoption. Organizations can leverage these metrics to improve network capacity planning, workforce management and digital security.
Organizations may be able to get the best of both worlds by building out a PCN only for a portion of the operation where it will provide maximum benefit. Consider the case of a large sports venue where team operations require a highly secure, ultra-fast and large-capacity PCN, while the public-facing network supplying connectivity to fans and hospitality vendors could be run on a more traditional Wi-Fi setup.
Rate the importance of emerging digital network challenges
Here are some of the most pressing digital networking needs organizations have today, and what kind of solution may work best depending on your priorities and business profile:
Data Access and Control: With a trusted cellular service provider, third-party access to data may not be a critical concern. But PCNs are owned by the organization, giving it complete control over the network infrastructure, its operation and data. This reduces risk and provides deeper insights.
Instant Communication: In industrial settings, autonomous robots need to navigate their environments quickly and with precision, which requires ultra-low latency network connections. Ultra-low latency connections provide utilities safety benefits, such as the ability to deactivate high-voltage electric lines before they spark fires. Those are use cases where PCNs can provide the most support even while improving performance on other roaming devices.
Customization and Scalability: Especially when it comes to Industry 4.0 applications and the wide range of organizations that need to securely connect a growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the ability to customize and scale digital networks is critical. PCNs can be tailored to meet an organization’s specific data needs in terms of coverage area, bandwidth and network capacity.
Reliability and Resilience: From manufacturing to utilities and government to medical facilities, many organizations require guaranteed levels of network performance and reliability. Where performance issues can be life-or-death considerations, PCNs are worth exploring. Private networks can prioritize network traffic based on the organization’s specific requirements. PCNs use the 4G/LTE or 5G spectrums, which deliver high speed and low latency. They also can operate at much higher power over longer distances than Wi-Fi. Additionally, they are typically deployed with redundant infrastructure and backup systems to ensure uninterrupted communication and operations.
Find the proper balance between investment and security
If a PCN is right for your organization, the next step is determining what type of deployment will work best. There are three main PCN deployment options. Each offers a different balance of security versus cost, with the most secure option typically being the most expensive.
A cloud-based PCN entails the smallest capital outlay and is often the least expensive type of deployment. In these PCNs, the control plane (the part of the network controlling how data is sent) and the data plane (the data and metadata) are hosted in the cloud. This reduces the hardware the organization needs to deploy on-site, and the data remains fully encrypted.
A hybrid PCN keeps the data plane on-site while using the cloud to host the system controls. This is the middle ground for security and expense.
A fully on-premises PCN keeps all hardware and data in-house. This is typically the most expensive type of deployment but provides the highest level of security and control. Those may be the deciding factors for organizations in highly regulated industries that must protect sensitive data.
Investment in future-ready infrastructure is accelerating as the number of connected devices and data security needs grow, making it a good time for your executive team to evaluate which digital network options make the most strategic sense.
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