Protecting Business Travelers from Cyberattacks

By Kenneth Chau, SVP Of Global Enterprise And President Of Asia Pacific, UCloudlink

Kenneth Chau, SVP Of Global Enterprise And President Of Asia Pacific, UCloudlink

As the world becomes more connected and business travels now a norm for a lot of industries, just how safe is our mobile data connection?

Recent news on the leakage of unreleased episodes of HBO’s iconic “Game of Thrones” television series had reminded us on the heightened cybersecurity risks that businesses and organizations face around the world every day.

Following the Petya and Wannacry ransomware attacks which caused major disruptions to thousands of companies in recent months, the breach of “Game of Thrones” content showed how cybersecurity mishaps can lead to the potential loss of highly-valuable intellectual property and sensitive commercial information, jeopardizing businesses operations in any industry.

To protect confidential and proprietary business data against the clear and present danger of cyberattacks, companies need to step up their defenses to safeguard their corporate systems and data. One of the biggest vulnerabilities for companies is unsecured public Wi-Fi. Available at airports, hotels and coffee houses around the world free of charge, public Wi-Fi does not only enable users to get online and access information and applications stored in enterprise servers remotely, it could also open doors for cybercriminals.

According to a recent survey by security solution provider Symantec, almost 90 percent of people in Hong Kong had used public Wi-Fi in a way that exposed their information to risks, but only one in four had taken protective measures.

With the growing popularity of bring your own device (BYOD) in the workplace, and the increasing need for international business travel, executives are always carrying valuable corporate data and proprietary information on their smartphones, tablet computers and laptops. These trends haven’t gone un-noticed by cybercriminals.

In recent years, companies around the world have invested billions of dollars on information security technologies including firewalls and real-time access control to protect their systems.

By provisioning the CloudSIM dongle to business travelers, companies can better safeguard their information systems against breaches and intrusions from hackers

However, injudicious use of public Wi-Fi hotspots by business travelers can inadvertently disable their companies’ information security strategies in one fell swoop.

While public Wi-Fi is easy to use and convenient, business travelers need to evaluate the risks that may be posed to their companies and customers as cybercriminals seek to exploit ways to steal valuable corporate data and sabotage carefully-orchestrated business plans.

The solution is not to halt advances in mobility and ban usage of wireless connectivity altogether. Instead, IT managers can enjoy the best of both worlds and leverage new and more secure technology innovations to unlock the advantages of mobile productivity and efficiencies.

Rather than using public Wi-Fi, business travelers should only access corporate servers through wireless connectivity solutions managed and supported by their IT departments. With the latest technologies, private connection setup for authorized corporate users can be very easy and straightforward. In fact, it can be almost as convenient as getting on public Wi-fi, only far more secure.

Proprietary technologies like the CloudSIM solution, provides wireless connectivity to multiple user devices through a designated adaptor that roams on the strongest available 4G LTE or 3G cellular network. Without the installation of a local SIM card, all data transmissions via the CloudSIM dongle is protected by WPA2-PSK encryption for enhanced information security.

By provisioning the CloudSIM dongle to business travelers, companies can better safeguard their information systems against breaches and intrusions from hackers, while enabling their staff to enjoy excellent mobile connectivity in more than 100 countries around the world.

In addition, data usage in the CloudSIM dongle is continuously monitored in real-time, which ensures visibility and control on all network traffic through CloudSIM devices, further minimizing risks of unintended network usage, in the event of a cyberattack.

The CloudSIM dongle is also an effective way for businesses to reduce costs of international roaming, which often deterred cost-conscious business travelers and could potentially impact productivity. For instance, a business traveler from Asia passing through the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands in one day may be charged daily-roaming fees four times within 24 hours. To avoid the prohibitively expensive roaming costs, the CloudSIM solution can help companies manage their telecommunication costs through a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model, ensuring all data capacity is effectively utilized. Unused data on SIM cards will no longer be a drag on costs. A range of data packages including pre-paid and monthly packages are available to serve companies with different employee travel needs.

With constant access to a safe and highly-secure private wireless dongle, instead of wasting time to evaluate the myriad cellular network options of local carriers, business travelers can now focus on their business priorities and workflow. More importantly, companies can reduce the risks of increasingly virulent ransomware and other malicious cyberattacks, keeping commercially-sensitive company data at arm’s length from cybercriminals.