Johannesburg, 23 Jan 2014
The variant of the Dexter virus - malware that attacks point-of-sale (POS) devices - which has resulted in financial losses for both South African banks and consumers, highlights the importance for local businesses to utilise secure virtual private networks (VPNs) that provide full protection against advanced threats.
This is according to Mike White, Head of Sales and Marketing for VPN and Machine 2 Machine at FastNet - a leading South African wireless data service provider, who says local businesses that link their POS devices to a VPN must ensure they are using a trusted service provider to set up their VPNs, in order to protect their customers and business from financial loss.
A VPN creates a private network of computers (or smaller networks) across different geographical locations over a shared private MPLS network or a public network like the Internet, and is used for a number of reasons, but mainly to facilitate secure communication and monitoring of data across various business sites.
A VPN also enables remote monitoring of all sites, a reliable network that is available 24/7, secure data transmission between branches, access to shared resources (especially for mobile employees) and scalability for business growth, says White. "By linking the POS system to a VPN, businesses benefit from economies of scale, re-use of existing infrastructure and network redundancy."
White says it has become quite a common for local businesses to set up POS across a VPN, as it allows head office to monitor financial transactions across all branches without the need for a dedicated line or additional provider costs. "However, this is all useless if the VPN is not secure and encrypted. To better ensure security, it is advisable to integrate the POS network across the VPN platform using one provider."
White says when integrating POS across a VPN, it is also important to ensure the service provider is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant. "The purpose of PCI DSS is to protect cardholder information and therefore minimise the likelihood of data compromises happening by ensuring the highest level of security for card transactions."
There are some major dangers for businesses that do not use a reliable VPN service provider, warns White. "Lack of security can potentially lead to data being compromised. In addition to this, the risk of downtime increases, which is simply not acceptable for a business as they cannot trade."
To avoid falling victim to cyber crime, the VPN must protect and encrypt the data travelling on the public network, says White. "This is why it is important to deal with a reputable provider who can ensure the VPN is up to date with the latest encryption."
The VPN must also provide easy connection to the network and the same quality connection to the network for each user from any location, he says. "An effective VPN service provider should be able to offer both mobile (LTE, 3G, Edge, GPRS) and/or fixed-line technology (ADSL) as access medium of connection. In addition, the VPN must offer the business availability of networks across multiple platforms, and be able to back this nationwide with support."
There is also the option for the VPN service provider to set up an Internet breakout from the VPN, which is a secure Internet connection via a firewall managed by the VPN company specialists, says White. "The VPN is a cloud type service. This is a far more secure environment which protects users on the VPN from hacks, denials of service, etc."
Lastly, the VPN must enable scalability to allow for business growth, says White. "The VPN service must be able to handle business growth without the need to replace or update equipment.
"As the threat of cyber crime grows, South African businesses need to become more cautious of using suppliers offering cheap VPN options, as they are mostly likely not taking the necessary security precautions. Rather be safe than sorry and opt for an experienced and reputable VPN service provider to not only protect the business, but its customers too," concludes White.
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