How is your internet speed affecting your business? Are you getting your money’s worth from your internet plan? Are you frustrated with spending on an unreliable connection?
Maybe it’s time to consider upgrading to nbn business internet. But a critical consideration before making the move is cyber resilience.
The State of Internet Services in Australia
In the World Population Review’s ranking of 179 countries, Australia had the 14th fastest mobile internet speed at 97.44 Mbps. However, we ranked 89th in terms of broadband internet speed, at 54.37 Mbps – below the 71.17 Mbps average and far from the top speed of 264.15 Mbps in Singapore.
Meanwhile, the internet costs per country show how Australians spend $1.04 per Mbps every month – the 24th highest internet cost in the world among 103 countries surveyed.
Why is there a disparity between speed and cost? These could be some of the reasons behind our internet speed and affordability issues:
- Australia’s immense distances between cities and towns increase latency.
- Internet access can be very challenging in remote areas like in Western Australia. The rugged terrain can impede the extension of internet infrastructure.
- Our geographical isolation also affects connectivity. Data packets embark on a long journey across oceans, and the outcome is slower speeds.
- The lack of competition in the Australian telecoms market has resulted in higher internet service costs.
- Outdated infrastructure (like copper-based ADSL technology) is still in use. This impedes high-speed internet delivery in regional communities and similar areas.
- Extreme weather events (such as bushfires, tropical cyclones, and floods) can impact internet infrastructure.
Improving the state of internet services in Australia is necessary for continued economic development, especially during this time of rapid digital growth. The National Broadband Network (nbn) has emerged as a game changer for Australia’s internet landscape by closing the speed gap, improving resilience, enhancing affordability and reducing latency.
The Critical Role of Internet in Business
Internet is essential to all Australian organisations.
- It has become the backbone for communication among staff, customers, and suppliers – transcending boundaries.
- Businesses can operate 24/7 and with far greater reach because of the internet.
- It has made cloud-based services possible – improving efficiency and collaboration.
- The internet has transformed marketing. We now have varied, cost-effective ways to engage different target audiences, including social media and digital advertising.
How Internet Services Affect Cyber Resilience
The quality and security of internet services can impact business resilience. The effectiveness of your organisation’s cyber preparation and incident response will be highly reliant on internet connectivity.
Cyber resilience is an organisation’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber-attacks. Your business needs to be cyber resilient to ensure continuous operations, protection, and prevention of any cyber incident damage.
Cyber resilience is the cornerstone of business integrity, so your business internet must have:
- Reliable connectivity for uninterrupted operations and communication
- Built-in security measures to safeguard your data against cyber threats
- Threat intelligence and detection features, to proactively defend against breaches
- Support for secure remote access, to ensure remote work efficiency and security
Below are some examples of how your business internet can impact your cyber security and overall business resilience.
Firewalls
Firewalls act as gatekeepers, filtering and controlling your network traffic. If the business internet connection is unreliable or unstable, firewalls may fail to enforce security controls consistently. Security gaps could then allow unauthorised traffic to pass through.
Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
When an IDS monitors suspicious activity or potential security breaches, it alerts administrators to anomalies. Unreliable internet connections may hinder its ability to detect and analyse network traffic accurately, resulting in false positives or missed alerts.
Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
An IPS detects threats and actively prevents them from compromising the network. If your internet is unreliable, the IPS could struggle to block threats effectively. Delayed responses or incomplete blocking could occur during connection disruptions.
Data Encryption
Information transmitted over the network must remain confidential and secure. Unreliable business internet connections could lead to incomplete encryption, making encrypted data packets vulnerable during transmission.
Overall Business Continuity
Business continuity relies on stable connections. Disruptions can affect critical services, including security updates, threat intelligence feeds, and business communications. Unreliable connections can hinder updates, leaving systems vulnerable to threats.
Internet of Things (IoT) Security
IoT devices are increasingly integrated into business networks, and reliable connections are ideal for securing IoT endpoints. Unstable connections could affect real-time monitoring and security updates for IoT devices, potentially exposing them to attacks.
In summary, internet connection reliability is essential for effective cyber security. Poor connections mean inadequate security, prolonged downtime, possible data loss, and reputational harm. Therefore, investing in business-grade internet with advanced security features is a strategic business decision.
Upgrading to nbn Business Internet
nbn is a high-performance, business-grade internet connectivity solution. It is designed to cater to the evolving needs of businesses, and offers key features such as:
- Symmetrical Upload and Download Speeds: Unlike traditional residential connections, business nbn ensures equal speeds for both uploading and downloading data.
- Priority Data: Businesses can enjoy priority access to data, ensuring smoother operations during peak times.
- 24/7 Service Support: Business nbn provides round-the-clock support to address any connectivity issues promptly.
How Can a nbn Upgrade Benefit Your Organisation
Upgrading to nbn high-speed internet can enhance productivity. Online tasks can be completed faster, and cloud-based services can operate more smoothly.
nbn business internet enables better collaboration opportunities. Teams can work more efficiently from various locations. This flexibility can be advantageous for businesses where employees often need to seamlessly connect with clients and colleagues, share large files, or engage in video conferencing without bandwidth constraints.
Improved customer service is another key advantage. Businesses can effectively maintain their online presence, respond promptly to customer inquiries, and offer reliable online transactions.
nbn also provides SMBs with cost-effective solutions that include high-speed access, unlimited data, and no lock-in contracts. Those can be a game-changer for businesses mindful of their budget.
Safeguarding Your Business Data During the nbn Upgrade
In the process of an nbn upgrade, it’s essential to protect your business data. Here are some ways you can do that:
- Establish a Secure Network Infrastructure, to ensure that firewalls and access controls are in place to protect against unauthorised access
- Utilise VPNs especially for remote workers, thus creating secure tunnels for data transmission
- Cloud Security measures, including encryption and multi-factor authentication, provide an additional layer of protection for data stored off-site
- Regular Audits and Updates, to allow your business to stay ahead of potential vulnerabilities, by keeping systems up-to-date and identifying any security gaps
These steps, taken together, form a comprehensive strategy for maintaining data integrity during network transitions.
Ready to Make the Move to a nbn Service Provider?
A nbn upgrade presents a pivotal opportunity for businesses to reinforce their cyber resilience through the adoption of secure and reliable business internet services. By partnering with a nbn service provider like Inspired IT, not only you will benefit from reliable internet services but also receive expert cybersecurity solutions tailored to your specific needs.
