Category: Networking

Posted on January 14, 2025 by DA Gadgets

Will Your Network Traffic Analysis Spot Today’s Threats?

Network traffic analysis (NTA) is the practice of monitoring and interpreting the data flowing across your network to ensure performance, reliability, and security. Companies rely on a mix of tools — ranging from packet sniffers and flow analysis software to advanced NDR systems — to gain visibility into their network’s behavior.

This guide explores the types of NTA solutions available, the key features that provide visibility and control over your network, and where related technologies like NDR tools fit into a modern, secure network strategy.

But first, I want to start with a few red flags that tell you network traffic is hiding performance bottlenecks, sophisticated cyber threats, or both. Relying on yesterday’s tools can mean missing critical warning signs.

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Seven signs you should revamp network traffic analysis

Ideally, network traffic analysis (NTA) gives administrators a clear, real-time view of how data moves across their network. It helps them spot performance issues, track resource use, and identify potential security threats before they become serious problems.

When NTA tools and strategy leave critical blind spots, it will fail to detect performance issues, security threats, or unexpected traffic patterns that could disrupt operations.

Below are some warning signs and scenarios that warrant a review of your current approach and may indicate the need for strategic retooling of your network traffic analysis. Red flags include:

Security incidents or suspicious activity: An uptick in network breaches, unauthorized access, or unusual traffic flows (e.g., data exfiltration attempts or DDoS attacks) indicates that your current strategy may not be adequately monitoring threats or alerting you in real-time.
Unpredictable traffic spikes: If you notice unexpected increases in traffic, such as during off-hours or periods when there should be low activity, it could indicate an issue with how traffic is being managed or even malicious activity. If unpredictable spikes persist, re-evaluate your performance monitoring and threat detection tools to confirm they are giving you full visibility.
Lack of visibility into specific traffic types: If your existing tools or strategy don’t provide clear insight into specific types of traffic — like VoIP, streaming, or encrypted data — it may be time to upgrade to a more sophisticated solution that offers deep packet inspection and greater granularity.
Inconsistent reporting or alerts: If your current system isn’t providing consistent, actionable reports or timely alerts, it’s a sign the network traffic strategy might be outdated or improperly configured. Review your thresholds, detection rules, and alerting policies.
Changes in network infrastructure or traffic demands: As network infrastructure evolves (e.g., shifting to cloud services, remote work, or increased IoT), it’s crucial to ensure that your NTA tools and approach are adapted to these changes, ensuring seamless traffic monitoring and management.
Disconnected network data: If your NTA tools aren’t integrating well across various network segments or systems, it might be hard to get a full picture of network performance or security threats. A unified approach to traffic analysis may be required for better insight.
Compliance or regulatory changes: If new compliance regulations or industry standards (such as GDPR or HIPAA) affect data protection and privacy, it may be necessary to review your NTA strategy to ensure it meets those requirements and avoids potential penalties.

There are other warning signs I haven’t captured here, and new zero-day exploits are emerging everyday.

Taking a proactive approach with NTA is a wise idea. Operating with less than full visibility into your network traffic is asking for trouble — both performance and security are at stake.

After all, once they have access to your network, it only takes two days for attackers to own your data.

What makes improving network traffic analysis so difficult?

As NTA technology evolves, it becomes increasingly powerful and capable of identifying sophisticated threats.

But these enhanced capabilities come with a major caveat: you need some really highly-paid IT resources in-house. The more advanced the tool, the higher the level of experience, expertise, and manpower required to effectively operate and manage it.

A basic network for a single office may be relatively straightforward to implement and monitor with minimal expertise. A large network with cutting-edge NTA platforms requires skilled security professionals who can interpret intricate data, respond to threats quickly, and fine-tune the system to adapt to new attack techniques and ransomware trends.

These factors make powerful NTA solutions more resource-intensive, demanding both skilled personnel and ongoing training to maintain their effectiveness. Organizations must consider not just the technological capabilities of an NTA solution but also the capacity of their team to manage and maximize its potential.

Types of network traffic analysis tools

Network traffic analysis tools are essential for monitoring and optimizing data flow across a network. They help identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and ensure efficient use of resources. The main categories of network traffic analysis tools are:

Packet sniffers: These tools capture and analyze raw network traffic at the packet level. Common tools, like Wireshark, provide deep insights into the types of data being transferred and help identify issues like packet loss or protocol mismatches.
Flow analysis tools: Tools such as SolarWinds and NetFlow Analyzer track flow data, which shows how traffic moves through a network in terms of sessions or connections. These tools focus on aggregate data, such as bandwidth usage, which helps in understanding overall network performance.
Network performance monitors: These tools, like PRTG Network Monitor, analyze both traffic and overall network health, including latency, throughput, and device status. They provide real-time monitoring and alerting features to track performance trends and detect anomalies.
Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): These tools, such as Zeek and Snort, monitor traffic for signs of suspicious activity, such as unauthorized access or attacks. They focus on the security aspect of network traffic by analyzing patterns and behavior.

Many of the top tools for network traffic analysis combine multiple functionalities into a single platform. Some examples of “all-in-one” tools include SolarWinds NPM and PRTG Network Monitor, which provide comprehensive solutions for both monitoring and analyzing network traffic.

SEE: Check out this SolarWinds NPM review and this PRTG Network Monitor review to learn more about them.

These platforms typically integrate packet sniffing, flow analysis, performance monitoring, and even security features into one interface, making them highly efficient for organizations that need a broad view of their network performance and security.

On the other end of the spectrum, you will be able to find some free tools that can do some of these jobs — albeit in a limited fashion with many upsells for their paid tool.

One last thing to note: You will still have to implement a separate Network Detection and Response (NDR) solution to effectively harden network security. The “all-in-one” NTA tools have limited NDR capabilities — most organizations use both to guard against Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks.

Key network traffic analysis features

Focus on the features that will help you achieve the core goals of network traffic analysis: increasing visibility, optimizing performance, ensuring security, and maintaining operational efficiency.

These are five of the most important all-around features I think most people will be interested in. They are also features where depth varies from vendor to vendor.

1. Real-time monitoring and alerts

The ability to monitor network traffic in real time and receive alerts about unusual behavior or performance degradation is essential for proactive troubleshooting and immediate response.

Most NTA solutions offer real-time monitoring and alerts — a good solution minimizes alert fatigue by prioritizing actionable insights. Look for tools that provide context-aware alerts with relevant details and allow for customizable thresholds to suit your network’s unique needs.

Another way to reduce false alarms and endless alerts is using an NTA solution with alert correlation and grouping, which can consolidate related notifications. This can help your team stay focused on the right problems instead of being overwhelmed by redundant or low-priority alerts.

2. Automated traffic classification

Many NTA tools can perform basic traffic categorization, such as distinguishing between general data types like HTTP, DNS, or FTP. A more powerful automated traffic classification feature goes beyond basic categorization by offering granular identification of applications, protocols, and data types, ensuring precise resource allocation.

For example, advanced NTA tools can recognize and categorize specific applications, like identifying Microsoft Teams traffic versus general web browsing. This be critical for identifying where spikes in traffic originate, for example, and make it easier to prioritize discrete resources and improve overall network performance.

3. Detailed reporting and historical data

The ability to generate detailed, customizable reports enables teams to track trends over time, identify recurring issues, and make data-driven decisions for capacity planning or resource allocation. Historical data is particularly valuable for diagnosing intermittent problems and conducting post-incident reviews, offering a clearer picture of what occurred and why.

4. In-depth visibility and decryption

Don’t let encryption hide malicious activity. Choose an NTA solution that analyzes both encrypted and unencrypted traffic to uncover hidden threats within data tunnels. Also, look for capabilities that go beyond packet headers to analyze protocols, applications, and user behavior to provide detailed insight into network activity. Always pick an NTA that tracks lateral movement to expose adversaries moving through side channels and prevent threats from going undetected within your network.

5. Integration with other network management tools

Integration with other network management solutions, such as network performance monitoring (NPM) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, is vital for creating a unified view of your network’s health.

If the goal is to increase visibility, don’t let network tools live in silos.

There are many additional capabilities, from advanced anomaly detection to customizable dashboards, that can help tailor the tool to your network’s unique needs. The key is not just in selecting the right features, but in using them effectively to gain actionable insights into your network’s performance and security.

At the end of the day, the most powerful tool is the expertise of the team using it.

The real value of your NTA solution lies in how well your professionals understand and leverage its features. As you move forward, trust that the combination of advanced technology and your team’s knowledge will provide the insights needed to stay ahead of evolving threats and optimize network performance with confidence.

Posted on January 11, 2025 by DA Gadgets

Worried About VoIP Security and Encryption? We Aren’t

Any modern business using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system knows that maintaining security is essential for confidentiality, customer trust, and regulation compliance.

Industries like healthcare, for example, have strict regulations governing communications, and HIPAA-compliant VoIP providers offer security, privacy, and access management tools to help companies follow these regulations — even when employees access the network from far away places.

Meanwhile, poor encryption and security can also affect your bottom line, as scammers and fraudsters will find ways to exploit weaknesses to commit VoIP fraud on unsecured phone systems. Toll fraud works by hijacking a company’s phone system to make artificial and high-volume long-distance calls. The owner of the system gets charged for these calls (often without noticing), and then fraudsters are given a share of the revenue from colluding carrier services.

Along with toll fraud, there are many other vulnerabilities of VoIP systems — but if you are using one of the best business phone services, your vendor is going to take over the challenging parts of VoIP security and encryption. You just have to promote basic network security at your organization (strong passwords, access control, etc.).

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Good providers handle VoIP security and encryption

A hosted VoIP service is a cloud-based communications solution offering secure voice calling and messaging over the internet.

The beauty of these services is that security and encryption come baked in. The VoIP providers update software and firmware, maintain hardware, and help follow regulatory compliance for you.

Of course, fraudsters and scammers are constantly evolving their game, but VoIP providers respond to these attacks in real time and keep your system safe from the latest threats.

With a hosted VoIP service, your employees have individual login credentials to access their VoIP accounts, and all calls your company makes go through the service provider’s network. That means the VoIP provider handles the security and encryption while routing calls, not you.

That also means your business is kept safe no matter where your employees are because a VoIP service lets them access the secure communication network from any softphone. Your employees won’t be tasked with performing any extra security-related tasks either, as VoIP services apply the latest measures across the entire network. Many of the headaches involved with remote work security are now fully off your plate.

What should a secure VoIP provider have?

A good VoIP provider should have robust encryption protocols to keep your data safe while it’s in transit. That way, voice calls and messages are indecipherable until they reach their destination, where only the recipient can decode them.

Similarly, a stateful firewall and/or intrusion detection system helps prevent attacks and unauthorized access. Enhanced login security measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and two-factor authentication (2FA), for example, further secure access, and a password-and-token system can also be an effective measure against unwanted infiltration.

The following technologies help VoIP providers secure their networks:

Session Border Controllers (SBCs): An SBC acts as the gatekeeper of the network by regulating IP communication flow. SBCs are particularly useful for protection against Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks.
Transport Layer Security (TLS): TLS protocols use cryptography to secure a VoIP network’s signaling and media channels. TLS protocols use a digital handshake to authenticate parties and establish safe communications.
Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP): SRTP is a media encryption measure that acts like a certificate of authenticity, which can be required before granting media access.

Not every organization requires SBCs, but anyone using a cloud phone system could be the target of a VoIP DDoS attack. Work with your vendor to deploy a future-proof VoIP phone system that follows network security architecture best practices.

The VoIP industry has standards and frameworks in place to guide companies with the best security practices available. In fact, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes guidelines that cover this sector.

A good provider should have the following accreditations and certifications:

PCI Compliance: PCI compliance is an information security standard for card payments. Having this certification facilitates secure payments from major credit cards.
ISO/IEC 20071: This Information Security Management System (ISMS) outlines a global set of standards that helps secure business data.
ISO/IEC 27002: This Code of Practice for Information Security Controls outlines the controls and best practices for securing information.
ISO/IEC 27005: This certification refers to Information Security Risk Management. It provides guidelines for assessing and managing information security risks.
ISO/IEC 27017: This establishes protocols for cloud service providers. It helps explicitly secure cloud services and their ecosystems.
ISO/IEC 27018: This outlines how to protect personally identifying information (PII) on public clouds.

Secure VoIP providers also need to be aware of their human-layer security. Many scams originate from human error, so a business is only as safe if its staff members are reliable. As such, businesses are vulnerable to social engineering attacks.

Social engineering is the process of manipulating individuals into giving up sensitive information. Rather than relying on technical vulnerabilities, many scammers use human psychology to obtain passwords, login details, and other sensitive information.

Scammers often use phishing techniques to gain trust. This technique involves sending messages and emails that appear legitimate, ultimately leading individuals to give up passwords or new login details after trusting the source’s legitimacy.

VoIP providers can limit opportunities for social engineering by implementing 2FA or MFA as part of IVR authentication workflows. Simply put, the more authentication steps required, the more information a scammer needs to extract, and the more information a scammer needs to extract, the lower their chances of infiltration.

Employee training and awareness are also critical factors in reducing social engineering attacks, as monitoring communication patterns and identifying irregularities can root out social engineering attempts before they gain any traction.

To combat these measures and educate employees even further, Udemy, Coursera, and edX run cybersecurity courses that include modules on social engineering. Similarly, Black Hat and DEFCON include workshops on the relationship between psychology and security.

Self-hosted VoIP security and encryption is a challenge

Some companies choose to host their own VoIP server on their company premises. This comes with some advantages, as creating a self-hosted system from the ground up gives you more options for customization and control.

However, several challenges make hosting a VoIP service impractical for many businesses. These areas include:

Cost: Setting up a VoIP system is expensive relative to subscribing to an existing service. A VoIP service provider already has the necessary infrastructure, hardware, and backend up and running.
Responsibility: Self-hosting offers customization and control at a cost. With your own VoIP system, you must update software, manage hardware, and troubleshoot technical issues.
Scalability: Increasing capacity in your self-hosted VoIP system could require hardware upgrades and other configurations. You can achieve the same capacity increase with a few clicks using a VoIP service.
Security and encryption: With a self-hosted VoIP system, security and encryption are your responsibility. For many business owners, this alone is enough to reject self-hosting.

Additionally, self-hosting is often only possible with a dedicated IT team or managed services provider . Without one, your security and encryption probably won’t be as good as a hosted service provider — which has its own team dedicated to running the latest security protocols.

Using a self-hosted VoIP also has complications for remote teams, as you must configure the network for remote access while also maintaining security. This process usually involves a virtual private network (VPN) or other secure remote access methods.

Let the pros handle VoIP security and encryption

VoIP security is complex and constantly evolving, so outsourcing to a VoIP service makes sense for a variety of reasons.

Even the cheapest VoIP phone service providers do the heavy lifting for you, so there’s no need to buy, configure, and maintain costly on-premises VoIP infrastructure that’ll be obsolete in a few years.

Meanwhile, security and encryption are the cornerstones of a good VoIP business, and most VoIP service providers will have better security and encryption than self-hosted solutions in the long run.

So unless you’re in the telecom industry and have major communication security chops, it’s probably best to let the pros handle it.

Posted on January 9, 2025 by DA Gadgets

Network Packets: Understanding How the Internet Works (Easy)

Network packets are small units of data that are sent from one network device to another.

When you send information online — like an email, a file, or a video stream — it’s broken down into packets, which travel separately to the destination. Once all the packets reach their destination, they are put back together to form the original message or file.

This guide explores network packets in detail: why they are essential, their structure, and how they influence network performance and traffic.

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Why network packets?

A computer network transfers digital data in the form of network packets, a method far more efficient and flexible than traditional circuit-based transmission, like a copper wire phone network.

Unlike antiquated circuit switching, which requires the establishment of dedicated point-to-point connections before full-signal communications can happen, packet switching breaks data into small, standardized chunks.

These chunks (or packets) are self-contained bundles that have digital address information in their headers, directing them to the appropriate recipient. Then, intermediate network nodes such as routers and switches examine those headers to determine where to forward the packets throughout their journey on the global network mesh.

There are many reasons why this method of delivery is used:

1. Flexible routing saves time

Since packets travel independently, physical routers can determine alternative routing paths as needed to avoid congested network links or nodes.

This agility allows packets to flow around digital obstacles to find the least congested and fastest routes to their destinations at any given time. Thus, packet-switching networks like the internet can adapt in real time to changing demands far better than rigid legacy networks built on static paths.

2. Error resistance and effective resending

With traditional circuit switching, if any node along the fixed path between users were to fail, the whole connection would drop. Meanwhile, with independently routed packets in packet-switching networks, only the missing packets would require retransmission after a failure, not the entire message.

Additionally, packet switching is also less wasteful when message data gets lost or corrupted along its journey. With old-school networks, even one failure could disrupt an entire communication, forcing the endpoints to start the whole transfer over again from scratch.

Thanks to the sequence numbers stamped on every data packet, however, packet switching is much more resilient. This means devices can easily identify missing packets in a transmitted message stream. Then, instead of pointlessly resending error-free packets again, the devices simply request replacements for the specific lost or damaged packets.

This resilience is particularly evident in VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems when compared to the traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). While PSTN relies on circuit-switched technology, which establishes a dedicated line for the duration of a call, VoIP transmits voice data as packets over the internet. If a packet is lost or damaged, VoIP systems can request only the missing pieces, unlike PSTN, where any network issue can disrupt the entire call.

SEE: The PSTN is still in use, but there are better options.

3. Highly efficient infrastructure sharing

In circuit-switched networks, dedicated connections between endpoints become dormant whenever parties pause active communications, which is technically a waste of network capacity.

Packet-switching networks, on the other hand, are extraordinarily efficient at using available communication capacity. The networks can juggle many different phone calls and internet transmissions at the same time by chopping up data into little packets first.

By blending together little pieces of simultaneous flows, the network makes sure no wires go idle when only one call pauses. This process is called statistical multiplexing — but the important part is that it makes the most of every bit of available capacity.

The efficiency of packet switching also lends itself to maximizing things like fiber optic cables and LTE bands. When combined, these innovations enable more calls, videos, chats, posts, and page views to operate concurrently through shared lines.

4. Enhanced security through selective encryption

The bite-sized encapsulation of session data into packets also offers several network security advantages. While packet headers must remain unencrypted for successful routing, packet payloads can utilize encryption to keep application-level data confidential.

Packet switching also enables more secure communication through public networks like the internet. The little data bundles can use special encryptions that securely verify the true sender without decrypting the content itself.

Technologies like VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) use these methods to create encrypted tunnels within public networks. Thus, when you connect through a VPN to your office or home network, your packets stay safe from prying eyes. Of course, the destination knows the packets originate from you, but potential hackers won’t be able to trace them back to their source.

Altogether, the packet-switching system allows billions of devices to communicate at high speeds in a flexible, efficient, and secure manner. Today, these humble information packets power everything we do across today’s digital networks, from sending emails to video chatting with friends across the globe.

Three parts of a network packet

Every packet has distinct parts that work together in unison. The three essential components of a network packet are as follows:

1. The packet header

The packet header contains vital metadata for transport, such as:

Source and destination: These are the sending and receiving IP addresses. Like postal addresses, they identify where packets come from and where they end up.
Verification fields: This includes checksums and other data to confirm validity and accurate delivery.
Priority flags: These mark packets that require preferential handling, like video packets that are sensitive to latency.
Sequence numbering: This is a kind of data that labels the order of packets so messages can be reassembled.

In summary, the packet header provides the delivery instructions and handling flags necessary to keep packets flowing smoothly.

2. The packet payload

The payload section of a network packet carries the actual end-user data that is being transmitted from the sending application (like a web browser) to the receiving application at the destination.

This user data payload can contain things like:

Text, images, video, and multimedia elements comprising a webpage.
Audio data from calls made via VoIP services.
Video footage being streamed from a security camera.
Sensor measurements from an internet-connected weather station.
Database entries being synchronized to the cloud.

In other words, the payload is like the cargo container of a transport truck — it holds the actual goods being shipped from point A to point B. Focusing on maximizing payload size and delivery efficiency is crucial because sending user data is the entire purpose behind transmitting packets in the first place.

3. The packet trailer (or footer)

Defining clear beginnings and endings for variable-length packets helps network hardware parse transmission streams efficiently.

Trailers provide conclusive boundaries so that routers and switches processing at ultra-high speeds know when one packet ends and another begins. This allows them to handle, route, and deliver billions of packets at a rapid pace without risking fragmentation.

Trailers also contain error-checking mechanisms like cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs) to validate payload integrity. This means that if calculated trailer CRCs don’t match the expected values computed earlier, errors are detected, and the payloads can be marked for retransmission.

At the end of the day, packet trailers kind of act like safety barriers at the end of highways — because they’re vital tools for preventing accidents. By capping packets cleanly, they prevent stray fragments from unintentionally merging and corrupting transmissions.

Network packets and network traffic

Network traffic is essentially a collection of packets traveling across the network. Understanding packet behavior helps diagnose congestion or identify inefficiencies.

Understanding the behavior of these packets is crucial for managing and optimizing network performance, particularly for business phone services and other real-time communications applications.

Network traffic consists of packets traveling across the network, and when congestion occurs, high packet loss can result in lag, buffering, and interruptions in services like VoIP or video calls. Monitoring packet performance helps identify inefficiencies, and maintain smooth operations.

Network monitoring tools play a key role in analyzing packet flows to diagnose issues such as dropped connections, slow speeds, or misconfigured devices. Packet sniffing, a method used to tap into network traffic, enables administrators to identify performance bottlenecks while encryption ensures that sensitive data remains protected from malicious actors.

Admins can configure networks to prioritize specific types of traffic to ensure that critical applications perform reliably even under heavy load. Using QoS settings to prioritize voice packets is a common strategy for optimizing a VoIP network, for example.

Continual monitoring and optimization of packet performance allow businesses to maintain fast, secure, and efficient networks that meet modern demands in both public and private environments.

Posted on January 8, 2025 by DA Gadgets

When to Use a Mesh VPN and Four Signs You Shouldn’t

A mesh Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure, flexible way for remote teams to communicate over the internet.

Unlike traditional client-server VPNs that route traffic through a central server, a mesh VPN connects each device directly to others, allowing for faster, more efficient data transmission. This decentralized approach ensures that every team member can securely access the network without relying on a single point of failure.

Mesh VPNs can provide superior flexibility and security in certain scenarios, but they’re not always the best solution for every network.

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Mesh VPN vs traditional VPN

Understanding the distinctions between these two networks will be easier if you are familiar with how a VPN works and basic network terminology. Let’s go through both in detail.

A traditional VPN (aka: client-server VPN or centralized VPN) runs on a main server that acts as a central gateway for all data. This is known as a hub-and-spoke model, where all of your data traffic — including files, emails, and VoIP calls from one team member to another — gets routed through the primary intersection point before reaching its destination.

The problem with this is that if the main server goes down, everyone loses access to the network. Likewise, if a cyber attacker gains access to the system, all user data becomes vulnerable.

Another major complaint regarding traditional VPN technology is its unreliability. Specifically, since every data packet must flow through one central hub, sudden increases in traffic can create bottlenecks that slow down performance. If this happens during peak hours, for instance, users will be battling for bandwidth and get frustrated by network latency as a result.

Of course, you can sometimes restore network performance by turning off your VPN, but then you leave your network open to outside threats.

SEE: Learn how to check if your VPN is working.

A mesh VPN is decentralized. Each device acts as both a client and a server, enabling direct communication with other devices in the network. In this way, it spreads network access across the entire system by connecting multiple devices, each acting as a point in the network.

Originally developed for military use, mesh technology was created to solve the problem of spotty connectivity in the field, keeping team communication secure and smooth in any location. Categorized as a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) model, the strength of a mesh VPN lies in its ability to route information among multiple pathways — which is much more efficient than routing through a central managing server.

SEE: Learn more about the differences between client-server and P2P networks.

On a mesh VPN, each node is its own access point, ensuring continued internet access for all users even if one loses connectivity. Instead of routing information along one pathway from the main server to each user, data travels from node to node along the fastest route available at any given moment, supporting faster service even with multiple users on the network.

With the traditional hub-and-spoke VPN, your central server gateway sits in one specific location. The farther you travel from this central hub, the slower and weaker your connection will be — especially as more family or team members hop onto the network. The solution offered by mesh VPN implements more hubs and/or nodes, creating a stronger connection across a wider space.

Smart devices such as phones and watches can act as nodes — and so can routers, desktop computers, gaming consoles, and additional servers. Together, these can all help create a convenient wireless network capable of providing reliable coverage across all areas of a home, an office building, or a remote working location.

Mesh VPNs still use at least one central server, called a control plane, to handle system-wide configurations and updates. From there, admins can customize various network settings, implement security measures, and adjust which nodes can communicate with each other. Keep in mind that you don’t have to manage this system yourself, as the best enterprise VPN providers offer cloud-hosted options, so you don’t have to manage it yourself.

Full mesh vs partial mesh VPN

In a full mesh VPN, every device or node is directly connected to every other device in the network. This means that data can be transmitted between any two nodes without needing to go through a central point. This design offers redundancy and flexibility, as multiple communication paths are available between devices. However, it also requires more careful management of each node’s connections and resources.

A partial mesh network connects only specific nodes, coordinating which devices can communicate with one another based on network needs or roles. This approach can reduce complexity and resource use, as fewer direct connections are needed. Each node in a partial mesh can be individually programmed, which makes it an ideal setup for testing new software, security features, or configurations on a small scale.

Downsides to mesh networks

Despite how mesh VPNs address many of the issues associated with traditional hub-and-spoke networks, there are some notable trade offs:

Higher latency: Since data passes through multiple devices before reaching its destination, the network can experience higher latency, particularly with larger networks.
Scalability challenges: While mesh networks scale well, the number of connections grows exponentially as more devices are added, potentially leading to performance issues or management difficulties.
Security risks: More devices connected directly to each other increases the attack surface, requiring robust security measures to mitigate risks.
Resource usage: Mesh VPNs use more system resources due to the need for each device to handle its own traffic and data management, potentially impacting performance.

Let’s talk about a few of these downsides, as they might surprise readers.

With security, for example, we’ve talked about how the decentralization of a mesh VPN has advantages — but it also comes with new vulnerabilities to network security threats. With more devices connected directly, the attack surface increases — each device connected to the mesh VPN becomes a potential entry point for malicious actors.

Network latency can be an issue, as well, especially in partial mesh networks where data is forced along a specific route. On really large networks, this can be a big problem.

These downsides can certainly be addressed. To ensure low latency for employees relying on a mesh VPN, for example, admins can optimize routing paths to prioritize direct, low-latency routes between devices. They use network monitoring tools to identify issues early, prevent congestion, and maintain smooth data flow.

When to use mesh VPN

The introduction of mesh VPNs provided a useful stop-gap solution for the increasing number of businesses moving toward a hybrid work model. By setting up remote VPN access, team members could work from any location using their home or Local Area Network (LAN) and access all shared private network resources. Today, many organizations still rely on this P2P model — which works really well for large teams operating from various locations.

Mesh VPN can also be configured to support an existing hub-and-spoke system, siphoning off some of the data burden to streamline the user experience. In fact, a hybrid system known as Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN) combines both the traditional and mesh approaches. With a central server acting as the primary gateway for incoming traffic, all intra-network communication occurs on the P2P network.

Nevertheless, larger companies with sizable IT budgets are ultimately moving toward more secure alternatives to VPN technology—and growing concerns over intra-network vulnerabilities have given rise to options such as Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN).

While mesh VPNs focus on walling out external threats, both ZTNA and SD-WAN technology implement security measures within the network as well. These approaches treat even authorized users as potential threats, only allowing access to specific role-based files and pathways.

SEE: Check out my full post on when to use SD-WAN or VPN.

That said, mesh VPNs remain a comparatively cost-effective solution for companies who need to share a reliable network and aren’t particularly concerned about the storage of highly sensitive data. At the end of the day, mesh system complexity — while greater than that of a traditional VPN — is much more manageable and easily scalable than ZTNA and SD-WAN.

So, while those alternatives are directly designed to tackle latency and cybersecurity issues, they are probably better suited for businesses with robust IT budgets, high-risk privacy concerns, and tons of users.

SEE: Learn network security architecture best practices and how to apply them.

Four signs you shouldn’t use a mesh VPN

1. It’s illegal in your country

VPNs are legal in the U.S. and many countries around the world. There are a few nations, however, that ban or restrict their use—such as China, Iraq, Russia, and North Korea. Be sure to double-check the regulations in your specific areas of operation before implementing this system.

2. Your team is small and centrally located

For home-based businesses and teams that operate within a smaller office space of around 5,000 square feet, a mesh VPN might be overkill. One central server may work just fine for your needs. The best VPN solutions for small businesses offer are fully-hosted, which means you don’t have anything to set up and zero maintenance moving forward — employees will just sign into the service.

3. You have many untrusted devices on your network

When you have a large number of untrusted devices on the network, such as contractors, or third-party vendors, using a mesh VPN can be risky. Any untrusted device can potentially compromise the security of the entire network. This makes it harder to enforce strict access controls and monitor user behavior, increasing the risk of unauthorized access or insider threats.

4. Your IT resources are limited

Setting up and maintaining a mesh VPN requires significant IT knowledge, especially when configuring multiple access points and managing the control plane. If your team lacks the expertise or time to properly manage these tasks, the complexity of a mesh VPN could lead to more challenges than benefits. In such cases, a simpler solution may be more appropriate to avoid ongoing maintenance issues.

Posted on January 2, 2025 by DA Gadgets

Yes, Analog Phones Work Just Fine Over a VoIP Gateway

Thinking about switching to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) so you can make calls over the internet instead of landlines? With a VoIP gateway you won’t have to replace your existing phones, fax machines, or other equipment.

This saves money on new hardware and avoids the hassle of retraining employees who are comfortable with the current phone setup. Any modern business phone service is going to have a range of gateways available to help companies make the transition to the cloud.

A VoIP gateway acts as a bridge, allowing older analog devices — or even an entire office of them — to connect seamlessly to cloud-based communication systems. By converting traditional analog signals into digital packets, a VoIP gateway enables your legacy devices to work with the internet-based systems powering today’s communications.

In this guide, we’ll explore how VoIP gateways work, the different types available, and practical tips for ensuring optimal performance and security. Whether you’re transitioning one device or an entire office, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make the process smooth and effective.

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Does every analog phone work with VoIP gateways?

I wanted to speak to this quickly before we get into the weeds about VoIP gateways, because there is a little more nuance than I could fit into the headline.

Now, I’ve never personally encountered an analog phone that didn’t work with a VoIP gateway — but I know that they exist.

Typically, these non-compatible phones are specialty models that require specific voltage levels or use fancy signaling that’s not supported by the VoIP gateway. You may also run into proprietary digital phones designed for specific PBX systems that don’t work without special hardware or adapters.

To avoid problems, confirm that your VoIP gateway supports the specific devices you plan to use. I would double check if you have any older or specialized equipment, like DECT devices, for example.

In general, though, most analog phones equipment should work just fine with a VoIP gateway. After all, the technology is really not that complicated.

A VoIP gateway converts signal to packets

As long as you know the basics of computer networking, this should all be pretty straightforward.

Think of a VoIP gateway as a bridge between different types of networks that allows organizations to integrate legacy telephony equipment with modern VoIP phone services.

Analog equipment was designed to send signals over the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). The signal sent by these phones and fax machines doesn’t transmit over an IP network like the internet — it just won’t work at all — unless you have a VoIP gateway.

A VoIP gateway converts analog voice signals from traditional phone systems into digital data packets that can travel over an IP network. A VoIP gateway takes the voice from a phone, digitizes it, and sends it as packets over the internet or private network to the destination.

On the receiving end, it converts the digital data back into an analog signal for the recipient’s phone, enabling seamless communication. This two-way conversion process allows different types of communication systems — old and new — to work together efficiently.

VoIP gateway example

Consider a hotel that wants to lower costs with a VoIP phone system, but doesn’t want to have to buy new phones for every room. The VoIP gateway allows the hotel’s existing phones to connect to the hotel’s cloud phone system by converting the analog signals into digital data that can be sent over the internet.

This setup also opens the door to add useful VoIP features such as easier call routing, better voicemail options, and enhanced customer service, all without the need for a major overhaul of the hotel’s phone infrastructure.

Types of VoIP Gateways

There are a few different types of VoIP gateways that range from analog telephone adapters (ATAs) that support a single device and solutions designed to work for busy offices with hundreds of devices.

Single-port VoIP gateways are compact devices that connect one analog device, such as a fax machine or phone, to a VoIP network. These are ideal for small businesses or home offices with minimal communication needs, supporting a moderate number of concurrent calls, typically 10-30 depending on the device. They offer a cost-effective way to integrate analog equipment into a modern VoIP system without overhauling existing infrastructure.

For larger or busier environments, enterprise-grade VoIP gateways are designed to handle high call volumes and complex networks, such as in call centers or large offices. These devices are scalable and support both inbound and outbound communication, with advanced features like centralized control, CRM integration, and omnichannel support for voice, fax, and even video.

FXS (Foreign Exchange Station) gateways are used to connect multiple analog devices, such as phones and fax machines, to a VoIP network. They support multiple VoIP and fax codecs to ensure clear communication. and are a good option for businesses with multiple analog devices that need to transition to VoIP without replacing all hardware.

Fax-ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter) gateways are a specialized type of gateway designed for businesses that still rely on fax machines. These devices convert analog fax signals into digital data that can be transmitted over a VoIP network. Ideal for industries like healthcare or legal services, where faxing remains a key method of communication.

Session Border Controllers (SBCs) are used in conjunction with VoIP gateways to enhance security and ensure quality. SBCs monitor and manage traffic between networks, protecting against threats like fraud and VoIP Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, while also ensuring seamless communication between different VoIP systems. They are especially crucial in large-scale deployments or when connecting to external networks like the PSTN, ensuring smooth and secure VoIP operations.

Tips for using a VoIP gateway

1. Match VoIP codecs to business needs

VoIP codec selection directly affects both audio quality and bandwidth usage. Select one that fits your network’s capacity and the quality of calls you expect. G.729 offers low bandwidth usage while maintaining decent sound quality, ideal for networks with limited capacity. On the other hand, G.711 delivers high-quality sound but uses more bandwidth.

There’s not too much to think about here, but I wrote a whole post about choosing the right VoIP codec because it is important.

You can usually configure VoIP codecs in the settings of your VoIP gateway, PBX system, or individual IP phones. Depending on the system, you can set different codecs for different devices, users, or call types based on factors like bandwidth and call quality requirements.

2. Use a VoIP-friendly router

Not all routers are built to handle VoIP traffic effectively. Make sure your router supports Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritize voice traffic over data and other applications. VoIP routers handle voice data more efficiently and provide better stability for high-quality calls.

If your current router doesn’t support these features, consider upgrading to one designed specifically for VoIP use. It will be simpler to set up, perform better, and in the event something goes wrong, a good router will probably make finding and fixing common VoIP issues a lot easier.

3. Ensure reliable internet connectivity

A fast, stable internet connection is essential for VoIP. Run a free VoIP speed test if you are unsure about whether or not your connection can support all the new lines your gateway will enable.

Once it’s up, you will need to implement QOS settings to prioritize voice traffic and avoid disruptions from other high-bandwidth activities like video streaming or large downloads, especially during peak hours. Consider running VoIP on a VLAN as another way to separate voice traffic from the rest of the network. These are two important ways to optimize your VoIP network that ensure that real-time communications like VoIP get the steady connection they need.

4. Secure your gateway against threats

Both traditional and cloud phone systems are targeted by cybercriminals every day. There are always new forms of VoIP fraud, and these attacks that cost businesses millions of dollars every year. You should make yourself as unattractive a target for hackers as possible by following basic network security best practices, such as:

Change default passwords and usernames: Always change default login credentials on your VoIP gateway and devices to unique, strong passwords to avoid common security risks.
Update and patch regularly: Ensure that your VoIP gateway and connected devices are running the latest firmware and software updates to protect against security vulnerabilities.
Limit access to the VoIP gateway: Restrict access to the VoIP gateway’s administrative interface by allowing only trusted IP addresses or through a secure VPN to prevent unauthorized remote access.
Monitor for fraudulent calls: Set up alert systems to detect unusual call patterns, such as international calls or long-duration calls, which may indicate potential VoIP fraud.

5. Be proactive about network monitoring

Use network monitoring tools to track key metrics like latency, bandwidth usage, and packet loss. Persistent high latency or packet loss could signal hardware malfunctions, improper codec settings, or interference from other network traffic.

Watch for warning signs like frequent dropped calls, audio delays (latency), or choppy sound caused by jitter. If you notice unexplained call disruptions or poor quality despite a strong internet connection, it may be time to inspect your VoIP gateway’s configuration, firmware, or even its physical condition.

6. Avoid using Wi-Fi for VoIP

While wireless technology has done magnificent things for telephony, its instability and unpredictability pose challenges for VoIP calls. Wi-Fi technology increases the chances of network communication and VoIP quality issues like latency, network jitter, and packet loss.

These factors can significantly impact the clarity and reliability of voice calls, making Wi-Fi less ideal for VoIP gateways.

Encourage employees to use wired Ethernet connections whenever possible. Ethernet provides a stable and consistent connection, reducing the risk of call disruptions. Wired setups are especially beneficial in offices where high call quality is a priority, as they eliminate the variability associated with wireless networks.

When wired connections aren’t feasible, focus on optimizing wireless setups. Equip employees with high-quality Bluetooth VoIP headsets and ensure they have access to a strong, stable Wi-Fi signal.

Tools like Wi-Fi extenders or mesh networks can help minimize interference and improve call reliability, making wireless solutions a viable alternative in certain situations.

Posted on December 28, 2024 by DA Gadgets

Strategies for Cloud Contact Center Platform API Management

Cloud contact centers connect agents with customers across multiple channels, including voice, email, SMS, social media, live chat, and more. Cloud contact center platform API management plays a critical role in maintaining all of these channels.

Unlike traditional on-premises phone systems and hosted contact center solutions, cloud contact centers aren’t bound by physical locations or servers. Instead, all of your reps can access the software they need from anywhere via a computer, smartphone, or other VoIP-enabled device.

When implemented and managed correctly, APIs improve customer personalization, ensure agents have anytime access, boost agent productivity, and deliver real-time data for improved analytics.

Cloud contact center APIs ultimately unify communication channels with other business-critical tools. This allows you to provide better support through custom applications so you can future-proof your contact center at scale.

Overview of API management in cloud contact centers

APIs connect two or more applications, expanding the functionality of one or both of the systems. In many cases, an API passes data from one program to another or embeds functionality of one application into the other.

In terms of cloud contact centers, APIs extend communication methods into other pieces of software. For example, you can add calling capabilities within Microsoft Teams.

You can also use APIs to enable inbound and outbound texting, chat, and calling directly within your CRM. This integration gives agents the ability to communicate without switching back and forth between solutions. It also means agents can see caller information while they’re talking to them.

It can work the other way too — you can pull CRM data into your VoIP solution, allowing agents to see critical details about the caller before they answer.

APIs are commonly used to automate outbound text or email reminders for things like upcoming appointments, balances due, and order status updates via rules-based triggers and custom settings.

Another popular way cloud contact centers use APIs is to centralize social media communication. You integrate various platforms into a single solution so your agents can manage all inbound messages from Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and more without having to navigate to each platform.

With API access, modern contact centers can truly customize the way agents interact with customers and each other.

SEE: Learn how to use APIs, the different types of APIs, and all about API security.

Strategies for the cloud contact center platform API management cycle

Cloud contact center APIs are not plug-and-play, one-click setups that you can configure once and move on. They require ongoing developer support and IT resources for deployment and regular maintenance.

Think about the resources you’d need to build and maintain any other type of software, like a mobile app or web application.

The same applies here because you’re essentially creating custom software that requires ongoing attention.

It’s particularly important for you because disruptions or outages will have immediate consequences to many people on your team, or even your customers. If agents are no longer able to receive calls in Salesforce, for example, everything will come to a grinding halt until it’s fixed.

The following cloud contact center platform API management strategies can help you avoid these problems and ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

Development

Before anything else, you’ll need to define the scope of your project and get a team of developers to help you accomplish your goals.

Large organizations setting up complex integrations may need multiple developers working on this together. It should be treated like any other software development project run by a project manager with sprint planning and other agile project management practices.

Your developers will likely need to use documentation provided by each piece of software you want to connect.

They typically provide developer guides that explain exactly what you can do with their APIs and how to do it. They may even provide sample code for your team to start with, plus resources for various programming languages (JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, C#, Ruby, etc.).

The best vendors also provide a complete SDK (software development kit) that contains more than basic instructions. These include a full collection of tools, libraries, and documentation to simplify the development process. SDKs ultimately make it easier for your team to access and utilize the API for whatever specific functionality you’re looking for.

SEE: Check out the best API management tools to manage APIs at scale.

Testing

Next, you need to ensure that the API works as intended. To do this, you’ll run various API calls to verify everything. You should also test more complex scenarios and situations in which the API should fail to validate that it works.

For example, you might have an agent answer a call from your CRM, send a text message, and set up an automated text reminder.

You can also test out more complicated workflows like real-time escalations to a manager, call transfers, handling duplicate contacts, screen pop, and more.

Beyond functionality, you’ll also need to test performance. At this stage, you should simulate high call volumes to ensure your setup can handle peak traffic. Many APIs have per-minute, per-hour, or simultaneous limits you have to comply with — this is often overlooked and can have frustrating consequences.

If something isn’t working properly or your team finds bugs, they should be fixed before you roll out the new solution to your entire team.

SEE: Learn about common API issues and how to fix them.

Deployment

If everything’s good to go, you can roll it out. Depending on the complexity, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

Even if you think it’s going to be a relatively quick deployment, I suggest doing this when most of your team won’t be using either piece of software. If you can’t avoid that, try to choose a timeline that’s historically low volume.

You can look back at historical data to determine specific days of the week and times you have the lowest usage. It’ll likely be in the middle of the night, on a weekend, or on a holiday.

Ideally, issues should have been resolved during the testing phase. But things don’t always go according to plan. Leave yourself plenty of wiggle room to identify and fix problems that arise before your team starts using it.

Monitoring

API monitoring should happen 24/7 whenever possible.

Developers and quality assurance agents can do this using third-party tools to gather data and analyze performance in real time. These are built to track different metrics, like API response time, error rate, availability, downtime, and more.

You can also set up automated alerts and ask your team or customers to let you know as soon as they spot something that isn’t working as intended.

Automatic alerts can help you stay ahead of potential problems before they start interfering with communication, so they should be your first line of defense.

Versioning

It’s important to track and manage changes to your cloud contact center APIs over time. There are several benefits of doing so, but the most common for contact centers is backward compatibility.

Cloud-based software can update at any time, and these updates can cause major problems with your APIs.

When updates happen, it’s important for your APIs to continue functioning as best as possible until you can resolve any unforeseen issues.

Versioning also helps your development team work on new features without affecting the version your agents and customers are actively using. It lets you test and make sure everything’s working without impacting anyone else.

Developers can release a beta or V1 so your team has something to work with while they focus on rolling out more features and putting together a more robust solution.

Check out our guide on versioning best practices to learn more.

Posted on December 27, 2024 by DA Gadgets

When to Use Cloud Network Security (And When to Avoid It)

From data storage to business applications and beyond, companies of all sizes rely on the cloud for day-to-day operations and critical business processes. Protecting cloud-based infrastructures with robust security standards is crucial for modern organizations.

Cloud network security is a popular approach. But is it right for your business? Read on to find out.

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What is cloud network security?

Cloud network security is a broad term that covers all security measures a company uses to protect its private cloud network, public cloud network, or hybrid cloud network. It includes everything from the technology used to internal policies, processes, and controls.

It helps businesses defend against data breaches, cyber attacks, unauthorized access, service interruptions, and other threats to their infrastructure.

Network security (regardless of how it’s implemented) is just one of the many security layers that businesses use to protect themselves from vulnerabilities. But it’s arguably the most important, as your network is often the first line of defense against attacks.

Deploying cloud network security the right way can be the foundation of your company’s entire approach to IT security.

SEE: How your business can benefit from a network security policy.

How does cloud network security work?

Cloud network security uses multiple defense layers between infrastructure components and devices on your network.

First, software helps set security policies and pre-defined rules for the network. From there, the software inspects all of the data packets and traffic on the network to enforce those policies.

For example, approved users can be granted access to digital assets through an application on the cloud network while unauthorized users are blocked.

It can also integrate with other security protocols, such as gateways and firewalls, to provide organization-wide control over the network. With APIs and other integrations, IT security admins can use cloud network security processes to monitor networks in real time, segment networks, and detect threats based on network patterns.

Many modern cloud security systems depend on AI and machine learning to help detect and block threats, which is something that might not always work with a rules-based security system.

SEE: Check out the best threat protection solutions.

Pros and cons of cloud network security

Like any IT security framework or methodology, cloud security has its pros and cons. For most, the positives outweigh the negative.

Benefits and advantages

Centralized management — Cloud network security gives IT admins a single place to configure and monitor security policies, including the ability to integrate with on-premises solutions.
Automated security monitoring — Once configured, cloud security systems automatically protect against threats without straining IT resources.
Data protection — Deploying a cloud network security system helps protect data stored in cloud servers and applications on your network (both in transit and at rest).
Compliance — You can set up your network security systems to comply with regulatory standards, like GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and more.
Data encryption — While encrypted data doesn’t prevent breaches or attacks, most cloud network security companies include encryption, which makes it more challenging for bad actors to access data if they breach your network.
Real-time threat detection and prevention — When working properly, cloud network security systems automatically detect and block threats to your network as they happen.
Scalability — Robust cloud security allows organizations to confidently scale processes and applications using cloud resources, knowing that they’ll have reliable access.
Policy-based enforcement — System admins have a more granular level of control based on custom policies that scale with your organization.
Reduce risk of breaches and attacks — A cloud network security solution can drastically reduce security vulnerabilities while preventing hacks, malware, ransomware, and other malicious incidents.

Potential drawbacks and challenges to consider

Misconfigurations — It can easily be misconfigured and it’s prone to human error.
Speed of change — As cloud resources change alongside access controls of different employees, malicious users can exploit vulnerabilities before your policies are updated.
DDoS attacks — Advanced DDoS attacks, which can overwhelm servers and disrupt cloud-based services, could prevent authorized users from accessing your system.
Accuracy — At times, cloud systems can yield false positives. This can be dangerous if policies are changed due as a result, opening the door for real threats to slip through the cracks.
Cost — Advanced cloud systems are expensive to deploy and maintain at scale, especially those using AI technology to monitor network traffic and detect threats in real time.
Insider threats — Someone with privileged access could unknowingly (or intentionally) attack systems from the inside.

When it makes sense to use cloud network security for your business

Any business that has heavily invested in cloud infrastructure is a good fit.

This is especially true if you have a lot of data or run numerous applications in the cloud.

It also makes sense for hybrid cloud environments. Because you have a combination of on-premises and cloud infrastructure, a cloud-based security system can help you centralize everything across your network.

Another common reason why businesses use it is to comply with industry-specific or location-specific compliance standards. You can set up your cloud network security policies to adhere to security protocols for GDPR in Europe, PCI compliance for payment acceptance, HIPAA compliance in the medical industry, and more.

If your organization has remote employees who access your network through an encrypted connection, you can also use cloud security to authenticate them and their devices.

When you should avoid cloud network security

Cloud network security is a necessity for most, but it’s not for everyone.

It may not be enough if you’re dealing with sensitive data that requires the strictest security standards. Organizations working on government contracts or handling confidential information may have to meet DoD standards, and not every cloud security system stacks up to those conditions.

Cloud network security solutions may also not be a good fit if you’re using older, legacy systems that can’t easily migrate to the cloud. In this case, you’ll likely need to use an on-premise security solution instead.

Aside from those two scenarios, it’s tough to deploy a cloud network security solution if you have limited IT security resources or your team isn’t familiar with these systems.

They require a lot of fine-tuned configuration. If you don’t have the resources, you can outsource to a third party (which can get very expensive).

Network security best practices

There are a set of standards that are generally considered best practices. Adhering to them is not only great for deploying a robust cloud network, but it can also help you overcome some of the common challenges and drawbacks we covered earlier.

Some of those best practices include:

Zero trust network access — The zero trust model requires authentication of every user, application, and device before accessing the network.
Micro-segmentation within your network — Limiting communication between applications and services within a network can help contain or isolate attacks.
Identity and access management (IAM) solutions — IAM systems can block unauthorized access at the user level, ensuring that even authorized users only have access to the areas they need to do their jobs.
Misconfiguration monitoring — Use cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools to identify misconfigurations that could be the result of human error and ensure your configurations are properly set up for specific regulatory compliance standards.
Continuous monitoring tools — Rather than periodically checking for attacks, you can use continuous monitoring tools to identify threats in real time.
Regular penetration tests — Your IT team should regularly perform penetration tests on your network to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses. From there, they should work to fix them as fast as possible.
Training — Make sure your team understands the risks associated with breaches and cyberattacks so they know exactly what to do in these scenarios.

Ultimately, cloud network security is an ongoing initiative.

It’s not something you can implement once and move on. There are always going to be changes to your network and systems that need to be addressed plus new threats that your team should understand how to handle.

Posted on December 20, 2024 by DA Gadgets

SD-WAN vs VPN: How Many Tunnels Do You Need?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a marvelous tool for protecting people and their data while browsing the internet, especially when working from unsecured or weakly protected networks like those at public libraries and coffee shops.

From a business perspective, VPNs keep business data secure when employees work with sensitive material like trade secrets and proprietary information. VPN tunnels are also instrumental, as they provide users with an encrypted connection between their device and the internet.

However, given the enriched data flow and volumetric information brought on by VPNs, you and/or your IT team should still monitor them regularly. The technical feedback you can gather by doing so will help you finetune and configure your VPN connections for optimal performance.

As an alternative to VPNs, SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) offers businesses many more use cases. For instance, organizations that lean heavily on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services can use it to simplify enterprise-scale network management.

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What problems does SD-WAN solve?

I’m assuming most people interested in this post are comfortable with networking basics, like WAN (Wide Area Network) that spans a large geographic area, connecting multiple local networks (LANs) across cities, countries, or even continents. So we’re going to skip the basics. If not, check out this guide on essential networking fundamentals before continuing on.

SD-WAN represents a logical progression from traditional WAN, providing benefits like dynamic traffic management with centralized control. It allows users to deploy different connection types interchangeably by using software to abstract the network layer.

The fundamental benefit of SD-WAN over traditional WAN is its ability to intelligently route traffic across multiple connection types, optimizing performance, reducing costs, and providing greater flexibility and scalability.

SD-WAN offers businesses improved network performance, cost savings, enhanced security, and greater agility by enabling dynamic, intelligent traffic routing across diverse connection types, making it a more scalable and flexible solution compared to traditional VPNs.

Let’s walk through why

Traffic optimization and improved network efficiency

A key advantage of SD-WAN is its ability to avoid vendor lock-in by using a virtualized architecture, allowing businesses to combine various transport services. Unlike traditional network infrastructure, which is often rigid and hardware-dependent, the best SD-WAN vendors give organizations the flexibility to optimize bandwidth across multiple connection types, such as broadband, mobile, Wi-Fi, and satellite.

This flexibility enables network administrators to prioritize critical traffic more effectively, reduce reliance on centralized data centers by eliminating backhauling, and create more efficient, direct routing paths to improve overall network performance.

Providing cost-effective solutions

Even though WAN connectivity has been around for a while, one of its peskiest challenges has always been figuring out how to connect widely dispersed data centers in a cost-effective manner. Technologies like MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), for instance, provided a respite — especially for organizations operating in rugged environments—but MPLS often brings a huge cost disadvantage.

SEE: Discover other reasons to avoid MPLS and better alternatives.

SD-WAN, however, is more practical (to deploy) and much less expensive than MPLS because it doesn’t require specialized equipment to conduct routing over the internet.

Another cost-effective aspect of using SD-WAN is its ability to aggregate multiple, less expensive internet connections (such as broadband, LTE, and Wi-Fi) to create a more reliable and efficient network. This reduces the need for expensive, dedicated leased lines or private WAN circuits, allowing businesses to use more affordable and flexible transport services while maintaining high performance.

Increased control through application-level visibility

Nothing jams up the efforts of network administrators and cybersecurity professionals more than a lack of control over their organization’s online traffic.

That said, the application-level visibility provided by SD-WAN allows you to control traffic more effectively.

For instance, SD-WAN allows administrators to fine-tune Quality of Service (QoS) by prioritizing VoIP traffic over less critical data, ensuring consistent call quality. With real-time monitoring and dynamic traffic routing, SD-WAN can adjust network paths to avoid congestion, and ensure optimal performance for VoIP applications even during peak usage times.

Centralized management

SD-WAN is the network tool of choice for enterprises with multiple office branches that want to maintain a centralized oversight.

In general, a ton of network administrators face the challenge of having to orchestrate a gauntlet of deployed devices and endpoints, so

SD-WAN is a logical choice because it makes networks more manageable and cost-effective. With centralized management to handle data packets and workflows between branches, network operations are simplified company-wide.

Cybersecurity administration

Because of its centralized network management, SD-WAN allows you to deploy uniform security measures including dynamic encryption tunnels, IP security (IPsec), and next-generation firewalls (NGFW) to ensure that all traffic is protected. Additionally, SD-WAN offers advanced features like network segmentation, which isolates critical parts of the network to reduce risk, and intrusion protection to detect and block potential threats.

These built-in security features work together to provide end-to-end encryption, making SD-WAN a powerful solution for defending against network security threats, especially in environments with remote or distributed teams. By simplifying the process of managing network security, SD-WAN makes it easier for IT teams to protect sensitive data and maintain compliance with industry regulations.

What Problems Does a VPN Solve?

A VPN safeguards online activity by providing a measure of intrusion protection against unauthorized third parties and other rogue actors. They use encrypted data transmission to prevent the intercepting and eavesdropping of connections that can occur via packet sniffing and other snooping tactics.

The best enterprise VPN services achieve this protection through VPN tunneling, which creates an encrypted connection between the user’s device and the endpoint or remote server they are accessing. If you are potentially in the market for SD-WAN, I’d start with the enterprise VPN tools first, though you may be able to get by with the one of the best VPN solutions for small business if only a handful of your employees require the extra protections.

On the private side of things, everyday consumers use VPNs for streaming and non-commercial purposes.

Privacy and anonymity

A major role of VPNs is to provide users anonymity by hiding their identity and online activity. To achieve this, a VPN creates a private digital network from a public connection to mask the user’s IP address, making it difficult for anyone to track their internet activity.

Avoiding censorship

A VPN allows users to view content from anywhere in the world. As a result, users can access forbidden websites due to censorship or geo-restrictions. VPNs are legal in the United States, but this is not true in all countries.

Avoiding censorship and surveillance is a common practice for dissenting individuals and journalists residing in authoritarian regimes. It’s also common for people who want to stream shows that are blocked or too expensive where they live.

In addition to hiding your identity anonymously, VPNs also obscure your location by redirecting traffic through encrypted, remote servers. A good VPN ensures the user’s online activity remains invisible to their internet service provider (ISP), but it doesn’t always happen that way with all VPNs.

Providing stringent cybersecurity requirements

VPNs encrypt all data that moves through your network, fortifying and boosting an organization’s cybersecurity profile. They also minimize the effectiveness of Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) attacks, especially when employees are working remotely outside of their corporate networks. This safeguards corporate data from falling into the wrong hands if a staff member unknowingly works from a vulnerable or insecure connection.

Lastly, besides ordinary marketplace uses, many (if not all) national militaries deploy some kind of VPN for secure communication as a foundational part of their tactical kit.

Remote access connectivity

Users working off-site can use client-to-site VPNs on their personal devices to access their organization’s resources from a remote server. Naturally, remote access like this typically requires them to provide authentication credentials before they are granted access to company resources.

Setting up a remote access VPN is beneficial because you can utilize it for personal and professional purposes.

SEE: Learn more about the different types of VPNs and when to use them.

Network linking across multiple sites

Large and complex organizations often use site-to-site VPNs to scale their businesses. These VPNs enable them to combine and connect multiple internal networks across different locations within their organizations.

Intellectual property protection

VPNs enhance data security by preventing data interception in transit. This is key for safeguarding intellectual property such as trade secrets, industrial designs, and proprietary information — especially when companies need to share it with third parties and contractors.

SEE: Discover more ways to protect and secure your data.

Challenges managing access at scale with VPN vs SD-WAN

The biggest concerns with large-scale VPN deployments are performance bottlenecks from too many users, network latency issues caused by centralized traffic routing, and managing tunnels, as maintaining thousands of secure connections can overwhelm VPN servers and IT teams.

While VPNs have been a foundational tool for remote access, they face significant limitations as organizations grow. Here are the key challenges of scaling VPNs and why solutions like SD-WAN are becoming more critical for modern networks.

Scalability bottlenecks and tunnel overload:

VPNs struggle to handle large numbers of simultaneous connections, resulting in network congestion and degraded performance. Managing thousands of VPN tunnels can overwhelm servers and IT teams, creating bottlenecks that slow down critical applications and user access.

Performance and application latency:

VPNs route traffic through centralized servers, which introduces delays, especially when accessing cloud-based apps or services. This extra routing increases latency, reduces productivity, and impacts the performance of real-time applications like VoIP phone systems and video conferencing.

SEE: Learn how to future-proof your VoIP phone system.

Security gaps in modern environments:

SD-WAN’s software overlay integrates well with modern security strategies like Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA) , offering a secure foundation for remote and hybrid workforces. Traditional VPNs rely on perimeter-based security models that don’t account for cloud services, IoT devices, or widespread remote work. They lack built-in tools like traffic inspection, micro-segmentation, and identity-based access controls, leaving organizations vulnerable to modern threats.

Connectivity flexibility and resource management:

Unlike VPNs, SD-WAN allows you to consolidate and control traffic across multiple networks, dynamically routing traffic based on conditions like bandwidth utilization to avoid congestion and packet loss. Its flexible, virtualized infrastructure lets IT teams make rapid changes within minutes, optimizing both performance and resource allocation.

What about both VPN and SD-WAN?

As organizations grow, the limitations of VPNs — like congestion, latency, and security gaps — become more obvious. While SD-WAN offers improved scalability, performance, and flexibility to meet the needs of modern networks, many businesses are combining both VPNs and SD-WAN alongside other security technologies. This approach helps companies balance the strengths of each solution, providing secure and reliable connectivity for remote and hybrid teams.

Looking ahead, cybersecurity trends indicate that organizations will increasingly adopt integrated network solutions that blend SD-WAN, VPNs, and advanced security models like zero-trust to stay agile, secure, and ready for future growth.

Posted on December 18, 2024 by DA Gadgets

RPA Contact Center: What Grindy Tasks Can it Get Rid Of?

RPA stands for robotic process automation. It represents some of the most cutting-edge technological developments of the modern era with its ability to improve efficiency gains in business operations. RPA uses software bots to automate tasks, eliminating the need for people to perform manual labor and other tasks that involve rote, repetitive processes.

RPA is deployed in many IT settings and is ideally suited for contact centers, which are intensely customer service-focused environments.

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Company Size

Any Company Size Any Company Size

Features

24/7 Customer Support, Call Management/Monitoring, Contact Center, and more

The clear case for RPA in contact centers

RPA bots act in place of human operators, having first gained prominence in the manufacturing industry where low-skilled, labor-intensive tasks were highly prevalent. The introduction of RPA bots was not necessarily to replace human labor, but to displace and reallocate it for more productive endeavors.

In places like contact centers, for instance, they do a lot of the repetitive and boring tasks so that human agents are free to focus on more creative, value-adding tasks.

Typically, RPA bots work using an API, but they can also function and interact at a graphical user interface layer to execute complex workflows.

While RPA accelerates productivity, not all tasks, processes, or environments are ideal for process automation.

RPA is primarily used for the following:

Tasks with standardized processes and functions that are predominately rule-based.
Mundane tasks that are labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Jobs that operate in reliable, data-rich, and data-driven environments.
Workplaces that process high-volume, monotonous tasks and need consistent handling without experiencing diminishing returns.
Business processes that use well-defined, standardized data sets that are easy to structure and categorize.
Tasks that deal with a large volume of digitized data that’s adequately readable.

After selecting the right vendor, deploying robotic process automation requires capturing the steps you want to automate, executing the pilot process with your preferred vendor, and then implementing it.

When a contact center deploys one or many automated bots, it allows the center to scale its operations while delivering high-volume processes swiftly, accurately, and consistently without a downgrade in quality or efficiency. Moreover, RPA bots provide these benefits at significant cost savings compared to human agents who would otherwise be wasted on menial tasks. Ultimately, they allow human capital to focus on tasks requiring intuitive judgment.

For contact center employees specifically, RPA can automate numerous workflow tasks that are part of a typical workday. These tasks rarely have an impact on customer satisfaction outcomes, so contact center employees benefit from having more time to focus on activities that are more productive.

Additionally, RPA technology can also streamline certain tasks and fortify data security practices for the company, taking some of that burden off the employees.

At the same time, RPA bots don’t need to take bathroom breaks and can work all day long without experiencing diminishing returns.

Unattended and attended bots

For the most part, contact centers use unattended bots that execute processes behind the scenes. These unattended RPA bots are primarily provisioned to tackle rule-based processes automatically, which allows them to automate back-office services at scale.

Meanwhile, attended RPA bots require human intervention and/or instruction to perform tasks, as they typically do things that depend on the knowledge and expertise of a contact center agent. For instance, an attended bot can act as a virtual assistant that is manually triggered to gather customer information while the agent interacts with a customer.

Furthermore, an assisted RPA bot can even take the information it gathers from an agent’s computer and fill in forms with personalized customer details during a call. This makes RPA bots especially useful for agents who deal with various support chats, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, and other routine data input processes.

The top opportunities for contact center RPA

Contact centers are filled with repetitive, time-consuming tasks that can drain efficiency and hinder customer satisfaction. RPA offers a powerful way to streamline these processes, reduce errors from manual entry, and free up agents to focus on more valuable interactions.

Here are eight key opportunities where RPA can drive significant impact and transform operations

1. Enhanced customer verification

While traditional IVR systems are effective for basic customer authentication — such as verifying account numbers or PINs — RPA goes beyond simple queries to handle more complex, dynamic verification processes.

For example, RPA bots can:

Pre-validate customer information: Pull and cross-check data from multiple systems, such as CRM platforms and payment records, to ensure accuracy before escalating to an agent.
Handle conditional logic: Adapt verification steps based on the caller’s issue or account status. For example, if a payment dispute is flagged, RPA can pre-authorize verification layers like confirming recent transactions or linking a verified email.
Initiate advanced authorization: Request sensitive approvals, such as confirming account changes or processing refunds, without requiring the customer to repeat details to a live agent.

Beyond traditional identity verification, RPA also supports tasks like appointment confirmations. For businesses offering in-home services, RPA bots can proactively reach out to customers, verify service windows, and update scheduling systems — all without agent intervention.

This enhanced approach saves time, reduces friction for customers, and ensures agents are equipped with verified, up-to-date information when they step in to assist.

2. Automated self-service

Contact centers are often flooded with basic customer inquiries, like asking about product returns or how to file a warranty claim. These tasks don’t need a live agent, so they’re great candidates for automation.

A simple IVR phone tree can handle simple tasks, like pressing a number to check your account balance. However, IVR is limited in what it can do — if a customer needs to update their billing information, manage a return, or track an order status, it often can’t access the backend systems or process complex requests.

SEE: Learn best practices of setting up simple phone trees.

RPA goes beyond that. For example, if a customer wants to return an item, an RPA bot can guide them through the return process, check the product’s return eligibility, and generate a shipping label — and this is all done without human assistance.

It can also assist with updating account details, processing refunds, or even tracking shipments by pulling data from multiple systems in real time. This not only makes things faster for customers, reduces the burden on agents, and helps you get call center queuing times down during peak hours.

3. Optimized agent support

RPA can greatly enhance the effectiveness of human agents in contact centers by streamlining repetitive tasks and providing valuable support during customer interactions.

For example, RPA can automatically route inquiries to the right agent based on their skills and workload, ensuring that customers are quickly connected to the best-suited person. This reduces wait times and helps agents focus on cases they are best equipped to handle. RPA goes beyond traditional skills-based IVR by automating both front-end and back-end tasks, such as gathering customer data and updating records in real time, while IVR systems focus primarily on routing calls or providing scripted responses.

Additionally, RPA can retrieve and display relevant call center knowledge base articles or troubleshooting steps in real time, enabling agents to resolve issues more quickly. It can also update customer records, log interaction details, and process back-office tasks like returns and refunds, all while the agent continues to assist the customer.

SEE: Learn how to create a call center knowledge base your agents love to use.

By consolidating data from multiple systems and presenting it in an easily accessible format, RPA ensures that agents have all the necessary information to provide fast, informed, and personalized service, improving both efficiency and the overall customer experience.

4. Report preparation

Many contact centers need to produce reports for management to monitor the progress and evaluate key performance metrics.

While report preparation is a simple task for a human agent, it nevertheless requires a certain degree of decision-making that can distract agents from focusing on their daily workload. The process is also prone to error and takes significant time to carry out. Furthermore, it often compels agents to switch between multiple systems to generate data and run reports.

RPA can automatically gather and analyze contact center analytics, such as call volume, response times, and agent performance, to generate accurate, real-time reports without manual input, saving time and reducing errors.

RPA bots can rely on quick, automatic, and rule-based provisioning to generate, analyze, and disseminate reports (often via email) to respective managers.

5. Integrating systems

Enterprise software applications are creatures of immense complexity. Only a few vendors have the expertise or resources to supply all the critical functionality needed, and no enterprise system is completely siloed. This means integrations with third-party apps are necessary for a unified system.

This task is hard for any type of business software, but with so many moving parts, contact center integration is notoriously difficult to get right.

RPA can simplify this by automating data transfers and workflow automation between systems like CRM, ticketing, and payment platforms. RPA ensures real-time updates, reducing errors, saving time, and providing agents with accurate, up-to-date customer information, ultimately enhancing the contact center customer experience.

SEE: Discover how to improve contact center CX without buying anything new.

RPA’s ability to bridge system gaps allows contact centers to scale easily, integrating new tools or platforms without disrupting existing workflows. By automating system integration, RPA increases efficiency, reduces operational costs, and ensures a smooth, unified process across multiple systems, which leads to faster problem resolution and more personalized service for customers.

Although APIs make the task much easier, integrating various systems and workflows into your contact center is non-trivial. Using RPA, contact centers can integrate multiple systems without disrupting the underlying ecosystem.

6. Handling recurring and repeat calls

When a caller has to go through various transfers on a single call, it can be very irritating and detrimental to the overall customer experience.

RPA is a good resource to mitigate these occurrences, as it can keep track of particular issues surrounding a customer problem and relay that information to agents automatically. This helps agents understand the context surrounding a customer’s call or issue right away.

If necessary, RPA bots can also provide agents with a comprehensive customer profile at the click of a button so they can get a sense of an individual customer’s previous interactions.

This leads to a more personal and expedited communication process for the customer while also shortening the average call duration for the agent. This means customers are happier and agents aren’t wasting time transferring or answering calls they don’t need to.

In the end, RPA is an important contact center technology that streamlines routine call handling and improves operations. By automating tasks such as data retrieval, record updates, and providing real-time information to agents, RPA allows human agents to focus on more complex customer issues. This reduces wait times, enhances call efficiency, and ensures smoother interactions across channels. Additionally, RPA handles administrative tasks behind the scenes, enabling agents to resolve issues more quickly and creating a more seamless experience for both agents and customers.

Posted on December 18, 2024 by DA Gadgets

Can You Replicate a Key Phone System In the Cloud?

Key phones are traditional desk phones with a central unit and handset. Able to support up to 50 users, they’re often used by small to medium-sized offices. They have a dial pad and special buttons that let users route calls to other extensions or access features like hold or transfer.

A key phone system has been ideal for companies with employees who need to be reachable at their desk and behind the counter. These systems are easy to manage compared to a traditional PBX — and excel at the core competencies of a basic phone system.

But as equipment ages and more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solutions hit the market, many businesses are upgrading their landline to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

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Company Size

Any Company Size Any Company Size

Features

24/7 Customer Support, Call Management/Monitoring, Contact Center, and more

Why it’s hard to let go of your existing system

For many businesses, this trusty technology has been the silent backbone of communication since before the internet became a regular part of our daily lives. Key phones made offices more efficient and productive with features like call transfer, hold, conference calling, direct inward dialing, and paging.

Key phone systems are generally easy to use, and more than anything, they’re familiar. Since most adults have used a key phone system at some point in their careers, there’s not a huge learning curve when you need to onboard new employees. With a quick explanation of how to access voicemail and what extension belongs to who, you can get most new hires up to speed by the end of their first day.

This makes it hard for a lot of businesses to let go of their old school key phone systems — even if they know that modern business phone services offer a ton more functionality.

In short, key phone systems once had all the advanced functions you’d expect from a business phone, and they were easy to use, with predictable costs and straightforward maintenance. These strengths made them a mainstay in business communications.

But now, after over 50 years of usage, this technology is slowly sunsetting. And businesses today should look at modernizing their phone systems sooner than later.

Using a VoIP gateway with a key phone system

A VoIP gateway or Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) allows traditional phones to make calls over the internet. The ATA acts as a bridge between your old phone system and the internet.

Plug your regular phones into the ATA, connect the ATA to your internet router, and you are ready to start answering calls as before. ATAs support fax machines and multifunction printers, as well.

This is a budget-friendly way to modernize without replacing your phone system, minimizing disruption to employees. Typically, you can access basic VoIP features like voicemail-to-email and call forwarding while staying with familiar hardware.

This approach is ideal for businesses that want to gradually transition to cloud, phase out old equipment, or simply want to ride out their old phone system contract for a few more years.

Are all key phone systems compatible with an ATA?

Most key phones will work with an ATA, but not all.

If your phone says “analog” or connects with a standard phone line, it’s probably compatible.

If it’s labeled “IP” or “digital,” you may require special adapters or need to take another approach entirely. Always check your system’s compatibility before investing in an ATA.

Challenges with moving to the cloud

Migrating to a cloud phone system comes with a lot more versatility for businesses and their employees — but it’s not without challenges. Here are some of the important issues you will have to address over the course of transitioning from a key phone system to the cloud:

Compatibility: Can your existing handsets work with a cloud system, or do you need to invest in new equipment? You may need to buy new handsets or softphones to use modern VoIP services.
Replicating functionality: Can you replicate features like DID and intercom in the cloud? Chances are you can, but be sure to choose a provider that supports the features your business relies on.
Soft key programming: Cloud systems often rely on “soft keys,” which are on-screen buttons that can change dynamically. You may need IT support to configure changes manually.
Training: This is a big one, as you may have employees who are resistant to change. Do you have the time and resources to teach your employees how to use these new cloud-based systems? You’ll need to train employees how to use new features like call parking in order to put callers on hold.

Any upgrade naturally presents challenges, but the key is to ask yourself whether the benefits outweigh the costs and whether now’s the right time to upgrade.

Benefits of replacing a key phone system before it fails

If your key phone system is still working, you may be hesitant to replace it. But there are risks to keeping an old system that doesn’t have an infinite lifespan — what if your phone system fails or your hardware becomes unsupported before you have a backup in place?

Today, most businesses use a hosted PBX, where the vendor manages all of the infrastructure and software — employees simply log into their account and make calls. It works perfectly whether they are in the office or working from an airport bar — the vendor secures the network, allows remote employees anytime access, and you never have to worry about the main office network being up 24/7 ever again.

VoIP phone systems are relatively inexpensive — most businesses save money switching by eliminating most hardware maintenance costs associated with traditional phone setups. It’s not an incredible savings, but it’s nice.

The real draw is the functionality you gain from connecting your phones to other business software. This enables advanced call administration, simple call recording, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), in-depth analytics, and potentially much more. Premium systems support CRM integration, which allows reps to pull up customer files, view previous conversations, order history, and more on a single dashboard.

Migrating to the cloud is a great way to future-proof your business phone system, as the software is continuously updated, patched, and improved. If you’re thinking about switching to a remote or hybrid setup, cloud-based phone systems can make the switch easy. Even if some employees are working from home and others are onsite, they’ll all have the same communication capabilities.

Yes, there are challenges with updating your systems to new technology — this is inevitable — the downsides of staying with you an old key phone system will probably get worse over time.

But by choosing to upgrade your key phone system to a cloud-based system, you get to navigate those challenges at your own pace rather than being forced into them later on.