5 ways to keep your business network safe while you’re on holiday

[Shannon_Byrne]

The holiday season is a time to rest, recharge, and spend time away from work – but for cybercriminals, it’s business as usual. When employees are out of office and fewer eyes are on the network, small businesses can become easy targets for phishing, ransomware, and data theft.

The good news: with HPE Networking Instant On, your network stays protected, even when your team is out celebrating. Built-in, always-on security across hardware, software, and cloud management gives you the peace of mind to truly unplug – and here’s how:

1. Strengthen your first line of defense with Secure Gateways

Meet your network’s new security powerhouse: the HPE Networking Instant On Secure Gateways. Designed specifically for small and growing businesses, these gateways deliver enterprise-grade protection without the complexity or cost.

Secure Gateways provide an end-to-end security layer that helps to shield your business from unauthorized access, malware, and other cyber threats. With built-in firewall, Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDS/IPS), VPN, and WAN resiliency, you get real-time protection and uninterrupted connectivity.

For smaller networks or branch offices, the HPE Networking Instant On Secure Gateway SG1004 offers 1GbE performance with powerful routing, firewall, and IDS/IPS features. For growing businesses or multi-gig environments, the HPE Networking Instant On Secure Gateway SG2505P adds 2.5GbE speeds, Power over Ethernet (PoE) to power your access points, and even more capacity for remote users.

With HPE Networking Instant On Secure Gateways, your network is always ready to defend – no matter where you are.

1. Protect from the inside out with hardware-based security

Every HPE Networking Instant On access point and switch includes a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) – a specialized chip that securely stores cryptographic keys, passwords, and digital certificates. TPM ensures that only trusted software and firmware run on your devices, helping to prevent tampering or unauthorized access.

In short: your network security starts at the hardware level, giving you built-in protection that never takes a holiday.

1. Stay secure with continuously updated software

Cyber threats evolve daily, so staying up to date is critical. Instant On’s Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC) ensures that every software release is built with security in mind – from design through deployment.

And because cloud updates are automatic, your system always runs the latest firmware and security patches – no manual downloads, no IT stress, and no downtime. You can even schedule updates up to 30 days in advance to fit your business calendar.

1. Safeguard your management and data in the cloud

A secure network needs a secure management platform. The Instant On cloud portal encrypts all communication using TLS 1.2+, ensuring data integrity between your management server and devices. Wireless connections support WPA2 and WPA3 encryption, providing enterprise-grade protection for every device connected to your network.

That means you can safely monitor, configure, and manage your network remotely – whether you’re at home, on the go, or halfway around the world.

1. Keep visibility and control wherever you are

When your business is on holiday mode, the Instant On mobile app keeps you in the know. From your phone, you can see which devices are connected, monitor performance, and receive instant alerts if anything unusual occurs.

With built-in network visibility, authentication controls, and role-based admin access, you can manage user permissions, isolate guest networks, and make sure business-critical traffic always takes priority – all without stepping foot in the office.

Stay secure, stay connected – automatically

Your business deserves a network that’s as reliable and secure as you are. With HPE Networking Instant On, you get instant protection from the inside out: hardware, software, cloud, and gateways all working together to keep threats at bay. So this holiday season, you can truly disconnect knowing your network won’t.

Discover how HPE Networking Instant On Secure Gateways can be your first line of defense.