Gaining a Competitive Edge with Secure IP and Wireless Communications

In an increasingly competitive environment, most retailers are seeking new ways to improve productivity, reduce costs, and generate incremental revenue. IP network and wireless-based applications offer businesses proven solutions. Popular examples include Internet and wireless-enabled POS systems, browser-based supply chain applications, wireless handheld devices, and self-service kiosks. By improving timeliness and flow of information, these solutions often lead to better overall customer satisfaction and increased profitability.

To successfully adopt IP network and wireless-based applications, retailers need solutions that overcome the challenges posed by these technologies. Companies need a means of ensuring business continuity in the event of a network failure, protecting sensitive customer and business information, and facilitating the deployment and management of widely distributed Point of Sale (POS) devices.

Wireless-based IP Network Productivity Applications

As retailers build systems based on IP networks and extend these systems wirelessly, they are enhancing both front and back office applications to improve customer service and drive revenue growth.

Front office applications, such as IP-based credit card processing and temporary wireless POS terminals, are leading to faster transaction times, which increase customer satisfaction. Back office applications, such as Internet-based supply chain portals, employee portals, and wireless inventory management, are creating efficiencies and dramatically reducing costs.

Front office applications

• Temporary POS terminals – Wireless POS terminals set up in mall walkways or at trade shows can take advantage of temporary short-term sales opportunities
• “Line-busting” – Wireless applications can bring the transaction to the customer rather than making the customer wait in the checkout line. Sales associates scan a waiting customer’s merchandise using a handheld computer and provide the customer with a plastic card or bar code printout, which the cashier then scans to process the payment
• IP credit card processing – Internet-based credit card processing allows retailers to reduce costs and dramatically speed up transaction times
• Customer loyalty programs – New generation POS systems accept loyalty and gift cards in addition to credit cards, offering customers greater payment choices and supporting retailers’ customer loyalty programs
• Wireless HotSpots – Wireless HotSpots deliver convenient public Internet access, allowing restaurants, coffee shops and bookstores to improve customer satisfaction and generate incremental revenue
• Mobile order taking – Wireless handheld devices enable waiters in restaurants to take orders and process payments at a customer’s side, improving service and reducing the risk of fraudulent charges.
• Kiosks – Kiosks give customers the option of searching gift registries or looking up catalog items online while they are in the store

Back office applications

• Inventory management – Wireless handheld devices can be used to perform inventory management on a regular basis, gaining real-time visibility into POS transaction totals and stock levels
• Internet-based ordering – Internet-based ordering applications facilitate closer cooperation with the supply chain, creating efficiencies, improving margins, and reducing costs
• Employee portals – Internet-enabled POS terminals can be used to extend HR functions directly to employees, offering access to Web-based training courses, online forms and employee benefits information
• “Hard to wire” locations – Wireless POS terminals are ideal for hard to wire buildings or large open spaces
• Access for traveling managers – Wireless access to corporate resources can be provided for regional managers who move from store to store

Underlying all these applications is a trusted network infrastructure, providing secure, fast and reliable connectivity between store locations, as well as secure wireless connectivity within each store.

Connecting stores –
For most retailers, the traditional WAN connectivity choices of dial-up and frame relay are giving way to virtual private networks (VPN’s) over broadband Internet connections. Broadband provides the necessary high-speed access at a cost retailers can afford, from small, independent merchants to large retail chains. Coupled with VPN technology for secure communications over the public Internet, broadband connectivity is a compelling option for retailers

Wireless connectivity –
To take advantage of exciting new wireless-based applications, retailers need a secure wireless network capable of protecting confidential data being transmitted over public airwaves

Security Challenges for Broadband and Wireless Access

Broadband and wireless networks are inherently insecure because they transmit information via publicly accessible means. Security risks of broadband and wireless connectivity can include stolen customer information, viruses, worms, and inappropriate use of network resources. These threats can prevent sales if the network is made unavailable, and open the door to possible legal action should a customer’s confidential information fall into the wrong hands.

To protect their customers and themselves, businesses need connectivity solutions that mitigate potential security risks.

Certain deployments are particularly vulnerable to viruses and worms:

POS terminals –
New generation POS terminals based on open systems have the same vulnerabilities commonly seen on corporate networks. Yet, since the POS system is the lifeblood of a retail organization, there is no room for downtime due to virus outbreaks

Managers’ laptops –
Managers’ laptops can become breeding grounds for viruses, since they are mobile and often get connected to multiple, untrusted networks.

Wireless networks are even more vulnerable to hacker attacks because data travels over public radio waves that can be intercepted with fairly simple technology. In fact, if a store’s or other businesses wireless network is not protected, a hacker could even intercept communications while sitting in the parking lot.

It’s all too common for wireless networks to employ no security measures at all, or to use an easily defeated method such as MAC address filtering or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). WEP is based on a shared key common to all users, making it an easier target for security attacks. Using readily available tools a hacker can discover these keys in just a few hours.

SonicWALL Solutions for Secure Broadband Applications

GPL and SonicWALL can offer your business integrated, flexible and easy-to-manage security platforms for corporate networks. SonicWALL’s security platforms enable retailers to capitalize on the productivity benefits of real-time POS applications for IP and wireless networks while protecting confidential data and ensuring continuous connectivity.

SonicWALL TZ 170 Series
Powerful, proven network protection for small networks

The TZ 170 is the base model of the SonicWALL TZ 170 Series and provides solid, proven security for small networks, including POS networks in retail and restaurant locations. Offering a wide array of integrated security and reliability capabilities in a cost-effective solution, the SonicWALL TZ 170 scales as your organization grows and your needs change.

The SonicWALL TZ 170 offers:

• A powerful deep packet inspection firewall to protect against the latest threats
• IPSec virtual private networking (VPN) for secure communications over the Internet
• Support for a second, back-up broadband connection, providing WAN redundancy and load balancing Intuitive configuration wizards to simplify even the most complicated tasks
• Support for advanced security services to provide multi-layer security
• Support for award-winning Global Management System (GMS) for comprehensive monitoring, management and reporting

Three additional SonicWALL TZ 170 Series models provide added hardware capabilities.

SonicWALL TZ 170 SP
Integrated failover to back-up broadband connection or integrated analog modem for critical POS deployments
The SonicWALL TZ 170 SP is a complete security solution that includes high-performance VPN connectivity and an ICSA-certified stateful deep packet inspection firewall. The TZ 170 SP overcomes broadband failures with the ability to fail over to a backup broadband connection as well as an integrated v.92 modem analog.

The TZ 170 SP continuously monitors connection availability by checking link status and a heartbeat to a remote device. Should either fail, the device automatically fails over to the backup broadband connection or the integrated analog modem. When the primary broadband connection has been reestablished, the TZ 170 SP detects the restored connection and fails back. Thus, retailers have constant access to critical data with the highest available performance. This ensures an uninterrupted revenue stream and continued employee productivity.

Configurable Toll Saver features minimize the costs of backup analog connectivity. For example, the connection is automatically terminated if there is no activity for a specified interval and then reconnected once activity is detected. For retail locations without broadband connectivity, or where a broadband connection is impractical, the integrated analog modem can serve as the primary connection.

SonicWALL TZ 170 Wireless
Secure 802.11b/g wireless platform to unwire your retail locations
The SonicWALL TZ 170 Wireless provides secure wireless and wired connectivity to POS registers and kiosks as well as wireless-enabled laptops and handheld devices. This eliminates the need for expensive and restrictive wiring solutions.

Offering unsurpassed security for wireless networks, the TZ 170 Wireless features a dual 802.11b/g wireless access point integrated with a stateful deep packet inspection firewall and VPN appliance. By creating IPSec-based VPNs and enforcing them on the wireless LAN (WLAN), the TZ 170 Wireless establishes secure tunnels that encrypt communications containing sensitive customer and business information.

Retailers who want to provide wireless access for guests – while protecting their internal networks – can take advantage of the Wireless Guest Services feature. It enables the creation of a separate access zone for guest wireless users, while separating that zone from the sensitive POS network. The TZ 170 Wireless and TZ 170 SP Wireless accomplished this by creating a separate service for guest users, who are only allowed to send and receive data through the WAN port connected to the Internet, and can never connect to the LAN port regardless of the firewall configuration

SonicWALL TZ 170 SP Wireless
The ultimate wired and wireless security platform for retail POS locations, the SonicWALL TZ 170 SP Wireless combines the secure wireless capabilities of the TZ 170 Wireless with the multiple failover options provided by the TZ 170 SP.

SonicWALL PRO Series
Typically used at a retailer’s headquarters, SonicWALL PRO Series appliances act as the central data communications hub for distributed retail organizations. PRO Series appliances can scale to handle up to 4,000 remote retail locations. These flexible, high performance products also offer high availability features to assure the constant availability of critical central resources.

The PRO Series further offers multiple, configurable interfaces for network segmentation, dual WAN capabilities, and dedicated failover ports. Running the latest SonicOS firmware, the PRO Series offers flexible and powerful configuration options to overcome the most challenging IP networking scenarios.

Advanced security services

SonicWALL security platforms offer an array of advanced security capabilities for multi-layer security, which allows you to add features and functionality as your security needs grow over time. These services are tightly integrated into SonicWALL security platforms. The complete SonicWALL security solution is managed with a common user interface, reducing the overall cost of ownership.

SonicWALL Complete Anti-Virus
Rapid enforced virus protection for Windows-based POS systems

Retailers are becoming more vulnerable to virus attacks because their POS systems are moving to commercial operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Linux. Developed in partnership with McAfee®, SonicWALL Complete Anti-Virus rapidly protects against fast-moving viruses that can cripple Windows® based POS systems. SonicWALL’s anti-virus solution utilizes patent-pending enforcement architecture to provide automatic anti-virus policy enforcement. POS systems are automatically updated with the latest antivirus software and signature files before any traffic can be passed through the SonicWALL appliance.

This service also features a rapid e-mail attachment blocking feature which blocks known harmful attachments in the critical first hours before the new virus signatures are available.

SonicWALL Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS)
Protection against sophisticated application layer attacks

SonicWALL Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS) integrates a configurable, ultra-high performance deep packet inspection engine and dynamically updated database of over 1,800 attack and vulnerability signatures to protect networks against sophisticated application layer attacks, including buffer overflow vulnerabilities in software, worms, Trojans, backdoor exploits and the use of peer-to-peer and instant messaging applications. With its powerful performance, leading-edge features and extensive management capabilities, SonicWALL IPS delivers the advanced network protection with low total cost of ownership.

SonicWALL Content Filtering Service (CFS)
Manage access to Web content to enhance productivity and limit liability

SonicWALL Content Filtering Service (CFS) lets retailers provide employees and customers with Internet access to business-related sites while blocking sites that are inappropriate or hamper productivity. SonicWALL CFS features a powerful rating and caching architecture that leverages a comprehensive and continuously updated database of over four million Web-sites, domains, and IP addresses. Additionally, retailers can customize the content filtering solution to allow or deny specific Web sites based on their particular business needs. SonicWALL Content Filtering Service adds an important layer of protection from legal liabilities for businesses offering Internet access to customers in public areas.

SonicWALL Global Management System (GMS)
Scalable Central Management and Reporting

SonicWALL Global Management System (GMS) enables retailers to centrally monitor and manage all SonicWALL Internet security appliances whether they have a few or several thousand.

Network administrators use SonicWALL GMS to quickly provision VPN tunnels, security policies, and other configurations for each store. They can easily distribute new chain-wide or store-specific security policies and firmware upgrades adding new security features to remote SonicWALL appliances. SonicWALL GMS also allows network administrators to fully manage SonicWALL’s advanced security services, such as SonicWALL Complete Anti-Virus and SonicWALL Intrusion Prevention Service. To optimize network performance, distribution of security policies and firmware updates can be scheduled for periods of low network traffic.

SonicWALL’s Global Management System allows retailers to establish multiple sets of administration privileges so that they can divide management responsibilities among several network administrators and operators. SonicWALL GMS also facilitates network monitoring by providing logs and reports of usage trends, security events, and other activities.

Conclusion

IP-based productivity applications for POS systems enable retailers to improve service, enhance productivity, and differentiate themselves for a competitive edge. To deploy these applications, stores and restaurants need broadband or wireless Internet access. They must also secure these networks to protect confidential information and defend against the devastating effects of security breaches, viruses, and worms.

SonicWALL offers a complete retail/POS solution, unavailable from any other vendor. Broadband connectivity with integrated failover ensures constant VPN connectivity. Advanced wireless LAN security through enforced 3DES/AES encryption protects confidential information as it travels over the public airwaves. Central control of all remote SonicWALL appliances through a simple Web-based management interface facilitates scalability. A range of firewalls for VPN termination at headquarters enables retailers and restaurants and other businesses to purchase the right size solution today and scale as the business grows. All SonicWALL appliances support SonicWALL enforced-anti-virus solutions, which safeguard the network from viruses and worms, content filtering solutions, which improve productivity and protect against legal liability, and intrusion prevention solutions, which protect networks against today’s sophisticated application threats. Finally, all solutions offer the cost-effectiveness and ease of management required for retailers and other businesses.

For more information about SonicWALL solutions, call SonicWALL Sales at 888-557-6642 or contact GPL Integrated IT, LLC at 212-372-3082.