to transmit the transaction to a remote location. Doing that over the same Internet connection can leave the door open for a café visitor to hack into the transaction data and steal credit card numbers and other information.
SPLITTING THE ROUTER Until recently, the standard way to prevent that kind of
hacking was to, in essence, install two separate networks, with separate routers and Internet connections—one for customer Wi-Fi and one for transaction data. That's still the norm in many cases, but now, connections and hardware are becoming available that offer security while avoiding the expense of two networks and two connections. Standard routers can handle only one network, but more
Minimum speeds for Wi-Fi service keep edging upward.
sophisticated ones are available that can split network traffic and impose different access and security levels. One company that offers it is NCR, the commerce-services behemoth. NCR markets equipment designed to offer both open and secure connections over the same network, says Lenny Zeltser, product management director for network and security services. "Most of our customers find it more convenient and cost-
efficient to use a single device, but this device allows the creation of several 'logical devices,' if you will, within itself, Zeltser says. "So rather than having these physically distinct
"
devices, you can have this one, more powerful device that creates the logical zones within itself.
be split into open and secure network connections, allowing open Wi-Fi to be offered side by side with credit and other sensitive data. The product is not yet available but Verizon plans to offer it in 2013, he says. Demand for Wi-Fi service is increasing in every possible
Wasserman says Verizon is working on a modem that can "
way—the number of patrons who expect it and will use it, and the sheer amount of data they'll try to access. Keeping up with technology, in both hardware and connections, will make it possible to keep up with this demand. SCR
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