BT launches new secure networking service for UK businesses

BT has announced the launch of a new, secure networking service for UK business customers, backed by cybersecurity firm Fortinet. The launch enables BT’s UK business and public sector customers to bring together software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN), software-defined branch (SD-branch), and security into one place, reducing cyber risk and securely supporting customers moving data and applications into the cloud, the telecommunications giant said.

The managed service is designed to address large-scale, complex networking requirements – enabling BT to manage networks on a customer’s behalf with reporting dashboards that give security teams visibility over their networks.

New service designed to secure and support digital transformation

The new service sees BT grow its existing partnership with Fortinet, expanding its managed wide and local network portfolio for businesses by building in Fortinet’s Secure SD Branch technology, improving cyber resilience as the transition toward software-as-a-service cloud applications continues, according to a BT press release. It is designed to support digital transformation, such as businesses embracing hybrid working and providing better experiences for staff, including clearer video calling, it added.

Customers can connect any combination of physical and virtual devices to their network, and so extend the network to be closer to the applications and data that are important to them.

Complex network requirements shouldn’t mean compromising on security or flexibility, said Ashish Gupta, MD corporate and public sector at BT. “Our new collaboration with Fortinet on software-defined branch networks shows that you can combine both – enabling reliable, secure connectivity within and across multiple sites.”

In a post-pandemic world with relentless pressures on workforces, budgets, and an increasingly complex threat landscape, customers are looking for help to evolve their organisations securely and address rapidly changing business challenges, added Paul Anderson, VP UK and Ireland at Fortinet.

BT launches free cybersecurity tools for small UK businesses

Last year, BT launched free cybersecurity tools for small UK businesses in the wake of research which discovered that potentially thousands of the UK’s smallest firms have little or no business-grade cybersecurity measures in place. The move saw small businesses with standard BT business broadband subscriptions benefit from cybersecurity tools and resources including content control, web protection, and advice-led content from partners such as the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

BT also launched a new phase of its The Future is Now campaign with a focus on helping businesses stay safe online. This featured advice-led content from partners and a new interactive online tool to help small businesses spot cyberthreats in workplace scenarios and learn how to combat them.