Cities are getting smarter — and as a consequence, they’re also getting more susceptible to cyberattacks than ever before.

Underscoring this problem is the magnitude of investment governments are making in their IT networks. According to a 2020 report, investment in smart technologies by cities alone is expected to reach $327 billion by 2025. With more city and state governments becoming more connected, the threats of exposure to cyberattacks will continue to grow.

As a financial organization, protecting your assets is non-negotiable. And equally as important to the financial assets your institution holds is your data. A robust cybersecurity posture is your first line of defense.

Sometime in the last few years, the inconveniences created by some virtual communications became so common they turned into meme-worthy transgressions.

We’re talking about those network interruptions that freeze faces and cause voices to truncate and disappear mid sentence — not to mention the distracting background noises bleeding over from a co-worker logging in from a corner café.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, business owners face increasing challenges securing their communications. The good news is, the introduction of 5G wireless service has revolutionized how your business can safeguard its sensitive information.

What will the cities of the future look like? You don’t have to wait to find out — digital transformation, along with rapidly developing technologies like AI, are already creating the connected cities we’ve long envisioned.

The bottom line is always at the top of every business’s list of priorities. For IT departments, that means maximizing operational uptime and facilitating company growth.

That’s especially important when you consider a single minute of downtime can cost a financial institution $9,000 — an hourly rate of more than half a million dollars.