Providing a more secure guest Wi-Fi experience is good for business

The public guest Wi-Fi network your organization provides to customers and the public is convenient, but the simple fact is that consumers may not trust it.  

In fact, consumers generally lack confidence that free, open-access Wi-Fi networks will adequately protect their online privacy and personal data. In a new report based on a survey of more than 400 consumers conducted by fiber internet provider Kinetic Business (available for free download here), more than half (57%) of respondents said they feel their data is unsafe when using an open-access public or business Wi-Fi network.

There's value in demonstrating your business puts customers first and takes data privacy seriously, and cultivating consumer trust can positively differentiate your brand and translate into tangible benefits. A 2024 report from Ciscofound, for example, that organizations are increasingly recognizing a connection between online privacy investments and business benefits. More than 70% of the 2,600 security and privacy professionals that Cisco surveyed indicated their organizations are getting "significant" or "very significant" benefits from their data privacy investments.

The Kinetic Business report, meanwhile, suggests there's a clear need for organizations that offer free guest Wi-Fi to not only increase the security of their networks, but to be upfront with consumers about how data is being used. Trust erodes when consumers don't have a say in how and where their data is collected and used, and when their data is handled by entities that feel distant and beyond their influence. Consumers feel their data is safest in the hands of entities that provide essential and professionally managed services, including healthcare providers, financial institutions and internet service providers (ISPs). On the other hand, the only entities they trust less with personal data than public and business Wi-Fi are foreign governments. 

To compound the problem, consumers and businesses don't appear motivated to take measures to protect themselves.Slightly more than one-third (37%) of respondents indicated they update their passwords every few months, for example, while less than one-third said they change privacy setting on their accounts, use private browsing or read privacy policy updates. This points to a clear sense of inertia and fatigue among consumers when it comes to fighting the daily online safety and privacy battle. And businesses evidently feel likewise. 

In a separate 2025 survey, Kinetic Business found a troubling disconnect in which a sizable majority of small and midsized business (SMB) leaders - 59% - admitted their organization needs to improve cybersecurity, yet less than half (49%) said their organization intends to invest in digital security technology this year. 

Building Trust - and a United Digital Security Front

For consumers and businesses alike, the means to close this digital safety gap is at hand in the form of internet service with built-in, "set-it-and-forget-it" protections that don't require them to be technically adept and constantly vigilant. Instead, they get internet (and Wi-Fi) service with embedded security measures and automatic, seamless updates from the ISP itself. 

These measures should include at least a firewall, along with antivirus protections that are updated without cost or disruption to the customer. All the better if the service is built on a fiber network, which offers clear performance, reliability and security advantages over other options. This kind of bundled service gives businesses confidence that their ISP is actively working on their behalf to protect their data and privacy.

Businesses then can tout these built-in protections to their guest Wi-Fi users to give them greater peace of mind. They could, for example, use a branded login/splash page for guest Wi-Fi to provide a brief explanation of the security measures that protect the network and its users, and how their data will be used: "Here are the extra steps we're taking to protect you and your data…" This is an important trust-builder.

These kinds of guest Wi-Fi assurances require choosing the right ISP and internet service. ISPs, however, are not all created equal, so how do you evaluate them? Besides high-speed fiber internet that includes integrated, regularly updated security measures from the provider (to keep pace with the latest viruses, malware, etc.), businesses can benefit from having an ISP that offers expert guidance and 24/7/365 technical support as part of its service. 

A strong ISP partner can prove valuable, particularly to the sizable share of businesses that are short on internal digital security know-how and resources. In the Kinetic Business SMB survey, for example, 52% of respondents said they lack in-house training and expertise to manage a digital threat. 

Investing in more secure internet and Wi-Fi isn't just good for customers, it's good for the business, too. Extra protection around internal networks safeguards the overall infrastructure, data, and intellectual property from potentially devastating attacks. 

While it's reasonable for businesses to expect their ISP to play a strong role in protecting against digital threats, it's also incumbent on businesses themselves to follow good online safety and privacy practices. That includes basic steps like updating guest access passwords often, segmenting the public-facing Wi-Fi network from internal Wi-Fi networks (for point-of-sale, etc.), setting up automated alerts to flag suspicious network traffic, and generally enforcing and reinforcing good cybersecurity habits with employees.

The message from businesses and consumers is clear: They view public Wi-Fi as risky and beyond just a fast internet connection, they want guest networks that are secure and protect their privacy by design.

Therein lies a golden opportunity for businesses, and by extension, their ISPs, to become proactive partners with consumers on the digital safety and privacy front. Keeping customers safe isn't just an IT task; it's fundamental to shaping trust, loyalty, and the overall experience people have with a company and its brand. A more secure Wi-Fi experience will allow businesses to inspire public trust while also protecting their own assets. It will also help form a united front against the online threats that seemingly lurk around every digital corner.