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Why Should Restaurants Worry About Cybersecurity?

Restaurants are part of a fast-paced industry and serve hundreds or even thousands of customers a day. With all of the prep work that goes into the daily grind, they may put cybersecurity on the back burner. However, restaurants need to have a strong cybersecurity plan in place to protect their business and customers. That’s why we have provided a few examples that highlight why restaurants should make cybersecurity a high priority.

Cybercriminals Target POS Systems To Intercept Customer Data

Hacking a point-of-sale (POS) terminal should be a concern for anyone in the food and beverage (F&B) industry. Research indicates that this industry has the highest share of POS-related incidents. This is due in large part to the fact that restaurants conduct the majority of their transactions via payment terminals. Hacking into these systems is attractive to cybercriminals because they can potentially steal a large volume of customer data.

A POS hack that hit fast-food giant Wendy’s exposed over 18 million payment cards from 7,500 financial firms — ultimately forcing Wendy’s to pay a $50 million breach settlement to the banks that were compromised in the data breach. To keep customer data safe, restaurants need a cybersecurity strategy that will help protect their POS terminals.

Human Error Can Cause Online Ordering Security Risks

If your restaurant gives customers the option to order online, you need to make sure that their information is safe from hackers. If someone on your staff makes a mistake in protecting customer data, it could be visible to hackers. This happened to Panera Bread when it discovered a security issue on its online ordering system that exposed customers’ names, emails, addresses, birthdays, and the last four digits of its credit card numbers. Panera Bread may have fallen victim to a cyberattack if it did not work with cybersecurity experts who were able to identify and fix this issue.

Cybersecurity Is Critical to Ensuring PCI Compliance

Restaurants handle a large volume of customer data that is safeguarded under PCI compliance guidelines, meaning they need to ensure that they are always following the required protocols. Staying compliant can be tricky for restaurants because there are frequent changes, including updated requirements for chip card readers and the processes to authenticate and secure debit and credit card transactions.

Top cybersecurity partners can provide reporting and logging information that gives restaurants insights into their compliance. For example, PCI-DSS Compliance Review and Wireless PCI Compliance reports can help you ensure your restaurant is PCI compliant.

Schedule a free consultation to see how TPx can help secure your business.

 

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