The truth is, small restaurants are not only just as likely to fall victim to a data breach, in many ways they may actually be more of a target.
A smaller budget to spend on high-tech security and a no IT department to handle issues as they arise can be enticing to hackers. Multipurpose computers on a single network, meaning that every device can access all of the same information regardless of the employee’s job duties, can leave the door wide open for a virus that roots around the entire network.
Whether you just started or have owned your small Mom And Pop Restaurant for 20 years; you need to pay close attention to how you handle sensitive customer information.
What are the cybersecurity vulnerabilities Restaurants face?
Attackers often target point-of-sale (POS) systems, installing malware that steals credit card information when the POS system is used. Restaurant owners face threats from human error, hard drive malfunction, and cyberattackers using malware, phishing expeditions, and data theft to steal treasure-troves of client and financial information. POS systems communicate with clients loyalty accounts and pass everything from personal contact information to bank account information via electronic methods. Your customers information must be protected in transit and in your possession.
Online Ordering
As the COVID-19 viral pandemic continues to cause major disruptions throughout the global economy, countless restaurants across the U.S. are shifting to a delivery or pickup business model in order to survive, often with a heavy reliance on online orders and digital payment.
Criminal actors are taking advantage of this spike in online commerce: March 2020 saw a 600 percent increase in email phishing scams, whereby criminals send employees official-looking emails in an attempt to obtain accounts passwords, sensitive data or access to internal systems.
What cybersecurity regulations affect small restaurant owner?
Federal Laws that apply to you:
If you have international Clients:
If you have clients in these states:
What are the consequences of a data breach?
Financial Loss
Reputational Damage
Operational Downtime
Legal Action
Loss of Sensitive Data
60% chance of going out of business
What is the cost of a data breach?
If you have collected personal information on 1000 clients and you have a breach, you are liable to provide them with identity theft insurance that costs $200 per person. (That is $200,000 and will force most small businesses into bankruptcy).