| Well managed point of sale systems are imperative to | | | | experienced hackers may find extremely tempting. So |
| any business that uses a cash register. POS Systems | | | | if you can, backup up your data on your own private |
| allow for much faster processing time, better customer | | | | secure network away from the internet prowlers |
| service and more accurate record keeping abilities. | | | | looking for a hacking challenge with a huge prize. |
| The problem is, can all of the valuable information on | | | | Keep It Simple |
| there be safe? In 2007, three men managed to hack | | | | Treat all point of sale systems like you would any |
| into the popular restaurant chain Dave and Busters' | | | | other computer in your business and keep an eye on |
| point of sale system and log credit card and payment | | | | who is in and out of it. Restrict access for only those |
| card data. By doing so, the hackers were given | | | | people who absolutely need it and if you can, keep it |
| access to about 5,000 cards and were able to make | | | | to yourself. The fewer people who have access to it |
| more than $600,000 in fraudulent transactions. | | | | the more secure and protected it will be. |
| Another troubling instance is when well-known | | | | Keep in mind what your POS Systems are supposed |
| computer security company McAfee had an issue | | | | to do for your business, specifically, and keep it to |
| with its POS system and inadvertently forced a major | | | | those functions. Just because it might be able to |
| Australian Supermarket to close its doors for a short | | | | perform all of the same functions your office PC does, |
| while. In this case a bug incorrectly identified a | | | | doesn't mean that you should. So save sending e-mails |
| legitimate operating system component as containing a | | | | and checking your fantasy teams to your secure |
| virus. While the problem was dealt with swiftly, it still | | | | personal computer as doing so only makes your POS |
| raised many questions and concerns with point of sale | | | | Systems more accessible to outside hackers. |
| systems in general. | | | | Also, keep the information traveling in one direction and |
| There are a few things that are relatively quick and | | | | not processed through every register in your business. |
| easy that you can do to help protect your system that | | | | This will help restrict the hacking options available to |
| are often skipped over. | | | | get to your sensitive data and can also perform |
| Back It Up | | | | damage control should a glitch of some kind occur. |
| Simply put, POS Systems are really just a specified | | | | Do All That You Can |
| computer and just like any other computer system it | | | | There is no way to absolutely protect yourself and |
| can crash. Any time you are housing large quantities of | | | | your POS Systems from hackers, crashes and |
| sensitive data you want to make sure that it isn't lost in | | | | glitches but it's important to do as much as you can. |
| the event of a crash or power outage so it's important | | | | Remember, limit who has access to your system to |
| to back it up. | | | | as few people as possible. If a problem does arise you |
| If possible it's best to back it up using a private and | | | | will be able to identify and fix it quickly. Also limit the |
| secure network where you have the greatest level of | | | | use of the systems to what they are specifically |
| control. However, especially with smaller businesses, | | | | designed to do and avoid using them for other |
| this is not only always doable so there are other | | | | personal and business operations. |
| options. Google's cloud network is an example of an | | | | The larger your company the more data and |
| online live server where you can store secure | | | | information you will have and more people will need |
| information and shared documents but there are | | | | access to it so keep in mind you may need multiple |
| concerns. | | | | safeguards to help protect it. Talk to your vendors and |
| Although systems like this do offer top of the line | | | | make sure they are aware of your security questions |
| security, they also place all of your sensitive and | | | | and concerns so they can help you set up your point |
| valuable information in one convenient place that | | | | of sale systems up to best serve your needs. |