We talk a lot about malware and protecting your computers and servers from intrusion. But, your Point-of-Sale systems are another window of weakness where cyber attacks can occur. We all remember the Target attack. More recently, Eddie Bauer found itself a victim as well. Think about it. POS Systems are ripe with valuable payment data that criminals would want access to. So how can you protect your POS security?
1. Monitoring
These attacks can occur without anyone noticing for several months, often via malicious code spread through the remote access services that maintain the system.
‘These remote access services can be poorly configured with guessable passwords, enabling the hackers to break in and distribute the malware to hundreds or thousands of point-of-sale machines. It also doesn’t help that the malware can be tricky to detect. Sometimes, it can sneak past antivirus programs, and then stealthily extract payment data, despite the presence of traditional firewalls. Then it can send out the stolen data slowly, making it look like normal traffic.’ (ComputerWorld)
Monitoring by a Managed Service provider can be an easy solution if you’re unable to have a full-time cybersecurity analyst on staff. They are trained in the latest attacks, prevention, and solutions. They are also watching 24/7/365.
2. Encryption
If the hackers get past your security measures and gain access to your data, try to make it useless to them. End-to-End encryption is the best way to do this. This means your data is encrypted by your system and can only be unlocked when it reaches the set endpoint with the master key.
‘Businesses are far less vulnerable to any data breach if they move to end-to-end encryption. That means encrypting the customer’s data throughout the entire payment process, including the moment the credit card is swiped. This technique can help close any loopholes and vulnerabilities within the system.’ (ComputerWorld)
3. Training
Every level of your organization needs to understand the importance of security. They need to understand the threats they face and how their actions and vigilance can prevent them. Digital risk management is crucial in today’s interconnected business networks.
If you think it’s time to bring in a Managed Service Provider to monitor your POS or network security, call the engineers at Great Lakes Computer Corporation. We offer managed services for Point-of-Sale systems, as well as network monitoring, and anti-virus programs. We have you covered. Contact us today.
