RTN POS Security Technical Guidance Helps Any-Size Restaurant Level Up
The Restaurant Technology Network (RTN) recently completed a seven-month-long collaborative workgroup, uniting restaurant operators and suppliers in a common mission: to uncover and document best practices for securing the point-of-sale. RTN hosted a webinar to discuss the best takeaways and share the completed output with the industry.
The POS Security Best Practices webinar featured panelists Courtney Radke, CISO for National Retail, Fortinet, Aaron Branson, Senior VP, Marketing, Netsurion and Tim Tang, Director, Enterprise Solutions for HughesON.
KEY INSIGHTS
- “POS is super evolutionary,” commented Radke. “It’s almost evolved into a point-of-business. There’s a real need now for standardization. We are all in this for the same reason: to create a better, safer, more consistent guest experience.”
- The RTN workgroups bring top cybersecurity talent in the industry together. “The criminals are collaborating, sharing tools and supporting each other; we must do the same,” said Tang. “Restaurants compete on compelling food experiences, not cybersecurity. This is an area we need to come together. I encourage all restaurants to participate in the workgroups.”
- According to Branson, “Security in theory versus security in practice is tough. The key is standardization. The (RTN) document does a nice job of providing guidance when it comes to franchisee and franchisor shared responsibilities, endpoint security integration and smart partnerships. I recommend restaurants spend some time unpacking the section on MSSP considerations.”
- “We wanted to make cybersecurity more accessible to the industry,” added Tang. “What do you do initially, versus how you grow your cybersecurity stack as your business grows. We’ve included things like third-party integration, privacy considerations, infrastructure from a managed SD-WAN perspective or WiFi. The emerging brands, as well as the more mature brands, can really get a lot out of it.”
- “We typically think about the credit card data being the target,” mentioned Branson, “but it’s important to be aware of what’s happening with supply chain attacks, like SolarWinds, and ransomware attacks like what we just saw with Colonial Pipeline. The restaurant space has all these supply chains and integrations. I’m curious about what the current exposure may be to a POS ransomware attack.”
The RTN POS Security Best Practices is a great resource designed for new brands and established brands alike. “The participation of the operators in this group allowed us to create an evolutionary guide, former, current and future state, and what each of those mean,” concluded Radke. “It’s okay to be a fast follower, and not on the cutting edge. There are still things you can do to secure those environments today. We’re just trying to give you some tips and tricks, wherever you are along the journey.”
Join RTN Workgroups to participate in workgroups with the industry’s top technology talent and help shape restaurant technology for the future. HT