![]() Since information has a nasty tendency to leak out, the less you store, the better. So is other data, such as the social security numbers of employees. It’s not just credit card numbers that are craved by data thieves. The longer you wait, the greater the damage. If something seems even remotely suspicious, don’t hesitate to have security experts investigate. It’s critical to constantly update your system to the newest technologies.ĭon’t doddle. It’s probably best to have a third-party payment card specialist who understands security breaches review your system. You must actively police your POS systems to make sure no one is tampering with them. ![]() Then see if you might share any of those weaknesses.īe proactive. Pay attention to news stories and see if there are common points of weakness among retailers. So, what’s a restaurant to do to protect itself? Here is Woods’ list of the most important steps to take:īe aware. The fact is, because restaurants process so many credit cards-and have so much point-of-sale equipment-they are data-thief magnets. “We’re seeing fast food as the most well publicized because they are some of the easier targets,” she says. Worse yet, the fast-food industry will be seeing more than its share of future data breaches, projects Jennifer Woods, an attorney at the law firm Clark Hill. In the first nine months of 2014, there were 904 million records compromised in 1,922 confirmed incidents for businesses accepting credit and debit cards in the U.S., reports Heartland Payment Systems, a major payment-processing provider. Wendy’s isn’t the first quick-serve company to suffer a data breach, nor will it be the last. It’s just a question of when they find out about it.” “It’s a virtual certainty that everyone will suffer a data breach. “Until this investigation is completed, it is difficult to determine with certainty the nature or scope,” says spokesman Bob Bertini in an email. Wendy’s officials declined to discuss their latest breach. The media adores data-breach stories, and once a data breach-no matter how small-hits a national chain, the example is cited for years as a nightmare scenario. So the question is: What happens to the very public image of a company like Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, or Jimmy John’s when the data security of its best customers is compromised with a breach? He wanted his brand image to be spotless. That’s part of what makes news of the recent Wendy’s credit card breach, which possibly affected thousands of customers, so difficult for the company. Above all, he knew how critical it was for consumers to view Wendy’s as one step above the rest of fast food. He knew that his own quirky advertising image had to be endearing. He knew that Wendy’s beef had to be fresh. Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas knew what mattered.
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