 As restaurants adopt more technology to efficiently manage everything from processing orders to monitoring appliances, they may also expose themselves to cyber risk. Cyberattacks have been on the rise during the pandemic as cyber criminals have tried to take advantage of vulnerabilities resulting from the widespread disruption to organizations: According to Check Point Research, there was a 50 percent increase in cyberattacks on corporate networks per week in 2021 compared to 2020. Hospitality businesses are especially attractive targets for cyber criminals because they process reams of guest payment information and may inadvertently provide easy gateways to launch an attack – such as a public Wi-Fi connection or an untrained staff member who opens a malicious email attachment. Make sure you’re taking steps to protect your business through staff training and secure software and systems. For example, limit the number of people who can log on to your network. Train staff to be vigilant about emails they open – by only opening messages and attachments from recognized contacts. Have staff use complex passwords that must be changed regularly. Use a firewall to separate transactions in the front of the house and the back. Have a secure, password-protected Wi-Fi network for guests that is separate from your business network. Ensure your malware protection is kept up to date. Finally, you might also consider a cyber insurance policy, which can not only help you recover financial losses due to a cyberattack but also includes post-breach support from IT experts who can identify the source of the problem and help your business get back up and running with minimal interruption.
 You’re likely using your restaurant’s internet connection to process orders, access customer data, monitor the functioning or your kitchen appliances, and communicate with employees, vendors and guests, among many other functions. If your connection suddenly fails, would you be able to operate your business? Using failover technology as a backup connection can help ensure your Internet connection is never interrupted. RocketBroadband is one company that works with restaurants to prevent internet blips. It also offers a mobile connectivity option that may suit restaurants running food trucks or stalls at offsite events where it’s necessary to process payments apart from the restaurant’s usual internet connection.
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