POS Systems are targeted en masse every day, and there is little concern on the part of the retailers because they turn a blind eye to the problem.
Point of Sale (POS) Software is well known in the retail industry, but frequently not by name to consumers. They are the systems retailers use to run purchasing transactions for consumers. Whenever a consumer hands their credit card over to be processed for a purchase, it is swiped through a POS system. This type of software offers automation, significantly reducing the time the business owner spends on things like office management reporting, bookkeeping, employee tracking, inventory tracking, and a myriad of other functions. Unfortunately, these POS manufacturers do not feel it is their responsibility to protect the consumer across the board.
As consumers volunteer their personal information daily, they believe the transaction will be safe because of a type of faith in the credit card companies, the stores that use these credit cards and the employees in between. It could also be called personal trust, built between the store culture and the consumer.
That personal trust factor is no longer enough for any consumer nor small business. While the modern consumer could previously be complacent about these transactions, everyone needs to look out for common scams, and be aware of their credit report standings. Businesses need to be very cautious about their POS system security. POS systems not ONLY need to be updated regularly, but the equipment it operates on also needs to be maintained regularly. Ignoring this cost to a business is flirting with disaster.
While most small businesses have been able to figure out how to get along without IT help in the past, current trends in hacking has made this impossible. Greater budget will be needed to hire IT Security Consultants who specialize in identifying security holes, and updating everything needed to follow a current ‘best practices’ plan. Without hiring these professionals, nor performing regular updates, any POS system is a “sitting duck” for hackers.
Contact Menlo Technical Consulting today and find out more about how to better protect your POS system and small business.