It’s that time of the year again. It gets darker quicker; employees may be working later hours to accommodate holiday sales and specials. Then, there’s holiday shopping, meaning that many people will become vulnerable to cyberscams. All of this may be incredibly stressful for many businesses and employees. Here are some tips to keep yourself, and your business, safe.

Staying cyber-safe

Cyberscams are happening more often as hackers tweak their methods. Many cyberscams usually happen through text messages, phishing, and social media.

Keep software updated

Whether you are using a phone or tablet, keep the software updated on work and personal devices. This is the best protection against malware and phishing. Hackers have a harder time developing malware to hack into new systems.

Watch out for phishing and false messages

Phishing attacks are happening more often because hackers have made their emails look more convincing to the user. So, watch out for brand impersonation, order receipts, fake shipping and delivery notices, and fake bank alerts. If you suspect an email to be fake, be sure to report it to the company or a phishing website.

Fake order receipts are sent often. If you receive a receipt from a store you didn’t shop from, do not click on the link to “resolve an issue.” Call your bank or check your bank account to see if the charges are there first.

During the holidays, scammers know that most will be online shopping on sites such as Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Look out for these fake shipping and delivery notices claiming to be any of these companies. The best way to keep track of your real purchases, shipping, and delivery is to make an account.

Eighty-two percent of people open every text message they receive, so this method is usually what hackers use the most. 1 If you receive a text message saying your account has been compromised, be sure to log into your actual account to check rather than clicking on the link.

Keeping your business and employees safe

When scheduling evening shifts, encourage employees to practice safety procedures when closing. Never schedule one person to work alone during a night shift. Robberies and kidnappings happen often during the holidays, so it is best to increase security measures and encourage employees to walk out together.

Remind employees to lock up devices, such as tablets and phones in a secure safe. This safe should be in the back of the restaurant or business. It is also best to make sure employees are handling money in the back, if possible, to keep the employee, devices, money, and other assets, safe.

As mentioned before, to ensure the safety of your business, make sure that security software, recording devices, and security alarms are up-to-date and working correctly. This will prevent any hackers from compromising the security system and will help you monitor your business before, after, and during business hours.

Additional Resources

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has a host of free tools and services to help with keeping your restaurant secure. Visit their website for more information:

https://www.cisa.gov/free-cybersecurity-services-and-tools

The National Restaurant Association has useful tools on their website along with information on cybersecurity specific to restaurants. https://restaurant.org/education-and-resources/resource-library/cybersecurity-resources-at-the-ready/