Are YOU prepared for a restaurant point of sale credit card PCI security audit?

Sept. 2, 2009 - PRLog -- Are YOU prepared for a restaurant point of sale credit card PCI security audit?

Hundreds of restaurants is being opposed by the credit card industry for not fully protecting their diner's credit card data from potential theft, with Visa, MasterCard and financial institutions that process electronic payment over the months are sending warning letters and holding seminars. With these moves, it forces restaurants to take more action when it comes to guarding their diners' credit card info.

On the side of companies that process card transactions, there are still tens of thousands of eateries that do not comply with the security rules set by the credit card industry.  Any company that takes plastic is required to follow a set of security regulations instituted by Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

In the data recorded by Visa indicates that since January of 2005, around 40% of the incident wherein criminals gain unauthorized access to credit card info is made up of restaurants -- accounting for the largest percentage of incidents for a merchant category.

Separately, AmbironTrustWave, a Chicago-based data security auditor for merchants, reported that 62 percent of the security violations it witnessed during the prior 18 months occurred in the restaurant industry.

These violations includes various security lapses such as wireless networks that are poorly guarded -- which easily enable thieves to access sensitive information using a laptop from the parking lot -- and lax systems that makes it a lot easier for unethical employee to grab credit card information.

Consumers often are unaware when their credit card information is in danger. Not all security breaches produced successful fraud, and mostly, merchants do not acknowledge incidents unless there is a significant likelihood that a major fraud will take place or has already been identified. Also, issuers of credit cards usually don't close a customer's account unless fraud has taken place.

Restaurant owners may have a rough time with credit card security rules, since its regulations can be very difficult for small sized businesses. Hearing from the restaurant owners who thought they complied with rules, the National Restaurant Association trade group found out their systems were not functioning properly and were penalized.

Fines for restaurants that violate credit card industry rules by storing credit card data have amounted to more than $100,000 in some cases. Visa fined merchants across all categories $4.6 million for security violations in 2006, an increase from the $3.4 million in fines the previous year.

Visa, believes a merchant group needs additional attention, held special security briefings with several hundred restaurants.

At the same time, the companies that process credit cards have also turned the heat on restaurants. Credit card companiesthreatened those who do not follow security regulations that they will end their services.

Most restaurants uses special software with features such as as tabulating bills, delivering orders to the kitchen and tracking reservations, credit card companies are worried because they cannot require software makers to follow their security rules, so they put on the pressure to restaurants. Visa maintains a list on its Web site of software programs that meet its requirements.

But software programmers that even with the best software, restaurants can still be in trouble if they lack in password protection or firewalls. For software companies, they say that it's not their part to let restaurant owners know what they must do to in order to comply with credit card security rules.

-----------------------------------

The author of this article is the VP of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants.com with over 20 years experience helping restaurants nationwide increase their efficiency and bottom-line profits using restaurant POS systems.

You may visit http://www.pos-for-restaurants.com for more information on how our national network of restaurant point of sale experts can help your business achieve greater success in these difficult economic times.

-----------------------------------

# # #

Searching for the best Restaurant POS System Solution for your business?
We're a National network of POS System Solution Experts who offer better value and features than most "Major National Suppliers"!