Throughout their daily operations, retailers deal with a vast amount of information. This can pertain to their customers, their revenues, their employees, their competitors – the list is endless. Businesses want to keep this data safe, and for many, the systems they use may be sufficient. However, research has shown that those within the retail industry are becoming a target for data breaches conducted by hackers.

CSO Online reports that according to the Data Breach Investigations Reports by Verizon, there were a total of 621 confirmed data breaches worldwide. Of that number, nearly one-quarter (24 percent) targeted retailers. That accounts for 156 incidents, which highlights the growing need for more secure data management systems within retail operations, the source noted. By doing this, merchants can prevent malicious attacks that attempt to steal consumer payment information, businesses' bank account details and a variety of other sensitive data.

But just how can retailers go about accomplishing more security within their organizations? USA Today recommends that companies develop policies that restrict access to their information, allowing it only to be viewed by authorized parties with strong password protection. In addition, frequently updating malware and anti-virus software can help keep attacks at bay. Implementing secure retail management software and POS solutions provides even more protection.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, May 13th, 2013 at 4:57 am .