Ten Steps To Save Your Merchants From Data Breaches

In our January edition of the Reseller Edge newsletter, we discussed the importance of security with topics on PCI Compliance, data breaches, and how to secure your POS system. We continue our Security Matters series with a deeper look at cyber security and how to make sure your merchants are properly prepared to fend off an attack.

The first question you should ask in order to determine whether their business is at risk of a data breach is whether the company maintains sensitive data related to customer credit or debit card information. Additionally, merchants should consider whether they maintain financial information, company records, operational reports, budgets, or other data related to business associates or suppliers.

According to Accenture, “The most expensive component of a cyber-attack is information loss, which represents 43 percent of costs.” It is not uncommon for businesses to maintain at least some sensitive data. If your merchants are not taking these steps to protect such information, they could be at risk.