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Talks about different ways to prevent fraud in different areas of the restaurant.

This article mainly focused on ways restauranteurs can avoid theft. For employee theft, inventory management, complimentary control and a POS system that can track the whereabouts of the items are good ways to deal with it. For dine-and-dash, the restaurant will be safer if adding surveillance and using a single entrance. Also, using credit cards is a nice way. For credit card fraud, preferring to use a "smart card" technology will be a vital way.

Even though this article is from 2019 it is still extremely relevant today. POS systems are found in most hospitality outlets and the chances for a security breach are high. I have often thought when I had my credit card to a waiter and they are gone for 10 minutes are they copying the number, is it being added to a database that can then be hacked? The importance of having the proper securities in place, the proper malware and security software is really important. Having had a catering company for 20 years I had to do PCI compliance tests every 6 months and for years I just handed it over to my IT to do the test. He would suggest things to make us safer and since it usually cost money I would shake it off. It wasnt until the credit card processing company i was using had a security breach that I realized how important these PCI rules were. It is something going forward I will always pay attention to!

I myself have a Square and swear by it. I use it to sell homemade goods and trinkets and fairs, as well as sell baked goods at fundraising events. The Square app and unit are free (after registry refund) and are simple to use. Just connect it to a bank account and you are off. You can take and keep track of both cash and credit card payments. Plus inventory tracking is easy. The Square turns any iPad, iPhone, iPod or android device into a traveling POS system. Plus there is no paper involved so it's a great first step to running a Green business. Square is the POS solution for small businesses. 

This article is about a new and advanced malware called Dexter that is targeting POS systems. The article reports that 30% of the infections are in the US (world wide). When the virus attacts the POS it steals credit card information that can be used to make duplicate credit cards to be used. There is software to help fight off the virus however people have never seen this kind of virus because of the power it was to attack the system, so this is something to be on the look out for.

Point of sales systems have been increasing popular in all retail and service industries. POS systems help companies integrate their accounting systems, track inventory, cut operating costs and more, while keeping all their company information in one place. Having a dated system in place could potentially cause frustration with the stores customers. Having an older system or cash register in place could cause long lines and inaccurate register transactions like it did for Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt. Before using a POS system it would take even the most experienced worker 2 minutes or more to process a credit card, now it take 20 seconds. This keeps the lines shorter and the customers happy. There are issues that still arise from POS systems, for example security. One retail store based out of New York City had issues with people hacking into their DSL routers and accessing 3 months of credit card information. This company didn't seem to have any real security in place as far as accessing the system, as all employees used the same password to log in. The company used password policies and tougher procedures with credit cards to beef up security. Another company, also based out of NYC, has seen a faster and easier way to control inventory through the use to POS systems. This system can tell the managers what needs to be repurchased if an item is popular, or what's still sitting on the shelves and not being sold. This helps controls losses at the end of the season with less merchandise needed to be sold at discounted prices. Whether it's a hotel, retail store, or restaurant, POS systems help organize a company's most important and valuable information.

This article does a great job of showing the history of the point of sales system and looking at the future of the POS System. Point of sales, or retail transactions, have been around since humans were created. Cash transactions took place between consumers and merchants, and the cash was kept in a box. The cash register, a mechanical cash box, was the first real POS System that kept track of revenues. It wasn't until businesses started using barcodes that the POS really started to change. Merchants could process sales more quickly and accurately. Restaurants were among the first to use mobile POS systems. Staff could process credit cards at the table, and place orders without ever having to write an order down. Apple, for example, eliminates the cash register altogether and handles all transactions from hand-held devices. These new systems of POS reduce labor costs and increase productivity. The elimination of written orders increases the accuracy of servers and gives customers a better quality of service. The future of the POS System is bright. Restaurants have created iPhone apps that allow customers to place their orders before they even reach the restaurant, while others let servers carry around a small computer that allows them to process transactions from wherever they are. Even more advancements are beginning to take place. Encrypted card readers and contact less payment methods will increase the security of mobile POS systems. Eventually a person's cell phone will be able to be passed over a terminal and act as a credit card. These advancements are ultimately to create more time for the guest and the business as well as make shopping more automatic. In today's society where people are controlled by the need to shop, a more automatic type of transaction is the best invention.

This short article briefly discusses some of the ways in which hotels are taking more initiatives to be eco friendly and practice sustainability. This article also lists a number of statistics to support its claims. For example, according to the article, "150-room hotel can conserve 72,000 gallons of water and 480 gallons of laundry soap every year by placing the cards in its guest rooms". The cards that the article is referring to are the little "to save the planet" cards you may see when you check into a hotel in your bathroom, usually near your towels. In fact, the "green cards" are so important to hotels that some companies actually provide them for you so you don't have to make them yourself (for a small fee of course) such as the Green Hotels Association that the article discusses. One of my favorite parts of the article is the "10 Million Trees" initiative taken on by the Four Seasons. According to the article, "The hotel chain is celebrating its 50th anniversary by planting 10 million trees across the 34 countries in which it operates with the hope that the effort will help combat deforestation and global warming and attract more customers concerned about the state of the planet". This concept is truly amazing to me and it definitely should be an aid to help others in learning why "going green" is such a major deal and how seriously it effects not only our futures, but our everyday lives. The article wraps up talking about eco lodges in partnership with natives and why that is important when travelers are passing by.

Hotels are going beyond just encouraging guests to reuse linens and towels. The WTTC and Green Hotel Association are making an effort to implement green initiatives in the industry.

In recent news, Arby's acknowledge a data breach within its restaurants. "Arby's said the breach involved malware placed on payment systems inside Arby's corporate stores, and that Arby's franchised restaurant locations were not impacted." Once figured out the company hired security experts to solve the problem. The initial sign of breach came from a service organization that serves more than 800 credit unions called PSCU. An alert was sent to all cardholders that a fast food chain had been compromised, but no specifics were mentioned. This article points out that, "point of sale malware has driven most of the major retail industry credit card breaches over the past two years." Monitoring your credit/debit card transactions is the best way to be safe in this situation- as long as you report the fraudulent charges you aren't liable. While IT has many positives for any organization, it's not risk adverse. Once a system is hacked all information of company and past users is up for grabs, and credit card companies are forced to take the blow.

This article describes one of the worst situations that could occur when operating a hotel. According to the text, Wyndham Hotel Group failed to implement a strong enough security system, resulting in hackers breaching the network and stealing over 600,000 credit card numbers and over 10 million dollars in fraudulent charges. The FTC is suing Wyndham Corporation for failing to take the proper security measures to guarantee the security of the most important customer information. The FTC also states that Wyndham used improper software configurations that presented credit card information in a manner that was clear and easy to read. Michael Valentino, spokesman for Wyndham Worldwide, the company made prompt efforts to notify those whose information had been compromised and according to Valentino, no hotel customer had experienced a financial loss as a result of the attacks.  Despite Valentino's claims, the FTC is suing Wyndham for unfair and deceptive practices in failing to protect the privacy and personally identifiable information about guests. The FTC claims that Wyndham failed to address the security failures that occurred after the first breach in 2008 and did not implement technology that could have detected unauthorized access to networks. In 2009, hackers used similar techniques to break into the network again as steal as much personal information as they could. 

This article provides a brief overview of the emerging trends for hotel management information systems. The trends focus on easy mobile access, unattended point of sale, radio frequency identification and near field communications. An increasing number of hotel are using the the cloud for on the go mobile connectivity to their POS systems and revenue management software SaaS. You can manage your hotel from anywhere and be up to date instantly. This trend and the next eliminates the need for desk or office time. Lilipad has created an I-product that allows guests to perform their own transactions at I-Pad kiosk which eliminates time at the front desk. The other large emerging trend is tracking devices that can be implanted in phones or even loyalty cards that link to bank and credit card accounts replacing the traditional wallet. While other articles say there is no rush to cellphones replacing wallets just yet, hotels like Aloft are using RFID's in there loyalty cards eliminating the issue of room keys. Notice in all these trends that the face to face contact with guests that we hospitality students enjoy and train for is decreasing with every new technology.

This article makes me see in a way how biometrics is actually a better idea than keycard systems or just old fashioned keys. Only the person who booked the room will be able to open it because you never know who is in possession of they card key or the key. With biometrics, you can either tell the guest to tap 2 or 3 fingers or a whold hand. I think that is respecting their fingerprinting privacy, It could be dangerous in away if anyone wants to fake finger prints but that is why a system should be set up in which the guest chooses what finger they want to use. I think its a better idea. Working in a hotel I see alot of key cards being lost and its a hassle just to get them to show their ID or they might be in the room but not registered. If they loose the key and the room number is on the envelope it is easy access for whomever found the keycard. ith Keys, they are always loosing keys. The safe keys in our hotel is always getting lost. I think its better to use biometrics for unique access only

This is part 3 of a 7-part series about hotel IT security) This article discusses The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS which is "a set of comprehensive requirements for enhancing payment account data security... which fosters a consistent and uniform set of standards among the five major credit brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB). It lists the 12 requirements and six goals which are mandatory for hotels as of July 2010 which include building and maintaining a secure network; protecting Cardholder data; having a vulnerability management program; implementing access control measures; and regularly monitoring and testing networks. As a consumer and as a hospitality professional, it is good to know that there has been a data security standard developed, and that it is required for hotels (and other merchants) to implement and develop compliance programs at every property. Also discussed are six goals for making data security decisions, such as "If you don't need it, don't store it." Upon reading these it is refreshing to see such common sense advice and no pretentiousness in the documentation guidelines. The article finishes stating that data security should not be bothersome or inconvenient, that data security is essential in light of hotel liability consequences should a guest's payment and identification data be compromised.

This article talks about the PCI DSS which has been a mandatory standard since 2010. Every credit card processes by hotel has to conpliant with PCI DSS, or the hotel will be fined up to USD$500,000. The PCI DSS has six specific goads with 12 specific requirements. Those are: Build and maintain a secure network, protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test networks, and maintain an information security policy.

Security and POS wrapped up in one tight little bow. Vectron has came out with a new cctv system that integrates to the hotel or bars POS system. Now the security system time stamps all images linked up to transactions. GM's can set up alerts to be sent to their mobiles or emails. Why is this important? Incidents like employee theft, fraudulent credit card use, guest intoxication, credit card disputes and underage service can all be tracked, imaged and time stamped to serve as evidence. This can help in insurance claims, police reports, reporting credit card fraud or dismissal of employees. There are many times where customers dispute there bills after they have received services in Miami and linking the POS to the security system would be a tool in fighting for payments deserved. Too bad this is a Australian Device and not in America.

Introducing the new dining app Reserve. It creates a seamless dining experience by storing a customer's credit card info upon reservation and immediately charging it once the meal is completed, also charging the customers' preferred tip. That way customers do not have to wait for the back and forth that occurs once they are done with their meal and servers collect payment. While the idea seems amazing, I am worried about the safety of storing people's credit card information on this app.  I also think that with the tipping already pre-included, the incentive on the wait staff's part to deliver great service is diminished. It is also a negative for the client because even if they are not satisfied with the service (or on the other hand if they feel that their server went above and beyond), they are not able to adjust the pre-arranged tip accordingly.  I do think that it is a great way for restaurants to make a nice profit through bids for "highly-sought-after reservations" because people will be more willing to spend a lot to to ensure they get a table at fancier restaurants. 

This article talks about how there is a serious concern in the hotel industry when it comes to credit card and identity theft. They talk about how all the major brands in the hotel industry were all victims of highly publicized, major breaches in the last year alone. Also, including airline and banks, hotels maintain a wealthy amount of database of personal and financial data. For example, with new technology systems being created, POS systems are a weak security point for many networks because they are constantly in use and are not always updated or even protected from vulnerabilities. The article talks about personal details for hotel guests are frequently stored in a variety of locations including restaurants, facilities, and government buildings, so hackers have a greater possibility to access your personal information. The bigger hotels are in more danger because of the volume of guests that come in and out of the location. Smaller hotels should be concerned not just about their security but also by ransomware, an increasingly favorable tactic to extort hoteliers by hackers who encrypt the hotels data making it inaccessible until ransom is paid for. I believe hotels need a toolbelt of various securtiy technologies that can be used to prevent future malicious attacks. I think by managing and implementing a firewall is essential which helps get rid of dangerous traffic from coming onto the network and preventing sensitive data from being hacked.

MOD 10: This article discusses the main tactics of cyber hackers that target hotels. Point of sale (POS) systems are easy targets for hackers due to their constant use during operation hours and because of that their security measures aren't always up to date. Hotels have large data banks since they're storing consumer profile information such as home addresses, phone numbers and credit card numbers. There's a large risk when it comes to security breaches within franchises because they have access to their parent company's regional, national and global systems. If their systems are hacked and breached, then that puts the whole system of the brand at risk. Security breaches within a system can also damage a brands reputation with the public. According to the article, "Recent major breaches at Fortune 500 companies and household names across the retail, restaurant and hotel sectors demonstrate that anti-virus, anti-malware and firewalls alone are not enough to secure businesses from the ever-evolving threat landscape." Smaller properties are even at a greater risk because not only do they have to monitor their compliance with PCI but also monitoring their security systems for their database and PMS system. Some of the recommended software's that should be used by hotels looking to be proactive with their company's cyber security is File Integrity Monitoring(FIM), Unified Threat Management(UTM), and Security Information and Event Management(SIEM).

This article explores the different tactics hotels should use after a cyber attack. The article mentions several different type of attacks such as Phishing when hackers trick customers into giving up their login credentials. Ransomware, when hackers encrypt data making it unusable and inaccessible for the hotel. Not one solution but rather companies should be equipped with a series of technologies from firewalls to file monitoring programs. Some of these technologies, like SIEM requires an intelligent IT team to have the capabilities of analyzing and monitoring the reports produced. This may be more difficult for smaller businesses to implement and maintain.

This article expounds how hoteliers can ensure that their property provides a secure environment, while maintaining friendly customer service. This article goes into further detail about implementing key card access reviews in order to prevent the possibility for a criminal to gain undetectable entree to millions of keycard-protected hotel rooms. According to this article, establishing evergreen background screening protocols and controlling after hours access was also crucial in Hotels ensuring that their key card access systems are not vulnerable to hacking or unlawful access. Above all else, this article goes into great depth about maintaining an emergency response plan and team that would allow hotels to proactively implement prevention and response plans for everything from workplace violence to natural disasters.

The article talks about a couple of technological advancements within the industry that could help improve the customers' stay at the hotel. This advancements would not only benefit the customers but also the workers.

This is an interesting article that describes some of the new technology being implemented to improve how employees are getting paid based on the current workforce's spending habits. These include the ability to be paid by debit cards, ability to be paid daily and have the flexibility to move the money around, AI intelligence to keep track of the employees' work hours on their own devices, and integration of many payroll functions into one platform. With so much technological advancement, it seems that payroll management is one that is still behind with many companies still working with the old clock in and out method which is time consuming.

The article describes the main cyber threats that the hospitality companies face. Over past few years, nearly every major hotel group has been attacked. The same is true for the F&B industry. One of the reasons for that is that the hospitality companies are the ones that process credit card information more than in any other industries. Moreover, hotels and restaurants have many access points for the malware: from wifi networks to POS's. The attackers may also use the third party suppliers (for example, OTA's) to access the hotels' systems. Verizon 2017 Security Payment Report states that less than a half of all hospitality businesses have full credit card payment security compliance. The main type of the attack is POS intrusion. Denial-of-Service Attacks constitute about 20% of the total number. Although they are not so dangerous in terms of sensitive information, they can disturb the company's operations causing significant losses as well. Thus, the hotels and restaurants need to invest in early detection protection provided by the effective firewalls and antiviruses. However, it is also very important to understand that no technology may ever fully substitute the security culture of the company's employees. Many attacks are conducted due to the personal weaknesses of the associates answering the calls, for example. So, in my opinion, in addition to the cyber security systems, there should be appropriate personnel training as well as well elaborated procedure protocols.

This article is very interesting because it shows that the accounting in hospitality industry is never safe. It is crucial to have POS system that are secure as well as having managers that are on top of their duties. The article stated that a total of 41 properties were affected by this and that it hasn't been the first time. This is a call to action for Hyatt as well as other hotels to be more aware of their money.