Best Practices for Cybersecurity (Podcast)

Restaurants and cybersecurity is the hot topic in this episode of The Main Course. Host Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) Executive Editor Barbara Castiglia speaks with litigator and cybersecurity expert Jacey Kaps about what restaurants need to know about data security. Kaps is a partner with Rumberger Kirk and has been practicing law for 25 years. 

“There has been an uptick in cyber-attacks during the pandemic. Even with ongoing efforts to attack it, bad actors can still avoid the systems put in place. There are so many ways, in spite of the counter efforts, for cyber-attacks to occur,” Kaps said.

One area where restaurants are at a disadvantage is the investment aspect of fighting cybersecurity. Most in the industry are financially strapped and focusing on cutting costs. Kaps noted that restaurants can still follow best practices and be proactive.

His best advice is for restaurants to have a written data security plan and take “reasonable measures to protect data.” He also spoke about a checklist of cybersecurity must-haves for the formal plan. Some essential items include defining how they collect and store data, how often updates are run on software and firewalls, ensuring vendors are also using best practices, and training employees on data security protocols.

A new episode of The Main Course, our podcast series with MarketScale, is served up every Tuesday and Thursday.