Security is at the forefront of both customers’ and restaurants’ minds.  With the amount of hackers and viruses that are present on the internet, it is no surprise that they are concerned.  But there are ways to protect against hacking.  Restaurants can take specific measures to ensure their sites are secure and give their customers piece of mind.

The first thing restaurants can do is set up passwords to protect them and their customers who log on.  Passwords should be long, about 10 characters, and include numbers and punctuation.  It is also a good idea to not store or share passwords online.  Restaurants can even set a limit on the amount of times a user can try a password before they will be locked out.

Software is something that restaurants should keep an eye on.  Updating software and turning off unused features makes it harder for hackers to find holes.  Firewalls can also be put in place to add another level of security.

Restaurants can use encryption to protect the transactions between them and their customers.  Both the restaurant and the customer will have two keys, a private and public one.  The transaction will be locked with a combination of the restaurant’s private key and the customer’s public key.  It can then only be unlocked with the restaurant’s public key and the customer’s private key, therefore eliminating outside intrusion.  Keys, which are measured in bits, are more secure in larger sizes such as the commonly used 128-bit.  These keys are less likely to be broken into by hackers.

Credit card numbers and personal information should be encrypted to be kept safe.  Having encrypted connections and transaction ensures the customer that the restaurant will take good care of their valuable information.  Deleting this information after it is used is the best way to protect it from outside sources.

Restaurants can use these steps to make their websites as secure as possible.  Those that have online ordering can be assured that when their customers put in their credit card information it will safe.  This is important to customers and will make them feel better about purchasing food online.

Savanna Eckenrode
MenuDrive
www.menudrive.com

Tags: encryption, security

Posted in Uncategorized