From POS to Production: Securing Systems in Retail, Food Service, and Manufacturing
By Todd Wentz, CEO, Wentz IT Consulting
If you think data security is only about protecting customer credit cards, think again. In retail, food service, and manufacturing, your entire operation—from the register to the supply chain—is digital. And that makes it vulnerable.
Retail: Where Customer Trust Lives and Dies
- POS systems are often outdated and exposed to public networks
- Skimmers and wireless attacks target payment terminals
- Public Wi-Fi can bleed into private systems without segmentation
- Customer loyalty platforms and online stores are common entry points
Food Service: Fast-Paced, High Risk
- Mobile ordering and delivery apps expand the attack surface
- Staff turnover leads to weak access control practices
- Unsecured tablets, registers, and back-office systems
- No time to patch or reboot, so vulnerabilities linger
Manufacturing: The Forgotten Target
- Legacy systems that were never designed to be secure
- SCADA/ICS devices connected to business networks
- Ransomware attacks that shut down production lines
- Little visibility into who accessed what, and when
What All These Industries Have in Common
- They rely on uptime
- They don’t have full-time security teams
- Their systems evolve faster than their policies
- They’re busy running the business—not defending it
How to Start Securing the Gaps
You don’t need enterprise-grade tools to make a difference. Start with:
- Network segmentation: Keep public, guest, and POS traffic separated
- Regular patching of all systems—including that old back office PC
- Unique logins and MFA where possible
- A list of systems you rely on (and who has access)
- Our industry-specific security gap checklist (linked below)
Final Thoughts
Your tech is your lifeline—but if it’s not protected, it’s also your biggest liability. Start tightening up before an attacker finds the gap for you.
Download our checklist to pinpoint your highest-risk systems today.