This is an ongoing series of articles about cash discounting and surcharging programs.

I recently returned from a conference and attended a session by Clearent to learn more about this hot topic in the payment world.  The number one take away from this conference - you need to follow the rules very carefully - and work with a partner that knows what they are doing!

Here is the last in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Make Your Data Useless to Criminals

According to the Council:  

"The best way to keep it (your data) safe is to make it useless even if it’s stolen by hiding it, and removing it altogether when it’s not needed. While this can be more complex to put in place, in the long run, it can make security much easier to manage.  While protecting your customer's data can seem overwhelming, below are some basic recommendations that every business should follow."

Did you know that cash discounting and surcharging programs for credit card fees is legal in most states. We have seen an uptick in the use of these methods to offset credit card fees in some locations locally, but isn't common in most businesses - yet.  So, we decided it was time to learn more:

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Protect Your Business from the Internet

Oh yes, the Internet - for business owners, it is often a double-edged sword.

According to the Council:

"The Internet is the main highway used by data thieves to attack and steal your
customers’ card data. For this reason, if your business is on the Internet, anything you use for card payments needs extra protection."

While protecting your customer's data can seem overwhelming, below are some basic recommendations that every business should follow.

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Use Secure Payment Terminals and Solutions

According to the Council:

"A sure way to better protect your business is to use secure payment solutions and trained professionals to help you."

"Your customers enter their personal identification numbers (PINs) for their payment cards into your payment terminal or PIN entry device. It is important to use secure devices to protect your customers’ PIN data."

Our office will be closed on Thursday, July 4th in honor of Independence Day.    A reduced staff will be working remotely/on call to handle the needs of our customers on Friday, July 5th.

However, we understand the importance of customer service and issues that may arise during this busy holiday.

 If you have an emergency, please call us at 243-2683 and follow the prompts to page our after hours technician.  For support hours and information, click here.

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July. - from the team at Skurla's!

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Scan for Vulnerabilities and Fix Issues

According to the Council:

"New vulnerabilities, security holes, and bugs are being discovered daily. It’s vital to have your Internet-facing systems tested regularly to identify these new risks and address them as soon
as possible. Your Internet facing systems (like many payment systems) are the most
vulnerable because they can be easily exploited by criminals, allowing them to sneak into
your systems."

And, if you are processing through one of our preferred processors, Skurla's will assist you with your scan.  It's easy and saves you money - because if you don't complete your scans, your Merchant Service Provider may start charging you non-compliance fees.

The National Restaurant Association releases the State of the Restaurant Industry report each year in the spring. I read the report summary, and this is what I learned at a glance:

What does wearing a Fitbit and working at Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions have in common?

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Use Anti-Virus Software (also referred to as anti-malware)

Remember the quote from the PCI Council:  Hackers = Criminals

And to add on to this: 

Hackers write viruses and other malicious code to exploit software features and coding mistakes, so they can break into your systems and steal card data.

You know what we are talking about - that busy season - summer, tourists, people in general just out and about more.  And businesses get busy!

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Don’t Give Hackers Easy Access to Your Systems.

To quote the PCI Council:  Hackers = Criminals

(Click here to read about our Data Security Breach Action Plan)

"One of the easiest ways for hackers to get into your system is through people you trust. You need to know how your vendors are accessing your system to make sure it’s not opening up any holes for hackers. "

To quote one of my dad’s favorite sayings - "there is nothing more permanent than change". 

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Protect In-House Access to Your Card Data.

PRIVILEGE ABUSE IS THE TOP ACTION LEADING TO BREACHES – ABOUT 55% OF ALL INCIDENTS REPORTED.

Here is a list of recommendations from the Council:

ACCESS CONTROL IS ALL IMPORTANT. Set up your system to grant access only based on a “business need-to-know.” As the owner, you have access to everything. But most employees can do their job with access only to a subset of data, applications, and functions.

LIMIT ACCESS to payment systems and unencrypted card data to only those employees that need access, and only to the data, applications and functions they need to do their jobs.

KEEP A LOG. Track all “behind the counter” visitors in your establishment. Include name, reason for visit, and name of employee that authorized visitor’s access. Keep the log for at least a year.

SECURELY DISPOSE OF DEVICES. Ask your payment system vendor or service provider how to securely remove card data before selling or disposing of payment devices (so data cannot be recovered).

SHARE THIS INFORMATION. Give this guide to your employees and business partners so they know what is expected.

As a member of the Retail Solution Provider Association (RSPA), we have access to legal documents and other security resource.

And while we hope that this never happens to anyone - the reality is that small businesses are primary targets for breaches and incidents are on the rise.

Below is a quick checklist provided by RSPA  for reference if you feel your business has been compromised (step number one - avoid a breach!):

I recently returned from an industry conference and wanted to share some of what I learned.

The topic of security was on everyone’s mind and was a key area of discussion.

Here are the highlights from some of the speakers:

Former United States Most Wanted, Brett “GOllumfun” Johnson, referred to by the United States Secret Service as “The Original Internet Godfather”, spoke at the conference.

Quite honestly, I was horrified after he showed us how quickly and easily it was to create a new identity for less than $2. 

There was also discussion around how the Point of Sale industry is now really the Retail and Hospitality IT services industry.

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:   Use trusted business partners and know how to contact them.

It’s critical you know who your service providers are and what security questions to ask them.

Here is a list of recommendations from the Council:

We recently sent out a very brief survey to see what services you feel are important to your business.

Life is hectic enough - and often it is difficult to even get away to run the errands that are critical for smooth operations at your business. (And running out of receipt or kitchen paper is never a good thing!)

So we are happy to announce that we now offer next business day delivery on paper rolls - Monday through Friday in Anchorage for a nominal fee.  See below for details and pricing.

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Install Patches From Your Vendors

We want to thank you for your continued support and business this past year - and wishing you the best for the New Year.

Six years from now - what will the future look like for your restaurant, your customers, your employees?

When you think about the recent rapid changes in technologies and how it has affected the way consumers shop, find restaurants and order their food - in 6 years we could see some radical effects on the ways restaurants will operate - and these new technologies will impact those that survive and thrive and those that won't be here anymore.

From biometrics to robotics, Oracle Food and Beverage surveyed restaurateurs and consumers to explore which technologies they believe will be widespread in the food and beverage industry by 2025.  Among the topics Restaurant 2025 explores: artificial intelligence, biometrics/facial recognition/3D imaging, robotics, voice activation, wearable technology, virtual reality, drones, and 3D printing.

How will new technology change the way that you run your restaurants?  Here is a sampling of what they found out:

It was quite a month for many Alaskans - like surviving a major earthquake, just to name one thing. 

(Click here for the  link to see Jesse "saving" his coffee during the quake).

We have had over 1,800 aftershocks as of yesterday, roads are being repaired, schools are still closed, but no one suffered serious injury - amazing.

From TSYS and VISA:

Visa is introducing an authorization requirement for return (cardholder refund) transactions. Authorizing a return enables the card issuer to validate the cardholder account, decline potentially fraudulent cards, and minimize chargebacks if the account does not exist or is closed. The return authorization message is intended to improve the return process by enabling cardholders to view a credit/return on their online banking statement in real time, as well as support other issuer services such as text alerts, in order to improve the cardholder experience and minimize return inquiries.

Important Dates:

Thomas is in Sitka, Alaska this week, attending the Annual CHARR Convention. (For those of you that aren't familiar with this organization, it is the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association - a non-profit corporation, dedicated to serving the needs of the hospitality industry in the state of Alaska.)

Here is a preview of one of the featured speakers:

Over the next several months, we will be sharing the PCI Council's advice on How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

This month's topic:  Use Strong Passwords and Change Default Ones

According to  the Council's Guide - About 80% of breaches involved guessed or stolen passwords!

Here is what they recommend:

CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS REGULARLY. Treat your passwords like a toothbrush. Don’t let anyone else use them and get new ones every three months.

SEEK HELP. Ask your vendors or service providers about default passwords and how to change them. Then do it!

For more information on managing passwords, click here.

MAKE THEM HARD TO GUESS. The most common passwords are “password” and “123456.” Hackers try easily-guessed passwords because they’re used by half of all people. A strong password has seven or more characters and a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols (like !@#$&*). A phrase can also be a strong password (and may be easier to remember), like “B1gMac&frieS.”

To see how fast it takes to crack a password, click here.

DON’T SHARE. Insist on each employee having their own login IDs and passwords – never share!

“Small businesses are particularly at risk from the costs and opportunity loss associated with a data breach. Implementing the guidance published by the PCI SSC Small Merchant Taskforce will help a small business improve its data security practices and reduce the risk of data theft.“ - Michael Christodoulides, Barclaycard, PCI Small Merchant Taskforce Co-Chair

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

But first, here are some frightening data points shared by the PCI Security Council:   

• 71% of hackers attack businesses with under 100 employees (Verizon 2012)
• 60% of small businesses experienced a cyber breach (HM Government)
• $20,752 is the average cost to small businesses due to hacking (NSBA)

If this scares you too, keep reading below to learn more about how to protect your business - 

You know the drill -  

Please listen carefully as our options have changed.

Call 907-243-2683 during our normal business hours, M-F 8-5 p.m. (Alaska Time)

• For support, press 3
• For the office, press 4

(You can also now dial your party’s extension at any time.)

For after hours:

• If you need emergency MICROS support, please hang up and dial 855-412-2838.
• If you need emergency support on all other systems, press 3 to be connected.  Or call 907-444-0559.
• To leave a message for the office for a call back on the next business day, press 4.
• If you need support for a call back on the next business day, press 5.
• To repeat these options, press 0.

If you don't love phone trees, you can also fill out the form below, and we can contact you!

Update to the post earlier this month (see below).

Good news!  We will be receiving 11 pallets of paper on July 3rd!  Next time you come by our office, you will probably see stacks of paper lining our hallways!  

Thank you for your understanding as we continue to work through this issue paper shortage issue. 

(Unfortunately, vendors are raising their prices in the interim.  We will monitor this closely, and hopefully after the shortages are resolved, prices will go back down to their normal levels.)

Earlier this year, we shared information about the global thermal paper shortage. Up to this point, we hadn't seen many changes in the industry that affected pricing or availability of paper rolls. However, that has now changed. 

We would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for all the hard  work (and your patience) in the effort to get the TLS updates applied to your point of sale system and equipment. 

Earlier this year, we shared information about the global thermal paper shortage. Up to this point, we haven't seen many changes in the industry that affected pricing or availability of paper rolls. However, that has now changed. Paper vendors are warning of impending price increases and shortages. We have seen some prices quoted as much as $120 for a case of thermal paper and 2-3 weeks delay in receiving paper orders.  Being Alaskans, we have the added difficulty of freight charges and long shipping times on heavy items, such as paper.

We know how critical it is for you to have a reliable supply of credit card paper and receipt paper at a reasonable price, and we are doing our best to work through this (hopefully) short term shortage.

The reality is that there will be price increases, and paper will need to be allocated and rationed at times.  To help with the shortage, here are a few ideas to consider:

Traditionally, retail point of sale (POS) systems were primarily used to control cash and record sales. Retail has become more competitive than ever - consumers are using the Internet more than ever to research products, compare prices and shop online.

Today's point of sale systems use data in ways never possible before - and savvy business owners are learning what to do with that data to increase revenues, capture market share, become more competitive, while still controlling their costs and capturing vital sales information.  

Traditionally, restaurant point of sale (POS) systems were primarily used to control cash and record sales.   

Today's point of sale systems use data in ways never possible before - and savvy restaurant owners are learning what to do with that data to increase revenues, capture market share, become more competitive, while still controlling their costs and capturing vital sales information.  Find out if you are able to answer some of the questions below:

Tips and Tricks from the Point of Sale World:

In reference to last month's article about the TLS issue, we just want to remind everyone again that if you have not updated your point of sale system, most likely your integrated credit cards* will stop working in June.  While the official deadline is June 30th, many gateways are proactively switching over before then.

Yes, credit cards may stop working on your point of sale system this summer!  We are providing you with more information on this important issue - please take a moment to read.

First some definitions and background on this topic:

TLS: Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol used to establish a secure communications channel between two systems.

SSL: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browser remain private.

On Feb. 13, 2015, the PCI Security Standards Council announced that SSL, a protocol designed to ensure that data provided between a web server and a web browser, such as credit card information, remains secure - is no longer an acceptable way to provide strong cryptography, due to a number of known fundamental vulnerabilities. The deadline is June 30, 2018. 

In March, the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) announced new changes to the PCI Qualified Integrators and Resellers (QIR) Program in response to industry feedback and data breach report findings. The program changes are designed to increase the number of QIRs and equip them to help merchants reduce risk by mitigating the leading causes of payment data breaches. 

The PCI SSC QIR program offers specialized data security training and certification to individuals that install, configure and/or support payment systems. PCI SSC maintains a listing of PCI QIRs on its website for merchants to use in identifying and selecting trusted partners. Since the program was established in 2012, breach reports highlight that smaller merchants are increasingly under attack, and that the majority of merchant payment data breaches could be prevented by addressing three critical issues: insecure remote access, weak password practices and outdated and unpatched software.

Data Breaches, ID Theft, Credit Card Breaches - we hear this all the time in the news.  And this is the last thing you as an owner or manager want to experience for your business!

Please take time to read this!  It could save your business!

If you accept credit cards in your business and want to avoid charge backs and/or reduce credit card fraud,  we strongly encourage you to read this article from TSYS, one of our favorite preferred credit card processors:

" Charge Backs, Why They Happen, How to Prevent Them"

See the list of the questions about charge backs answered in this article:

Update from one of our major paper suppliers:

January 5, 2018 – Thermal paper supply continues to be allocated by the mills due to the on-going leuco dye shortage.  Mills continue to search for alternative sources of supply to meet customer demand.  These sources often come at a price premium driving up prices for thermal paper.  A thermal paper surcharge was just passed to the market and will be in effect at least through the first quarter of 2018.  

As of today, neither Chinese leuco dye plant has restarted production.  The exact date for the restart of the Chinese leuco dye plants is still unknown.  When they resume manufacturing, the supply chain is expected to take months to fill.  As such, we currently project supply will remain allocated through the first half of 2018.

Our strategy with respect to thermal paper supply continues to keep Iconex in the best possible position for paper availability. 

We want to thank you for your continued support and business this past year - and wishing you the best for the New Year.

So the good news first - the pricing of bond paper (non-thermal paper often used in kitchen printers) has gone down, and we have lowered our prices accordingly.   We like lowering our costs, and passing the savings on to our customers!

If you use a scanner at your store, the State of Alaska has reminded us of the following:

From a press release today:

Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday, November 5th.  Don't forget to set your clocks back so that you can get that extra hour of sleep!

Runningrestaurants.com, along with their sister site, RestaurantReport.com, is dedicated to helping independent restaurants be more profitable and successful.   They recently interviewed Jordan Statt, VP of Business Development at MobileBytes, about what is new and trending with point of sale systems.

I just read an article by Linda Kirkpatrick - Executive Vice President, U.S. Market Development at Mastercard - "No More Signing on the Dotted Line".