All of us at Skurla's would like to wish you a very Happy New Year!

And speaking of new, we have lots of "new" going on around here!

I am sure you have heard it from many sources at this point, but we just wanted to remind you and share information about what this means for your Windows 7 computers:

"While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will be at greater risk for viruses and malware."  - Microsoft Support

Click Here to Learn More from Microsoft

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 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."

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.

We are updating the MobileBytes Blog site to reflect the Heartland Restaurant branding since the conversion.  The format and the content will remain the same (and of course, we are still Skurla's!)  As mentioned in prior posts, we will continue to update you on changes and new features.  In the meantime, feel free to call us with any questions - (907)243-2683.

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."

Gallo: The family name is synonymous with successful Mexican restaurants in Alaska. But when Jesse Gallo and his uncle wanted to open their own place, the pair wanted to do something different. Enter Saint Coyote, which opened in May on West Dimond Boulevard. No tacos here! The mouth-watering menu is diverse, ranging from a polenta appetizer to stuffed bell peppers to Cornish game hens to burgers to Alaskan seafood.  

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:

So how do you start a loyalty program?  If you’re a MobileBytes customer, it’s easy, so let’s get started.

MobileBytes Point of Sale allows customers to interact with your loyalty program in two different ways:

• Via a phone number
• Via “Scan for Points”

With the phone number option, the customer gives the restaurant staff their phone number and the staff associate the ticket with that customer. MobileBytes also will show any previous orders the customer has made and even allows a quick, one button push reorder of a previous ticket, that includes special instructions, modifiers and more. How’s that for having it your way?

If a guest is using online ordering (say they are having their favorite pizza delivered), they can associate their phone number with their MobileBytes account and have their order history and card on file payment information saved on your website – which increases order accuracy and make reorders lightning quick.

The Scan for Points option is my favorite. Customers download the MobileBytes app from the Apple or Android app stores, and they can scan for points directly from the app. How does that work? Well, when you setup the loyalty program, you’ll have an option to have a QR code printed on your receipts. This receipt tells the customer how to get the app and how to get points. They can scan for points at the restaurant or anywhere else, even days or weeks later. (They can also use the QR code to pay for their order, if the option for Scan to Pay is enabled.)

Once they have accumulated enough points (we’ll talk about how that works below), they’ll be able to redeem a reward for three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Depending on the item, dollar amount, or percentage reward you give, customers can use this on their next ticket or order (including online orders), or they could save that reward for a future date.

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

We are sending out a very brief survey to get your help in analyzing the needs for our help desk customers.

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!

Busy season is upon us - so thought this would be a good time to remind everyone that we have paper deliver options!

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:  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 are very excited to announce that MobileBytes has joined the Heartland Point of Sale family of products.  When Heartland decided to explore cloud-based POS systems, they did their due diligence and found that MobileBytes was hands down the best point of sale system out in the market - but we already knew this, which is why we love the MobileBytes product!

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

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.

MobileBytes POS versions 3.35 and 3.36 are now available on the App Store

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:

MobileBytes POS version 3.34 is now available on the App Store

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 -