IT Security Training For Retail Staff

The retail sector has changed significantly in the past few years.  Retailers now have a much greater exposure to information technology and are often involved with cutting edge technologies.

It is common for a retail store to have a large online presence including a social media profile and eCommerce store that retains client data.  They also deal with advanced point of sale technologies that accept many types of payments. As the retail sector’s exposure to information technology has increased, so has the need for more cyber security. This post will take a closer look at the unique cyber security risks that retailers face and the importance of cyber security training for staff members.

The threats posed by cyber criminals to retailers

In the past few years, retailers have found themselves targets of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.  Some of the largest breaches of cyber security have cost businesses millions of pounds, damaged their reputations and led to legal action. Retailers are an attractive target for cyber criminals for a number of reasons:

• Retailers usually hold a lot of customer credit card details
• Retailers usually hold many customer’s personal details
• Retailers run complex point of sale systems that can be compromised
• Retailers often have confidential information that is valuable to criminals

If a breach does occur, not only will a retailer potentially lose money — their reputation could be permanently damaged and they may face serious legal liabilities.

The challenges posed when securing retail businesses

It is clear that retailers can no longer ignore the threat posed by cyber criminals.  If anything, this threat will only grow larger as the retail sector continues to embrace new technologies.  Unfortunately, retail stores face a unique set of challenges that can make it difficult to maintain a high level of cyber security.  They include:

• Most attacks occur from within Many breaches of cyber security in the retail sector are carried out by employees of the business. That’s because more employees are handling credit card details and financial transactions within the business.
• High staff turnover with less security vetting It is common for retail stores to have high staff turnover. This means there is a constant stream of employees who aren’t well known to the business.  These employees are immediately given access to point of sale systems and handle financial transactions.  They rarely receive security training for retail staff.
• Insufficient IT resources The retail sector is extremely competitive and most retailers are dealing with high overheads. That leaves little room for a cyber security budget or security training for retail staff — something cyber criminals are aware of and eager to exploit.
• An increasingly restrictive set of rules Retailers are often scrambling to keep up with legislative changes from the UK government regarding data handling, privacy, and cyber security. Failure to remain up to date with these changes leaves the business vulnerable to legal action and harsh penalties.
• It is difficult to find time for security training for retail staff Working in retail can be quite frantic at times. It is often difficult to find the time to perform cyber security training for retail staff.
• Point of sale and eCommerce exploits are common Cyber criminals are using software vulnerabilities, human error, and insider attacks to compromise point of sale systems and eCommerce websites. Retails businesses have to work hard to keep these systems safe.

New methods for delivering cybersecurity training

Yellow Room Learning specialises in providing security training for retail staff.  We understand the unique challenges that retail stores face and have developed techniques to help overcome them.  Our team helps you quickly increase the cyber security awareness of your staff.  Some of the techniques we use to train retail staff include:

Using non-traditional learning techniques

Instead of handing out cyber security training manuals or asking staff to receive long lectures, we use short micro-lessons.  They are lessons that can be consumed by your staff in a couple of minutes.  They are often delivered as short videos, infographics, and quizzes.  Your staff can perform these lessons throughout the work day, without dramatically interfering with their work routine.

We use mobile technologies to deliver lessons

Each micro-lesson can be sent directly to an employees smart phone.  That means they don’t have to take up a computer terminal to perform a quiz or reading an infographic.  It also means the results of quizzes can be tracked — helping you understand how well your staff are performing when it comes to cyber security.

Information is tailored to the retail sector

We provide cyber security training that is specifically tailored to businesses operating in the retail sector.   Your staff will learn how to securely manage their POS system, maintain password security, and handle customer data securely.  We also train them on avoiding cyber attacks which use social engineering (very common in the retail sector). Thanks for reading

IT Security Training For Retail Staff! 

For more information on information security training, contact Yellow Room Learning on 0800 292 2900.

About Yellow Room Learning

Yellow Room Learning is a leading provider of cyber security training for retail staff.  Our team can help your business by training staff to have better information security awareness and cyber security awareness.  Contact us today to learn more!