When there are so many moving parts to managing your retail business, the last thing you need is an EPOS system that leaves you vulnerable to security incidents. Not least because it will cause disruptions that slow you down, but because it could cost you financially and impact the trust your customers have in you.
Take the M&S ransomware attack. Customer data was stolen, shelves in stores were left empty, and online orders were paused – all reportedly causing a 30% hit to the retailer’s profits in 2025. That’s a crippling dent in revenue that’s also had an impact on customer’s trust in the brand – M&S has now fallen behind John Lewis in the latest Customer Satisfaction Index. Of course, you may never be affected by a data breach on this scale, but it still reinforces how damaging system security failures can be to your business.
Let’s look in more detail at how choosing the right retail system will give you the security your business needs to succeed.
How the right retail EPOS system protects your business
It protects sensitive customer data
Retail EPOS systems typically store large amounts of customer data, including personal contact details, and payment details. And it’s likely your customers will assume you’ve put the necessary software security measures in place to protect that information for them. By ensuring your retail system has strong security protocols as standard such as robust encryption, regular software updates, and a secure payment system you’re putting the right measures in place from the outset to protect your customers’ data and your brand’s reputation.
It prevents human error
One of the most common (but most easily-fixed) reasons that retailers encounter information security problems is human error. With the huge volume of data that retailers handle, any manual data entry or data transfers, whether it’s for a stock take, applying discounts or writing receipts, leaves you open to frustrating reporting discrepancies. But it also means you run the risk of sensitive data being processed or stored incorrectly. With a cloud-hosted EPOS system it’s much easier to access all your business data from one centralised location so you minimise the need for any manual handling of data, reducing errors and the risk of data breaches.
It helps you detect suspicious activity
Unfortunately, in retail it’s not uncommon for staff members to take advantage of gaps in your system’s security by applying unauthorised discounts or through refund fraud. Advanced retail systems that make security a priority will have strict user access restrictions, and best practice guidelines to follow. For example, a sales assistant’s access should be limited to processing straightforward transactions, whereas a store manager’s access gives them the ability to authorise discounts or refunds. This helps to minimise these kinds of security risks, and with the right EPOS system, you should also be able to monitor and identify suspicious activity quickly with accurate transaction reports that flag unusual behaviour.
It keeps you compliant
One of the key security features your retail EPOS system should have is a secure payments product that is PCI DSS compliant. By ensuring your EPOS aligns with PCI standards, you’re actively safeguarding your customers’ payment details and ensuring that security risks are mitigated. Don’t forget that you’ll still need to conduct regular system security assessments, document your policies, and train your staff when it comes to adhering to best practices. This, alongside a robust EPOS system will reduce the risk of security breaches and your business being hit with a significant penalty as a result.
It minimises downtime due to security incidents
If you do come up against a security or data breach and you’re having to deal with the fallout back of house, the last thing you need on the shop floor is a mounting queue of frustrated customers wondering why they can’t pay. By choosing an EPOS retail system that is built with security in mind, even if an issue occurs, you’ll be able to continue business as usual. Check for systems that work in offline mode, have regular, automatic backups, and proactive maintenance so that even when there’s a problem there’s minimal downtime and little disruption to your business.
Want to talk more about your retail system?
Security may not have been first on your list when thinking about an advanced retail system for your business. But with the increased need to protect your business from breaches that can have a lasting impact on your reputation and your bottom line – it should be a top priority. If you want to talk more to our team about the security measures that are built into our all-in-one retail system, just get in touch to find out more.
