Cyber Security for UK Restaurants and Hospitality Businesses
Payment card security, booking system risks, and the practical steps UK restaurants and hospitality businesses need to take to protect themselves.
Cyber security in hospitality — why it matters more than you think
Many hospitality business owners assume cyber security is something that only matters to large hotel chains or online retailers. In practice, restaurants, cafes, pubs, and smaller hotels are regularly targeted — often precisely because attackers know they're less likely to have robust security in place.
The hospitality sector processes payment card data, holds customer booking information, operates connected point-of-sale systems, and increasingly uses cloud-based booking and management platforms — all of which create attack surfaces that need to be managed.
The specific risks for hospitality businesses
Point-of-sale system attacks
EPOS systems are a target for payment card skimming malware. Attackers who compromise a POS system can silently capture card details for every transaction processed through it.
Booking system breaches
Online booking platforms hold customer names, contact details, and payment information. A breach of your booking system exposes customer data and triggers GDPR obligations.
Ransomware during busy periods
Attackers time ransomware attacks to maximise pressure — a Friday evening or before a bank holiday weekend when downtime costs are highest and the temptation to pay is greatest.
Supplier invoice fraud
Impersonating food and drink suppliers to redirect payments. Hospitality businesses make frequent payments to multiple suppliers, making this a common target.
Unsecured guest Wi-Fi
Guest Wi-Fi that is not properly separated from your business network can give attackers access to your internal systems via a customer's compromised device.
Payment card security
If you process payment cards, you are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). For most small restaurants and cafes using a third-party card terminal provider, compliance is relatively straightforward — but there are basics that must be in place:
- Never store card numbers, CVV codes, or PIN data — ever
- Use only approved payment terminals from your provider
- Check terminals regularly for signs of tampering
- Ensure your EPOS system is on a supported, updated version
- Keep your payment network separate from your general business network where possible
Priority actions for hospitality businesses
Separate guest Wi-Fi
Guest Wi-Fi must be on a completely separate network from your business systems. Your router or IT provider can set this up — it's often a simple configuration change.
MFA on booking systems and email
Your reservation platform, email, and any cloud management tools should all require two-step verification.
Keep EPOS software updated
Your point-of-sale system should be on a supported version receiving security updates. Contact your provider if unsure.
Verify supplier payment details by phone
Before updating any supplier bank details, call them on a number from your records. This one step prevents most invoice fraud.
Individual logins for management systems
Each manager and admin staff member should have their own login. Don't share a single admin account across the team.
Regular backups of booking and customer data
Customer booking data, loyalty programme data, and financial records need regular backups stored separately.
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