— By Matt Smitheman — Protecting lone workers in a retail or restaurant setting. As retailers and restaurants continue to revamp their business models to keep pace with customer expectations, many are increasingly relying on lone workers for opening, closing, third shifts, curbside deliveries and other customer interactions outside of the traditional store premises. While lone employees play a critical role in keeping these businesses up and running, they are more at risk of encountering threats at work with an estimated 48% of HR professionals reporting that their organization …
security/loss prevention
— By Doug Groves — Is your retail business insured for a cyber attack? A critical piece of information for retail businesses and franchisees to consider is the exclusion of cyber liability from standard insurance policies. In fact, most don’t even sell or offer cyber coverage. As reports of cyber incidents increase by the day, now is the time for every business owner to review their insurance coverage with their provider. The upside of this 21st century risk is the growing availability of tailored coverages and policies offering protection …
— By Bill Flynn — Preparedness is the best protection against workplace violence. Restaurant and retail workers have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning. Every day these essential workers are exposed to the risk of violence, potentially exacerbated by societal stressors including health concerns, economic uncertainty, political divisiveness and social unrest. In that heightened emotional state, the threat of active shooters has only increased, evidenced by a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that since April 2020, there …
— By Bill Herzog — Improving security and communication at your retail business. Security should always be a top priority in your retail business. A good security plan can prevent theft, improve communication and provide customers with an overall safer environment to shop in. Setting up a proper security plan can be difficult if you don’t have the proper expertise around you. As a security expert with experience working in retail spaces, I have helped businesses create a safe and secure shopping environment that keeps staff and customers safe …
Austin, Texas — Salient Systems, a leader in open architecture video management software solutions, has named Keith Aubele CPP, LPP as the company’s chief security officer. Aubele brings decades of experience at leading retail organizations such as Walmart and The Home Depot to the CSO role, which is the first such position for Salient. A former director of loss prevention for Walmart Stores Inc., and senior vice president of loss prevention for The Home Depot, Aubele will guide Salient’s approach to customer needs in the rapidly changing security landscape, as …
WKS Restaurant Group Selects Interface to Deploy Video Verified Alarms Across 380+ Restaurants
Earth City, Mo. — Interface Security Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, has partnered with WKS Restaurant Group, one of the fastest-growing multi-brand restaurant franchisees in the U.S. WKS is relying on Interface’s managed video verified intrusion alarm monitoring to eliminate false alarm costs and standardize security operations across over 380 restaurants. WKS is a licensed franchisee of El Pollo Loco, Wendy’s, Denny’s, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Blaze Pizza and Corner Bakery Cafe. Before Interface, WKS was incurring about …
Ankeny, Iowa — Casey’s General Stores, Inc. has hired Paul Suarez as its chief information security officer. This is a newly created role that will lead the cybersecurity team at the fourth largest convenience retailer. Suarez will report to Adrian Butler, chief information officer. He joins the company from Walmart. “Paul’s longtime retailer experience paired with his cybersecurity expertise will take Casey’s security strategy to the next level,” says Butler. With 35 years of experience in cybersecurity, network operations and telecommunications, Suarez will provide strategic leadership and direction for Casey’s …
— By Matt Calo, P.E. and Huston Dawson, P.E. — Safety should be top priority as businesses turn to outdoor space due to ongoing indoor restrictions. As spring arrives and states across the country continue to revise their restrictions on indoor gatherings, most urban centers have raised the occupancy allowance to 50% capacity for indoor dining and retail operations. The improving weather means that many establishments will expand the use of available outdoor space to enhance income potential and save their businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced commercial establishments …
— By Crystal Jacobs — Restaurant cybersecurity and cyber insurance are more relevant than ever as online orders boom amid COVID-19. As the Covid-19 viral pandemic continues to cause major disruptions throughout the global economy, countless restaurants across the United States have shifted to a delivery- or pickup-only business model in order to survive, often with a heavy reliance on online orders and digital payment. Criminal actors are taking advantage of this spike in online commerce: March 2020 saw a 600% increase in email phishing scams, whereby criminals send …
— By Del Williams — Taking convenience stores to the next level with IP network surveillance systems. Convenience stores and mini marts have traditionally installed surveillance cameras to deter crime and encourage safety, but too often these have provided images that lacked detail, particularly in low light conditions. Retrieving video has usually been tedious, requiring endless searching and scanning to find the desired footage. Sharing and archiving of the video has also been cumbersome, wasting precious technical and management resources. Now advanced digital IP video cameras and recorders are …