Cyber security tips for the F&B industry 

Cyber Security Tips For Food And Beverage industry 

With the increased usage of digital technology in business courses, all industries have become prone to cyber-attacks. The food and beverage industry is no different. These threats and attacks have increased in the food and beverage industry. And most companies aren’t prepared for cyber attacks the way they should be. F&B companies must take cyber security seriously to avoid unfavorable situations. For example, a cyber attack can make your business come to a halt if you don’t prepare for the same in advance.  

As a food and beverage company, you must have loads of customer data which you are obliged to keep safe. Here are some tips that can help you manage cyber attacks in a better way: 

1. Make it an important topic of discussion: The most common mistake related to cyber security is that many businesses don’t make it a matter of debate in their decision-making process. Your primary documents and core meetings must discuss the importance of cybersecurity if you want to protect your data. It would be best to examine the areas where a cyber attack can happen. This process is similar to performing a risk assessment. 
2. Create mock cyber attacks and discuss necessary actions: Do your employees know what steps to take in case of a data breach? Discuss simulated situations of cyberattacks with your team and discuss the activities that you will take to rectify the situation. Create awareness about cyber threats among your employees and tell them all the possible cyber events. Food and beverage industries that take cyber security seriously have an incident response team that collaborates with the risk management department to manage cyber attacks. 
3. Change what needs to be changed: Run a security check on all the software applications you currently use. If the tools you use are not secure, consider changing them for more secure options. F&B industries rely heavily on software for customer relationship management, payroll, ERP, inventory management, etc. Evaluate the level of cyber security your vendors are providing you. This action is essential as a cyber attack can cost you time and money, stop production, steal sensitive client data, and other situations you want to avoid. 
4. Intrusion detection software: An AI-based software that alerts you before a cyberattack may be a good investment. Cybersecurity tools can also detect an unauthorised entry into the system and alert you. Some applications that food and beverage industries can use to deal with cyberattacks and increase security are linked here. 
5. Cloud-based ERP: Cloud technology is the safest platform to store information. An ERP system holds most of your data and can be a prime target for hackers. Making your ERP secure should be one of the significant steps towards being protected from cyberattacks. Cloud ERP will track all your activity and fully encrypt your data. Additionally, it will ensure that only authorised people are always accessing the information. You don’t even have to employ an in-house IT staff to deploy a cloud ERP as the vendor maintains all the necessary servers. Choose a cloud provider who keeps cyber security a top priority to ensure your information is protected.
6. Cybersecurity insurance: Taking insurance against cyber threats may help a great deal in coping with the losses due to a cyber attack. For example, if you face a ransomware situation, insurance can help a lot in offsetting some of the losses. Insurance will protect your company’s money against cyber attacks like email spoofing, identity theft, phishing, and IT theft loss. 

Once an attack happens, your incident response team must retrieve all evidence of the episode to determine how it happened. Doing this practice will allow you to protect yourself from a similar situation in the future. Additionally, you’ll be able to provide evidence if the cyber attack goes into the hands of the authorities.  

A cyber attack may cause your business losses that could have been avoided by taking the proper steps. Don’t wait for a cyber attack to take the necessary security actions. Make cyber security a priority and protect your system and data. Cyber risk is a business risk and its needs to be taken seriously. Make sure that you have taken proper security measures. You can also make a checklist of standards to meet while checking your cyber security and take help from third-party cyber security auditors, they can periodically check your system for loopholes. 

The food and beverage industry is one such industry where cyber security cannot be compromised. We need to make sure that the systems are protected from unauthorized intervention and that all changes in the system are closely monitored. Cyber attacks can easily cause damages up to millions of dollars so it’s better to take precaution rather than regretting later. Also, the cost required to invest in cyber security is nothing when compared to the loss a cyber attack may cause to the business. Let’s stay cyber secure. 

-by Nivedita Verma