In this series, we're addressing the top 5 security and compliance challenges faced by hospitality brands and properties.
Compliance challenge #2 is the lack of IT security support generally found among individual hospitality businesses, including hotels, restaurants and retail stores.
Is IT Security Support an Afterthought?
To stay competitive, fast-growing franchised and corporate-owned hospitality businesses often open new locations quickly, focusing on getting remote locations operational as quickly as possible.
Support for information security - in the context of compliance requirements and adequate security posture - then becomes an afterthought. "Boots on the ground" IT security support is frequently lacking or non-existent in distributed, decentralized hospitality and retail businesses.
Prioritize IT Security Support
Evaluate any IT and IT security resources currently at your disposal internally. Are they experienced and empowered in providing adequate support across your operation and business ecosystem? If not, review process and determine methods to empower those resources.
If you don't have internal resources, should you hire a consultant? Review their experience in providing support and guidance for widely dispersed businesses, especially businesses similar to yours.
You can also look to a managed security service provider to help fill in the gaps with their security expertise. Often they provide security and around the clock support for an affordable monthly fee.