Cyber threats facing UK restaurants, and how to protect against them

Mark Ferguson from Favouritetable speaks to Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Chair of the Minsky Academy, to discuss why UK restaurants are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals, and what can be done to protect against these threats. 

Mark Ferguson: Professor Kamal, for those who haven’t heard of Minsky Academy, can you tell us a bit about it and your background? 

Professor Kamal Bechkoum: I’ve spent more than three decades leading computing, engineering, and business schools in UK universities, and I’ve also advised major international institutions, such as the Harbin Institute of Technology in China and the Arab Open University in Kuwait. 

With this experience, I set-up the Minsky Academy, to offer professional training and master’s level programmes in cutting-edge technology, including cyber security, AI, and blockchain. Our focus is on giving organisations practical, targeted skills to defend themselves against today’s fast-moving digital threats. 

Mark: We’ve seen headlines about major retailers being hit by cyber-attacks. Why are restaurants becoming such an appealing target for criminals? 

Kamal: Restaurants have become heavily digital, with online reservations, delivery platforms, loyalty schemes, and payment processing moving online, all of which involve storing and transmitting sensitive customer data.

This makes them highly valuable targets. Criminals know restaurants hold personal and payment details, but unlike banks or large corporates, they rarely have ‘enterprise-level’ security.  

Add in factors like seasonal staff turnover, public wi-fi, and the use of third-party apps, and you’ve got a lot of vulnerable access points. 

Cyber criminals are mostly opportunistic. They go where they can make large amounts of money for the least amount effort, and in the hospitality sector the balance of rich data and often weak defences can be very tempting. 

Mark: What are the most common cyber threats restaurants face right now? 

Professor Bechkoum: Two of the biggest are phishing and ransomware, and these approaches often work hand-in-hand. 

Think of phishing as the door into your system. This could be a fake email that looks like it’s from Deliveroo asking you to update your menu, but it’s actually a trap. Clicking the link could install malicious software. 

Ransomware is what happens once an attacker is inside. It locks you out of your systems, until you’re suddenly locked out and told to pay a ransom in order to regain access.  

There have been cases of restaurants losing their entire online ordering capability for days. 

Other risks include: 

Data leaks – either accidental or deliberate 

Unauthorised access - often due to weak passwords or shared logins 

Regulatory breaches - failing to meet data protection laws like GDPR 

 All of these challenges can result in serious financial loss, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. 

Mark: Restaurants collect a lot of customer information through booking systems and loyalty programmes. How should they be protecting that data? 

 Professor Bechkoum: You need to know the full journey of the data you collect: Where it comes in, where it’s stored, and how it’s used. 

 The main dangers here are: 

Unauthorised access - internal or external 

Data leaks - often due to human error 

Regulatory breaches - which can lead to hefty GDPR fines 

 Protection isn’t just about prevention, you also need a response plan. If there’s a breach, the law requires you to report it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours. You should also communicate openly with your customers and staff as transparency helps to maintain trust. 

Mark: Let’s say a restaurant-owner has been caught unprepared and a cyber-attack happens. What should their first steps be? 

Professor Bechkoum: Speed and decisiveness are key. They should: 

Isolate the affected system - If a device or network appears compromised, disconnect it immediately. 

Call your IT or cyber-security specialist - Internal or external, they need to investigate straight away. 

Assess the damage - Identify what data or systems have been affected, and how many customers are involved. 

Report to the ICO - Within 72 hours if any personal data has been compromised. 

Communicate - Inform your customers and staff, without blame, and explain the steps you’re taking to fix the problem. 

Document everything - This helps you improve your future defences and provides a record for any compliance investigation. 

Using a secure, integrated system such as Favouritetable for bookings, marketing, and table management can make it easier to spot and isolate issues quickly, because everything runs under one controlled environment. 

Mark: You’ve mentioned the human factor several times. How important is staff training in all of this? 

Professor Bechkoum: It’s critical. Technology can help, but people are your first line of defence. Unfortunately, they can also be your weakest link if they’re not aware of the risks. 

At Minsky Academy, we tailor our training for hospitality businesses so it’s relevant, practical, and engaging. For individual staff and team development we recommend: 

Short, regular sessions - 10-minute briefings in staff meetings often work better than half-day marathons. 

Real-world examples – that show staff actual scams that have targeted restaurants. 

Visible reminders - Posters and prompts to keep security front-of-mind. 

Practical focus - The goal is that staff change the way they work the very same day. 

Training should cover everyone, from management to front-of-house, to the kitchen and even restaurant suppliers. Cyber-security isn’t just an IT problem, it’s a whole-team responsibility. 

Mark: Finally, if you could give UK restaurateurs your top tips for staying cyber safe, what would they be? 

Professor Bechkoum’s six top tips for cyber-security in restaurants 

Use unique logins and strong passwords for all staff, never share credentials. 

Keep systems updated, apply patches and security updates promptly. 

Secure your wi-fi, separate customer and staff networks, and use strong encryption. 

Be phishing-aware, train staff to spot suspicious emails, texts, and links. 

Have an incident response plan, know exactly who to call and what steps to take if attacked. 

Invest in regular training, short, relevant sessions to keep staff aware of current threats. 

In conclusion 

Cyber-crime against restaurants is on the rise, but with the right preparation, awareness, and systems in place, you can reduce your risks significantly. 

FavouriteTable’s secure and integrated reservation, ordering, and management systems can help keep your business running smoothly and safely in today’s digital world. 

For tailored cyber-security training and advice for the hospitality sector, please visit www.minskyacademy.co.uk.