When the till, card machine or WiFi goes down, you lose sales there and then. We help independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants across the North East keep payments working, keep guest WiFi separate from the business and keep an eye on the premises.
EPOS systems and card machines need a reliable connection, especially at the busiest times of the day.
Customers expect WiFi, but their devices must never share a network with your tills and card machines.
Businesses that take card payments are expected by their payment provider to follow the card industry's security standard.
Cameras protect staff, stock and premises, and recordings must be handled in line with data protection law.
Seasonal and part time staff need quick access to the right systems, removed just as quickly when they leave.
Independent shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and other customer facing businesses do not usually think of themselves as IT heavy, but they rely on technology all day: tills and EPOS systems, card machines, online orders and bookings, stock control, CCTV, music and customer WiFi. When any of it stops, sales stop with it.
Cyber Fits is a family run IT company based in Sunderland, supporting businesses across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside, including independent retailers. We keep the technology behind the counter working, so you can concentrate on your customers.
Any business that takes card payments is expected to follow the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, known as PCI DSS. The current version is 4.0.1. For most small businesses this means completing a self assessment questionnaire each year for your payment provider, with the right questionnaire depending on how you take payments.
The simplest way to keep your obligations manageable is to keep card data away from your own systems as much as possible, for example by using standalone or integrated card terminals supplied by your payment provider, and by keeping the payment network separate from everything else. We can explain your questionnaire in plain English, help you answer the technical questions and make the changes needed, such as network separation and secure configuration. Your payment provider remains the authority on what your business needs to complete.
Customers expect free WiFi, but a guest network shared with your tills, card machines, office PC or CCTV recorder is a real risk. We design networks and WiFi with separate segments for payments, staff, guests and cameras, so a customer's device can never see your business systems. Guest WiFi can have its own name, a simple login page, sensible speed limits so one person streaming does not slow down your tills, and filtering to block inappropriate content.
If your EPOS system or card machines depend on the internet, your broadband is part of your till. Through our sister brand Cyber Fibre we provide business broadband, and we can add a 4G or 5G backup connection that takes over automatically if the main line fails, so payments keep working.
We install and support CCTV and access control for shops, bars and restaurants, with cameras you can view from your phone. CCTV that captures images of people is covered by data protection law, so we help you position cameras sensibly, display signage and set retention periods, and we keep the recorder on its own network so it is not a back door into your systems.
Hospitality and retail teams change often. We set up tills, tablets and back office computers so each member of staff has their own login where the system allows, access is removed promptly when someone leaves, and the office computer that holds payroll and supplier details is properly protected.
Many independents also need a website for opening times, menus, bookings or online sales. We offer web design and hosting, so your website can be looked after by the same team as the rest of your technology.
We are a local, family run team that understands small businesses. You get plain English advice, one supplier for WiFi, CCTV, broadband and IT, and support that fits your budget, whether that is a managed support plan or help with a single project. Book a free IT review and we will look at your payments, WiFi and security setup.
Yes, but it is usually manageable. Your payment provider will ask you to complete a self assessment questionnaire, and the right one depends on how you take payments. Keeping card terminals on their own network and card data away from your own systems makes it much simpler. We can help with the technical questions.
Yes. We set up guest WiFi on a completely separate network from your tills, card machines, office computers and CCTV, so customers get online without any access to your business systems.
With a 4G or 5G backup connection, your network switches over automatically and payments keep working. We can set this up alongside business broadband from our sister brand Cyber Fibre.
Yes. We install and support CCTV and access control, with remote viewing on your phone, and help you set it up in line with data protection requirements.
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Book a free, no obligation IT review. We will look at your setup, tell you honestly what needs attention and give you a clear fixed monthly price.
