Retail and wholesale companies rely heavily on the staff they employ. In the digital age, they encounter cyberthreats such as malware, the inappropriate use of IT infrastructure by staff, and the physical loss of devices or media containing sensitive data. While the malware threat can be effectively mitigated by up-to-date information security solutions, including security solutions for POS terminals, the only way to improve the IT security performance of staff is through regular cyber-awareness training.

Retail and wholesale companies in Europe often encounter incidents with virtual infrastructure, and involving suppliers with which they share data or third-party cloud services. In addition to that, recent incidents with ransomware have highlighted the weak points in cyber defenses. The recommendations here include building an extra layer of defense with cloud security solutions, enforcing the encryption of data in motion, and the deployment of virtualization-optimized solutions that ensure protection without hindering performance. It's also important that IT systems are protected with security solutions which have proven to be effective against ransomware and allow organizations to comply with data protection regulations – especially as the GDPR will soon be enforceable in Europe.