Dial up swipe machines used at the POS (Point of Sale) are highly practical and allow shop and restaurant owners to accept debit card and credit card so that a whole new selection of customers can use their services. This is almost a requirement today where so few individuals carry cash on them due to expectation and everything from ice cream vans to large function rooms now need to accept card.

However dial up swipe machines do have a connection and also deal with the card details of the customer meaning that there is still a risk of data breach. While POS systems that use internet connections are at greater risk, those that rely on dial up connections are still a risk, and in some ways more so as they’re often overlooked. One statistic suggests that four in five data breaches occur at POS systems, and with this knowledge it should be self evident how important it is to make sure your dial up systems comply too. The PCI SSC provides a list of validated payment applications and you can also check with the vendor of your dial up system. SecureConnect, a PCI compliance vendor, can also help by identifying cardholder data and by tracking the flow of data to look for inconsistencies or irregularities.