POS System Compromise in Food Service

Scenario Overview

Exercise Type: Operational & Technical Response Simulation Target Audience: IT Teams, Restaurant Managers, Payment Security Specialists, PR Teams Scenario: Coordinated Attack on Point-of-Sale Infrastructure Duration: 120-150 minutes Objective: Contain POS malware outbreak, preserve customer trust, and meet PCI-DSS compliance requirements

Exercise Script

Situation:

Multiple locations report:
- 14% spike in "cashback" requests over $50
- EMV chip reader failures forcing magstripe fallback
- $0.01 test transactions from unknown devices
Network logs show POS systems connecting to pos-updates[.]maliciousdomain.net

Discussion Prompt: "What immediate isolation steps for infected terminals? How maintain restaurant operations during outage?"

INJECT 2: Malware Analysis (Day 1 - 08:45 AM)

Situation:

Forensic findings:
- Memory scraper disguised as "EMV Patch v3.2.1"
- Exfiltrates track data via DNS tunneling
- Persistence via scheduled task: schtasks /create /tn "CardSvc" /tr "powershell -ep bypass C:\pos\update.ps1"
87 customer cards already listed on dark web

Discussion Prompt: "How identify compromised transactions? What PCI-DSS reporting timelines apply?"

INJECT 3: Lateral Movement Detected (Day 1 - 10:00 AM)

Situation:

Attackers use POS foothold to:
- Access recipe management system (salt levels altered)
- Tamper with IoT freezer temperature controls
- Deploy ransomware on back-office payroll PC
Customer impact:
- 240+ food safety complaints
- Health department inspection scheduled

Discussion Prompt: "How contain cross-system contamination? Prioritize food safety vs. data breach response?"

INJECT 4: Customer Backlash (Day 1 - 12:00 PM)

Situation:

Social media trends:
- #PoisonBurger hashtag goes viral (82k tweets/hour)
- TikTok videos show credit card statements with fraudulent charges
- Local news investigates "tainted POS systems"
Payment processors demand:
- Immediate EMV re-certification
- $500k security deposit increase

Discussion Prompt: "What public messaging rebuilds trust? How handle dual crisis of food safety + data breach?"

INJECT 5: Forensic Complexity (Day 1 - 02:00 PM)

Situation:

Investigation reveals:
- Compromised third-party POS maintenance tool
- 6-month dwell time before detection
- Gift card database manipulated to drain balances
Legal constraints:
- Prosecutors subpoena freezer logs as evidence
- PCI forensic investigator (PFI) mandates full terminal replacement

Discussion Prompt: "How prove transaction integrity for chargebacks? What vendor contract terms limit liability?"

INJECT 6: Remediation Costs (Day 1 - 08:00 PM)

Situation:

Financial impacts:
- $1.2M POS hardware replacement cost
- 29% sales decline at affected locations
- $35/hour overtime for manual order entry
New protections:
- End-to-end encryption (P2PE) deployed
- Tamper-evident terminal casings
- Daily memory integrity checks

Discussion Prompt: "How justify security spend to franchise owners? What incentives encourage PCI-DSS adoption?"

INJECT 7: Industry-Wide Fallout (Day 30 - 10:00 AM)

Situation:

Regulatory actions:
- PCI SSC issues sector-wide POS security alert
- FTC mandates "Breach Menus" disclosing risks
- Franchisees threaten lawsuits over brand damage
Positive outcomes:
- 0% fraud rate post-remediation
- "Clean Kitchen" marketing campaign gains traction

Discussion Prompt: "What metrics demonstrate recovery success? How transform crisis into competitive advantage?"

Debrief Focus Areas

PCI-DSS Incident Response Requirements
Cross-Containment of OT/IoT Systems
Crisis Communication in Service Industries
Third-Party Vendor Security Management
Franchise Model Cybersecurity Governance

Post-Exercise Deliverables:

POS Security Hardening Checklist
Food Safety/Breach Cross-Response Playbook
Franchisee Security Training Program
PCI-DSS Compliance Scorecard

Next Steps:

Implement POS memory integrity monitoring
Conduct unannounced breach simulations
Establish "Clean Kitchen" cybersecurity certification