Toronto, Aug. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restaurants Canada, the largest association representing foodservice and hospitality businesses in Canada, today announced a new partnership with Cyberisk Chek Inc., an innovative cyber security solution provider. The partnership will give foodservice operators a new tool to defend against online threats to their customers and their operations that can significantly hurt their bottom line. Available exclusively to members of Restaurants Canada, the Cyberisk Chek online analysis tool provides businesses with a detailed assessment of their current cyber security risks, and provides a cost-effective, step-by-step action plan to resolve issues. “Our industry processes billions in credit card transactions annually, and these everyday interactions are a magnet for cyber criminals,” said Troy Taylor, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Operations. “They know that many foodservice operations do not have the necessary levels of preparedness to defend against an attack. And as businesses respond to increasing demand for more customer-facing technology, they are increasing their risk points and need to protect themselves accordingly.” Even a single cyberattack could critically, if not fatally, injure business operations for small- and medium-sized businesses, according to industry statistics. Cyberattack stats: • 60 per cent of small to medium-sized businesses go out of business within six months of a cyberattack • 70 per cent of cyber attackers deliberately target small businesses • 71 per cent of cyberattacks hit businesses with fewer than 100 employees • $180,000 is the average loss that small- and medium-sized businesses sustain from cyberattacks The number of businesses experiencing losses from cybercrime is increasing in Canada, and so is the scale of their losses. The number of businesses reporting losses of more than a million dollars has risen from 1 per cent to 7 per cent in two years. “The simplest attacks, such as email phishing scams, can have devastating consequences for small business owners and consumers who don’t know how to recognize them,” said Domenic Trotta, President and CEO of Cyberisk Chek. “Our goal is to provide a simple, cost effective self-assessment tool that will help operators gauge their cyber risk points and outline steps they can take to minimize their exposure.” Through the Cyberisk Chek analysis tool, foodservice businesses receive a profile report that provides a simple and effective action plan tailored to their operations. “Assessing their level of preparedness for a breach is the first step to understanding what to do next,” said Taylor. “Restaurants Canada is proud to play a leading role with Cyberisk Check to provide foodservice operators with tools to understand their vulnerabilities so they can outmaneuver attackers and safegaurd the trust of their customers.” To start your Cyberisk Chek analysis, visit https://info.restaurantscanada.org/rc-cyberisk-chek, or call 1-800-387-5649 ext. 8006 and speak to a Member Services representative to learn more about this exclusive offer for members of Restaurants Canada. About Restaurants Canada Restaurants Canada (formerly CRFA) is a growing community of more than 30,000 foodservice businesses, including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and suppliers. We connect our members from coast to coast, through services, research and advocacy for a strong and vibrant restaurant community. Canada’s restaurant industry is an $85 billion industry, directly employs 1.2 million Canadians, is the number one source of first jobs and serves 22 million customers every day. About Cyberisk Chek Cyberisk Chek provides an integrated solution for both companies and individuals who are concerned with the safety risk from cyber threats. We provide an in-depth analysis that allows you to very clearly distinguish which areas need to be focused on to mitigate risk. We then provide a step by step action plan to reduce future threats. Our proprietary Cyber Risk Preparedness Percentage Score TM provides a baseline for future measures and is an integral component for insurance and financial institutions. The score is used in determining credit worthiness, underwriting rates and policy limits. Our global solution is based on industry accepted questions and rating formulas and is implemented in all forms of industry, companies and associations worldwide.

Marlee Wasser Restaurants Canada 416-649-4254 media@restaurantscanada.org