kiosk software
2. Will the internal team have the
technical expertise able to maintain
and modify the system over time?
3. Does the internal team have the
time, now or in the future, to
dedicate to this project, or could
their time be more lucratively spent
on something else?
4. Will the internal team be able to
focus on this project or will they be
split into various projects that take
precedence?
5. Similarly, when looking at kiosk
system software, organisations will
want to consider:
6. What lockdown features are needed,
and are those features already
available in an existing kiosk system
software off-the-shelf solution?
7. Is the kiosk lockdown system
software being maintained by the
software company, and updated
regularly – what’s the update
frequency?
8. What kind of support is available for
issues and/or feature requests?
34 KIOSK solutions
9. Is there an ability to modify or
upgrade to more robust versions of
the software if the need arises?
Kiosk deployers also need to consider
the timetable and opportunity costs due
to any delay. How long would it take to
configure and test a self-service kiosk
using kiosk system software against how
long until the internal team can deploy a
secure functioning kiosk to the field, and
what’s the difference in time?
Another significant factor not often
considered is the cost of a security
breach. When using a kiosk system
software solution correctly, private
user data, operating and network
system access, and device data (such as
credit card information) are protected
and secured from both benign and
malignant users. Features such as
clearing the cache, encrypting credit
card data, session resets, and OS file
access blocking are absolutely critical
and must be maintained regularly to
remain secure.
The cost of a security breach must be
factored in, and the higher risk of such a
breach if kiosk system security is handled
internally rather than by those who have
made a business of focusing on it exclu-
sively. Other non-direct costs may also
be a result of opting for non-specialised
kiosk system software solutions. Poten-
tial costs include:
• Real costs due to stolen credit cards
or financial data. Some security
breaches cost ‘real’ money through
both credit card reimbursements
and fines/fees charged by regulating
organisations.
• Healthcare data is subject to a
different set of standards and
extensive repercussions are levied
when privacy violations are revealed.
• Handicap accessibility is a
particularly timely issue. Legal
ramifications can be a factor when
a kiosk isn’t accessible, and/or
opportunity costs incurred when a
handicapped individual is unable to
utilise a self-service kiosk.
• Perhaps the largest cost of a
security breach is the erosion of
brand trust and overall brand equity.
Consumer trust is perhaps the most
valuable asset a brand can have, and
damaging it through something like
a self-service kiosk security breach
is costly, particularly given how
avoidable it is when the appropriate
tools are leveraged properly.
While purchasing kiosk system software
is a clear expense for an organisation,
there are other factors and costs at
play, and deployers should make an
effort to understand them. Consider
them all before making a final decision
on whether to buy or build the security
software for your self-service kiosk
software system. n