With large sprawling networks, and a variety of communication protocols being deployed at retail stores (wireless LANs, GPRS, Bluetooth, NFC, RFID and cellular technologies among them), the entry points for attacks have multiplied substantially.
Add to that list various connected applications, more digital touchpoints, smart appliances and infrastructure, in-store associates’ devices, and customers’ mobile phones and we begin to see the magnitude of not just the risk, but the complexity involved in safely yet efficiently managing the network environment.