Author name: Georgia Mather

Increased Footfall & Card Transactions During the Festive Period: How to Remain PCI Compliant   As the festive season approaches, businesses across the globe are gearing up for a significant surge in consumer spending. According to recent data, holiday shopping and festivities contribute to a major spike in both in-store foot traffic and online card transactions. The global retail landscape is evolving, with consumers increasingly opting for digital payments for their convenience, security, and speed. However, with this rise in transactions comes the increased risk of data breaches and cybercrime. The pressure to ensure the security of sensitive customer data during this busy period is higher than ever. This is where maintaining PCI compliance becomes crucial. The Surge in Footfall & Card Transactions   During the 2023 festive period, both in-store and online shopping experienced a remarkable surge in activity: • In-store footfall: Data from major retail analytics firms showed a 10-15% increase in foot traffic during the 2023 holiday season, compared to the previous year. People are returning to brick-and-mortar stores after the pandemic, drawn by special offers, holiday events, and the experiential shopping atmosphere that digital platforms can’t replicate. • Online payments: The use of cards for online transactions soared in 2023. According to a study by the National Retail Federation, online sales during the 2023 holiday season increased by 14% year-over-year, with 61% of shoppers using cards for their purchases. The total value of holiday e-commerce transactions exceeded $100 billion globally, with credit and debit cards accounting for most of these purchases. As consumers flock to both physical stores and e-commerce platforms to snap up the best deals, businesses need to stay vigilant. With more card transactions come greater risks of fraud and data breaches, which could lead to financial and reputational damage if not properly managed. Why PCI Compliance is Crucial During the Festive Period   The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) provides a comprehensive framework for protecting sensitive payment card information. It is not just a regulatory requirement for businesses that process credit card payments but also a critical part of safeguarding consumer trust and ensuring the integrity of payment systems. The increasing volume of transactions during the festive period means that retailers, both online and offline, handle more sensitive data than usual. This can expose businesses to higher risks, including: 1. Data Breaches: Hackers target payment systems, especially during peak periods, when systems are more likely to be under strain or have vulnerabilities. 2. Fraudulent Transactions: Fraudsters are more active during the holidays, and payment card fraud often increases during high-volume shopping periods. 3. Reputational Damage: A single breach or security incident can permanently damage a business’s reputation, losing consumer trust and loyalty. By maintaining PCI compliance, businesses can reduce the risk of such incidents and ensure they are taking necessary steps to protect customer data. Key PCI Compliance Steps for Businesses   As we look toward 2024, businesses need to ensure they are up to date with PCI DSS requirements. While the specifics of PCI compliance can vary depending on the size and type of business, here are several best practices that should be implemented to remain compliant: 1. Ensure Secure Payment Systems Businesses must ensure that their point-of-sale (POS) systems and e-commerce platforms are PCI compliant. This means using secure, encrypted systems to handle card payments and maintaining a secure network infrastructure. Encryption technologies like TLS (Transport Layer Security) and tokenisation help protect cardholder information, even if the data is intercepted. 2. Conduct Regular Security Audits PCI compliance isn’t a one-time event. Businesses must regularly assess their payment systems and networks for vulnerabilities. Security audits should be conducted at least annually, but they are especially important during peak times, such as the festive season. Working with a PCI-certified security assessor can help ensure the business remains compliant and up to date with the latest standards. 3. Employee Training & Awareness Staff training is an often-overlooked aspect of PCI compliance. Employees should be well-versed in the importance of data security, recognising phishing attempts, and understanding how to handle payment card information securely. Regular training sessions can help reduce human error, which remains a significant cause of security breaches. 4. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) As part of the PCI DSS requirements, businesses must implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for systems that handle sensitive data, such as employee access to payment systems. This extra layer of security ensures that even if an employee’s password is compromised, unauthorised access is still prevented. 5. Monitor & Maintain Logs Effective monitoring and logging are essential for identifying and addressing potential security threats. Businesses must maintain comprehensive logs of all transactions and user activities related to payment processing. This allows for quick identification of any irregularities and helps ensure that sensitive data is handled appropriately. 6. Outsource with Caution Many businesses choose to outsource certain aspects of their payment processing, such as handling credit card information. If you’re outsourcing any payment-related services, ensure that the third-party provider is also PCI-compliant. You may still be liable if a third-party vendor experiences a data breach, so it’s important to establish clear contractual terms and ensure their security standards align with your own. 7. Implement a Data Retention Policy It’s crucial that businesses have clear guidelines on how long they retain payment card information. PCI DSS mandates that cardholder data should only be stored if necessary and for as long as needed. Having a data retention policy that includes regular purging of unnecessary or outdated payment information reduces the risk of a potential breach. Predictions for 2024: What’s Next for PCI Compliance?   Looking ahead to 2024, businesses should expect the following trends regarding PCI compliance and payment security: 1. Increased Scrutiny on E-commerce Platforms: With e-commerce continuing to grow, especially in the wake of 2023’s online shopping surge, the PCI DSS will place more emphasis on securing digital platforms. Expect more robust enforcement around secure coding practices and ensuring that card-not-present transactions (online payments) meet compliance standards. 2.

The BGF portfolio includes both Purple and Evolve. Purple has already grown rapidly under BGF’s direction since October 2023, while Evolve announced its investment with BGF early this year.  Because the two businesses share similar goals and principles, Evolve was a logical addition to Purple’s growth plan, promoting more productivity and freeing up funds for other company development initiatives. Purple will take advantage of Evolve’s extensive knowledge as it enters new markets, such as the hospitality sector, to provide both new and returning customers the best guest Wi-Fi experience in the business.  Commenting on the partnership, Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve, said: “Guest Wi-Fi is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but vitally important to businesses across the retail and hospitality sectors. Enabling customers to connect and use various digital services in-store or on-the-go, as well as being a valuable marketing tool for businesses that offers insights into customer behaviour, Evolve remains committed to providing our customers with industry-leading Guest Wi-Fi services. “Purple has an impressive track record when it comes to enhancing visitor experiences, optimising efficiency, and increasing cost-effectiveness. I am confident that this partnership, and the change in Wi-Fi provider, will only benefit our customers and their customers with a scalable and modern solution.” Initially started in 2012 out of frustration for poor guest Wi-Fi connections, Purple has evolved into the ultimate tool for businesses to turn their physical venues into intelligent spaces. Today, Purple helps physical venues thrive by enhancing visitor experiences, optimising staff efficiency, and driving additional revenue with our hardware-agnostic indoor location services. With a team of over 120 dedicated employees, Purple is focused on delivering a cutting-edge, industry-leading solution and is expanding rapidly. Gavin Wheeldon, CEO at Purple, added: “We are delighted to be working with Evolve as they embark on the next chapter of their growth plan. Evolve has an established and respected role in the hospitality industry, among other sectors, and we are confident that our joint offering will provide real added value to those businesses. By working together with Evolve to provide an improved Guest Wi-Fi service, we are creating a unique and best-in-class solution for the market. The joint credibility of Purple and Evolve will ensure that we can help to scale businesses in a robust marketplace.” Since it was founded in 2005 with guest wi-fi as its primary product, Evolve has seen rapid expansion by adding internet access, SD-WAN, and a variety of cutting-edge IT support services. As a fully managed B2B network provider with operations in 12 countries, Evolve provides dependable, secure, and resilient solutions to its customers.  Since its inception, Evolve has established a solid reputation for assisting companies in lowering expenses and streamlining service management across a range of industries, including retail, hotels, food-to-go (FTG), and franchising for petroleum. Businesses need Evolve’s fully managed network solutions and guest Wi-Fi services in order to run smoothly and provide a seamless customer experience.  End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve is helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of customers across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected.

Evolve is excited to announce the appointment of their new Finance Director, Michelle Horan.  Michelle joins Evolve from Giacom, a top cloud and IT services provider, where she was responsible for managing accounts, statutory accounts, and group consolidation for several entities. Before this, she worked at Vercity in senior finance roles in the asset management and renewables divisions, where she developed a wealth of knowledge in overseeing intricate financial processes. Michelle began her new position in November, and her first priorities will be to learn about Evolve’s financial situation, establish connections, and lay the groundwork for future plans. Commenting on her appointment, Michelle said, “I look forward to working closely with the leadership team and leveraging my experience to enhance financial strategies that support Evolve’s long-term vision. I have always enjoyed working with and influencing senior stakeholders, both within and outside the finance function, and together, we can drive sustainable growth, ensure financial resilience, and create value for all stakeholders.” With more than 15 years of experience in finance and accounting, Michelle is a commercially focused accountant with a passion for delivering high-quality financial reporting and analysis. Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve, said: “Michelle has a proven track record of improving processes and driving change, and I’m confident she will be a valuable addition to the team. She joins Evolve during an exciting phase of growth and has the skills needed to lead the business towards achieving our strategic financial goals.” The announcement follows the appointments of Caroline Oxley as the new Head of People and Martyn Yih as the Head of IT services, and it is part of a long-term plan to strengthen Evolve’s leadership team and reaffirm the company’s commitment to being an employer of choice. To learn more about Evolve’s award winning Executive leadership team, visit their website: https://www.evolvebg.co.uk/our-leadership/ End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve is helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of customers across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected.

Black Friday offers incredible deals, but it’s also a prime time for scammers, both online and offline. Protect your shopping experience with these essential tips: Watch Out for Phishing Emails and ScamsCybercriminals often send fake emails or create fraudulent websites to trick shoppers into sharing personal information. How to Avoid Them:Ignore emails promising deals that seem too good to be true, especially from unknown senders. Always type the store’s URL directly into your browser instead of clicking on links. Look for https:// and a padlock symbol in the website’s address bar before entering payment information. Use Secure Payment MethodsPayment security is crucial when shopping online. Best Practices:Use credit cards instead of debit cards for better fraud protection. Opt for digital wallets like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, which add an extra layer of encryption. Avoid saving payment details on retail websites. Shop on Secure NetworksPublic Wi-Fi can expose your data to hackers. Secure networks are essential for both shoppers and retailers. How to Stay Protected: Avoid entering sensitive information, like credit card numbers, on public Wi-Fi. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) if you must shop on an open network. Shop at home or on a trusted network whenever possible. For retailers: Ensure your Guest Wi-Fi is secure and separate from your main network. Consider a PCI-compliant solution like EvolveODM for reliable and secure connectivity. Be Cautious with Payment CardsSkimmers and other card fraud devices remain a common threat for both consumers and retailers. How to Minimise Risk:For retailers: Choose a PCI-certified Managed Network Provider, like Evolve, to keep your payment infrastructure secure. For consumers: Use contactless payments whenever possible to reduce card exposure. Inspect card readers for anything unusual before inserting your card. General Tips for Both Shoppers and Retailers Monitor your bank accounts frequently for unauthorised transactions. Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of protection to your accounts. Use a PCI-certified Managed Network Solution, like Evolve, to ensure a secure shopping experience. Black Friday is a fantastic time to save, but staying secure is just as important as finding the best deals. By staying alert and following these precautions, you can enjoy a safe and stress-free shopping experience, both online and offline. End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve is helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of customers across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected.

We’ve all seen the news recently, with some of the high street’s biggest retailers and fast-food chains suffering IT outages that have scared and infuriated their customers. Inevitably, such outages mean a loss of revenue and, more importantly, potentially irreparable damage to customer trust. Avoiding outages like these is essential, but in our interconnected world, where payments need to move at lightning speed, that means more businesses require integrations with third-party data centres. And that means gaining access to that third party’s most sensitive assets and data. Understandably, data centre owners want evidence of the strongest integration expertise to ensure no disruption to their systems and to protect customer and business data. The fact is that most companies typically won’t allow external companies into their data centres. Only a few select providers are trusted to handle such complex integrations completely. Evolve is one of them. That’s because it has been doing integrations for nearly 20 years and occupies a unique space, bridging the gap between IT companies with little payment experience and payment aggregators with little IT experience. Evolve was created in 2005 to help multi-site businesses, from retail, food-to-go, hospitality, transport, forecourts, construction, property, and smart cities, keep their payment processes protected and connected. The team’s experience with IT connectivity, hardware, and software installation means that no matter which customer Evolve serves, in whatever sector, it can work out their unique needs and what they need from a payment perspective, get them integrated quickly with third-party data centres, and pick up their payment network so they can accept and route payments without any hassle. Secure payment integrations built on deep trust Evolve has worked with some of the world’s biggest payment aggregators, like TNS, who have required access to thousands of banks and businesses and connections to payment providers around the world. Evolve is trusted to install physical hardware in the TNS Data Centre, which no other provider has ever been granted access to, a testament to the quality and security of our integrations. We’re also trusted by BT Cardway, another major payment aggregator that only works with verified partners subject to the strictest due diligence. So, with several integrations across two of the world’s biggest payment aggregators in multiple data centres, what that means from a payment perspective is that whatever payment provider you are using or want to use, Evolve can provide a direct integration into that payment provider. It can handle payment network migration and switches to different data centres, all underpinned by robust resilience and security so your operations are never disrupted. If for whatever reason one data centre stops working, your operations will instantly be mirrored and fall over to the next one, so your payments never stop working. This is a capability no other provider has. Let’s say your payment provider has an outage, you lose confidence in their ability, or you simply find a better deal elsewhere and you decide to put your payments through another provider. To do that, you now need to go through the process of negotiating agreements and contracts, get permission to enter the new provider’s data centre, and install new lease lines, circuits, switches, and hardware, along with all configuration and routing work. It’s incredibly complex, costly, and time-consuming to go through all these processes. But Evolve can move your payments to another provider instantly at the automatic flick of a switch because we have already done the hard integration work for you. Put simply, it taps into payment infrastructure that no other provider can get close to. Because of the trust Evolve has gained with various payment aggregators and the strength of our connectivity solutions, it is uniquely positioned to help companies avoid the damaging payment system outages that have afflicted various companies in recent months. Traditionally, companies rely on a single payment provider, but if that provider goes down, then the company can’t take payments and stops trading, leading to potentially catastrophic revenue losses. Because Evolve has links to so many different payment providers, we can advise companies on load balancing the amount of traffic they put through each provider. If for whatever reason one provider goes down, Evolve can help companies reroute payments through another provider. In-built resiliency like that helps to avoid the payment outage pitfalls we’ve all seen in the news recently. The importance of PCI compliance in data centre integrations Evolve boasts plenty of technical know-how, having done many data centre integrations globally. But trust lies at the heart of each of these integrations—in fact, the Evolve team is trusted by more than 60 gateways, platforms, and hosts to work directly within their data centres. A big reason for that is that Evolve is a Platinum Partner of network management company Mako Networks, which is certified to PCI DSS Level 1, the strongest payment data security standard in the world. PCI refers to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a set of security standards designed to ensure that sensitive financial information is kept safe from theft, hacking, and other security threats. Data centre users or owners of the storage, processing, or transmission process must meet PCI requirements annually. Evolve combines best-in-class tech with the PCI-certified trust that data centre owners need to be assured that their payment data and operations will be secured and continue uninterrupted. What this all adds up to for Evolve’s customers is seamless integration—a one-stop-shop for secure network management that is fit for purpose for even the largest multi-site brands, including: · TNS: This connectivity and infrastructure-as-a-service leader trusts Evolve to connect to 250 different payment hosts across the world, such as WorldPay, First Data, and Euronet. · Home Bargains: A major UK retailer, Home Bargains trusts Evolve to support it to route payments from each of its sites to its data centre. · HTEC: This global consulting, engineering, and product development company trusts Evolve to integrate card and credit processing for fuel sites such as ESSO. · KFC: One of the world’s

Evolve is excited to announce that their nominated Team Leader, Laura Drury has made it through to the finalists for the Service Desk Team Leader of the Year award 2024. The award is presented by The Service Desk Institute. After submitting a successful application that outlined all the outstanding work Laura has done since beginning her career as an IT Apprentice several years ago, once shortlisted, Laura then had to complete an interview and presentation to further demonstrate her abilities. This award is testament to Laura’s leadership style, management and motivation of the team as well as the wider business. Within her team, Laura constantly inspires and motivates, fostering a culture of continuous improvement as well as delivering excellent customer service. As previously mentioned, Laura began her journey at Evolve as an IT apprentice, working her way up to Team Leader and then Service Desk Manager, inspiring those around her along the way. Join us in congratulating Laura on becoming a finalist and fingers crossed for the results. To learn more about Evolve’s leadership team or IT Support function, visit our website: https://www.evolvebg.co.uk/ End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve is helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of customers across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

Evolve is proud to announce that, in addition to being shortlisted for the prestigious Service Desk Team Leader of the Year award, they have also advanced to the final stages for the MSP Service Desk of the Year (Small-Medium) category, presented by the Service Desk Institute (SDI). These nominations are a testament to Evolve’s exceptional performance and commitment to service excellence within the Managed Service Provider (MSP) space. Evolve operates two in-house service desks that have been key to the company’s success: an IT Support Desk and a 24/7 Network Operations Centre (NOC). The IT Support Desk handles a range of customer issues, offering rapid response times and effective resolutions to technical queries, while the NOC ensures the seamless and continuous monitoring of customer networks, ensuring business continuity around the clock. The recognition from the SDI is a significant milestone for Evolve, validating the company’s dedication to customer-centric service delivery and the expert management of customer IT infrastructures. Evolve’s dual-service desk model is designed to provide tailored support, ensuring that customers receive comprehensive, proactive, and highly responsive IT and network management services. As they approach the final stages, Evolve is looking forward to further demonstrating their ability to deliver exceptional managed IT services, with hopes of taking home the win in both categories at the upcoming SDI awards ceremony. To learn more about Evolve’s IT Support, visit our website: https://www.evolvebg.co.uk/ End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve is helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of customers across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn