What are the Craters & Freighters franchisee's responsibilities relating to the vulnerability of computer systems?
Craters_Freighters Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 6.8 Franchisee's Responsibilities Relating to Vulnerability of Computer Systems.
Franchisee acknowledges and understands that computer systems are vulnerable to computer viruses, bugs, power disruptions, communication line disruptions, Internet access failures, Internet content failures, date-related problems, and attacks by hackers and other unauthorized intruders.
Franchisor does not guarantee that information or communication systems supplied by Franchisor or its approved suppliers will not be vulnerable to these problems.
Franchisee acknowledges and agrees that Franchisee is solely responsible for protecting itself from these problems.
Franchisee must also take reasonable steps to verify that Franchisee's approved suppliers, lenders, lessors, customers, and governmental agencies on which Franchisee relies, are reasonably protected.
This may include taking reasonable steps to secure Franchisee's systems, including, but not limited to, purchasing firewalls, access code protection, anti-virus systems, and using backup systems.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 49–50)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Craters & Freighters Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are responsible for protecting their computer systems from vulnerabilities. Craters & Freighters acknowledges that computer systems are susceptible to various issues, including viruses, bugs, power and communication disruptions, internet failures, data problems, and hacker attacks.
Franchisees must understand that Craters & Freighters does not guarantee the invulnerability of its supplied information or communication systems. Therefore, franchisees bear the sole responsibility for safeguarding their systems against these potential problems.
To mitigate risks, Craters & Freighters franchisees must take reasonable measures to ensure their approved suppliers, lenders, lessors, customers, and governmental agencies are also adequately protected. These steps may include securing their own systems by implementing firewalls, access code protection, anti-virus systems, and backup systems.
In summary, while Craters & Freighters provides the proprietary software, the franchisee is ultimately responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of their computer systems and data by implementing appropriate safeguards and security measures.