Adam Reynolds is the vice president of Device Software Engineering at Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Opinions are the author’s own. Convenience store operators invest heavily in securing their payment systems and customer data. Yet one critical piece of infrastructure is often missing from broader security planning: the automatic tank gauge, or ATG. This technology monitors both aboveground and underground fuel tanks by tracking inventory levels, detecting leaks and helping companies ensure they’re in environmental compliance. As cyberattacks on critical infrastructure become more common, ATGs have emerged as a potential entry point in the absence of proper security protocols — and the scale of the threat is growing fast. In the first nine months of 2025, ransomware incidents targeting critical sectors rose 34% year over year, with half of all attacks striking industries such as energy, manufacturing and transportation. Fueling infrastructure sits firmly within that risk landscape, with cyberattacks on U.S. utilities rising nearly 70% in 2024. Convenience store operators spend years strengthening the security of their most visible systems. Payment networks are protected. Point-of-sale upgrades are routine. Loyalty data is carefully managed. However, ATGs — many of which were deployed long before today’s threat landscape — are not always evaluated with the same rigor as enterprise IT infrastructure. These devices present a potential access point many would not have considered, particularly as geopolitical tensions and increasingly sophisticated threats place added pressure on legacy infrastructure, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook. As convenience retail becomes more connected, ATGs provide critical operational data that help retailers monitor inventory and make more informed business decisions. Realizing that value, however, requires those systems to connect with broader networks and platforms. As a result, securing the device itself is just as important as protecting the data it generates. When left unsecured, these systems can