Regardless of the type or size of your company, every business needs proper protection. Safety is important for all organisations, as they tend to be more vulnerable to physical intrusions and cyberattacks alike. Naturally, the protection of your employees, physical assets, and sensitive customer information will be vital for protecting your reputation and avoiding legal issues as well. To that end, here are some essential security tips you should follow to ensure the safety of your business:
Choose a good location
If you have the opportunity to find a new location for your company or office, it would be a good idea to do extensive research before making a decision. Look into the crime statistics in the area and consider asking neighbouring businesses about any safety concerns. Try to build a good rapport with local law enforcement as well to make sure they will come to your aid if the need ever arises. Try to familiarise yourself with your neighbours as well – having people who can keep an eye on your company when you’re not there will be a great asset.
Protect your premises
If you don’t think a safe location is enough, or you simply want to invest in additional security measures, there are a number of ways you could physically protect your business. For example, you can install robust aluminium fence panels to keep your premises safe from intruders. Investing in a good security system is also advised. Choose a solution that includes alarms, cameras, and smart sensors, and which notifies the police whenever a potential break-in occurs. This will provide your business with the highest level of security.
Hire the right people
To ensure the continued safety of your business, your staff has to be trustworthy and dependable, too. That is why investing in the more comprehensive interview and hiring processes might be beneficial. Before you decide to hire a new employee, make sure to run a background check and call all references. Even a quick Google search and a look into the candidate's social media profiles can give you a good insight into the individual’s personality. Check that all information on a candidate’s resume is accurate, and combine it with a personal character examination to ensure you’ve made the right choice.
Limit employee access
Even the most reliable employees don’t need an all-access pass to your company. To keep your sensitive business information secure, make sure only those who truly need to access it have the ability to do so. If employees don’t need to access certain records or documents, don’t make them available either. The same is true for physical access to your premises. Give copies of keys only to the individuals who absolutely need them, and consider limiting and tracking access to your business or select areas with suitable access control systems.
Prioritise passwords
In this modern world, digital security is just as important as physical for protecting your business. To ensure it, start with passwords. Educate your employees about cybersecurity and make sure everyone uses a long and complex password for business-related activities. Passwords should be different for each account and changed frequently to discourage hacking. If your staff has trouble remembering passwords, a password management system can be implemented as well. Two-factor authentication can also be a wise solution for any sensitive programs and applications that store valuable company data.
Keep your emails clean
Emails tend to be the weakest digital point of entry, often unwittingly due to employees. Use good antivirus software to scan emails for any potentially dangerous viruses and links. This software can protect all of your systems and programs as well. It would also be wise to educate your employees on common email scams such as phishing tactics. For example, you can tell your staff never to click on any attachments or links unless they’re certain they are legitimate. The more educated your employees are on cybersecurity, the less likely they will be to make dangerous mistakes.
Secure your servers
In an effort to keep your company data and customer information safe, make sure that all points of entry to your servers are controlled. Limit access to your sensitive data to just the most essential people. Remember to set up firewalls. Try to keep backups of all important information somewhere off-site as well. In case your data ever gets compromised, this means you will have quick access to any needed information and quickly get up and running once again. Hiring professionals to ensure optimal server protection could also be a good idea.
Ensuring the safety of your business isn’t an easy task, especially once you factor in the digital aspects, along with your physical assets. But by following the simple guide above, you will be able to secure your company and information, avoid dangerous consequences, and protect your reputation.
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