If there’s one thing that all business owners have in common, it’s that the security of their business is one of their highest priorities. Whether you run an online business or have a brick and mortar store, the threat of someone stealing what you’ve worked hard for is something that will always loom over your head. Thankfully, there are many different measures you can put in place to protect the hard work you’ve put in so far. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can avoid any security issues and keep your business safe from hackers and thieves.
Hire security guards
If your business poses a security threat not just to your products or services, but to you and your staff too, then it’s a good idea to think about hiring security guards. For example, if you work in a jewellery store or run a nightclub, there is always a chance that things can turn violent and when you’re in that position, you need to feel safe knowing that you’re protected. Installing silent alarms for occasions like this is always a good idea, but having security guards on site will not only help protect you if something goes south, but also deter it from happening in the first place. If you do decide to hire security guards, make sure you provide them with equipment like a two way radio for communication and means of protecting themselves too.
Scramble your communication
This might sound a little overwhelming, especially if you’re not very technically minded, but it’s actually something all businesses should be doing, especially if a large portion of their business is based online. Encryption should be one of the first things you do to protect your data. Any data that you get from customers or staff members should be put through an encryption process to make sure that it’s safe through payment portals. Even if you have remote workers, you can make sure that their data is scrambled so that when data is sent between you through communication, nobody can hack into it and steal it. You should look into the best VPN services around to make sure that any data that is sent is unreadable even if someone does get into your system.
Understand your weaknesses
It’s nice to think that you have a strong business model and you’ve put all the security measures into place. However, it’s important to know where your weaknesses are as a business because it gives you the power to understand what risks are involved in every process of your business, allowing you to prevent it from happening in the first place. It’s also important to know that every business has a weakness. It will save you so much time and money, and it will also allow you to decide whether the risk is worth taking in the first place. And, if something does go wrong, you will already have a plan in place to minimise the damage done. As an example, if you suddenly realise that your network has been compromised, you can stop using it immediately and then isolate that machine until the problem is resolved. Then, you can put more security measures in place to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future.
Conduct background checks on staff
It’s only natural to feel like if you don’t trust your staff, then you shouldn’t have hired them. However, people are capable of anything, and it only takes one wrong move to bring down your business. That’s why you should consider conducting regular background checks on your staff members. Sure, you may have run a background check before you offered them a position, but you never know what people get up to in their free time. It will help you find out if there are any threats to you, your other staff members, customers, and even the property you own and sell. It might seem harsh, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Install security cameras
Even if you work full time, there’s a good chance you’re not in all day every single day, which means that things could happen in your absence. And, it’s simply not possible to have your eye on the ball all day every day, otherwise you’d get no work done. However, what you can do is put security cameras and alarms into place. Not only will it allow you to check footage if something doesn’t seem right, but simply having them there will deter any thieves or misconduct in the workplace. You can now even get security systems that come with an app, so even if you’re not there, you can keep an eye on things too. And, some of them come with an alarm that will alert the police if someone were to try and break in if your store is closed.
Teach your employees
For some people, online safety comes naturally. They know that visiting websites that aren’t secure isn’t a good idea, and they know that downloading an unknown source will probably contain a virus. But, some people simply don’t think that way, and it’s your responsibility to make sure that you take the time to teach your employees how to use their devices safely and use the internet without running the risk of a security breach. There are loads of online safety courses that you could have your employees take, and on a regular basis too. Again, it might seem like overkill, but you’ll be better off in the long run.
Have a back up, and then back that up too
Finally, no matter how safety conscious you are with your business, whether it’s online or offline, it’s important to always have a backup plan if something goes wrong. And, have a backup for that backup plan too. For example, if there’s an issue with your network or website, you need to know how to recover from that situation as quickly as possible. If there’s a chance that your backup plan could fail, put another backup in place just to be safe.
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