Investing in your business will always be worthwhile, mainly because we live in a world where cyberattacks happen across the globe every single day. You can put several processes in place to protect your business and staff from criminal activity, such as theft and disasters with cyber-hackers.
Here are four simple upgrades you can do today.
1. Get Insurance
Insurance protects you in the unlikely event of an accident, property damage, or injury. Accessing the risks your business can face is an essential part of being a responsible business owner and preventing significant financial loss.
Many types of insurance are available, so do your research and find which one suits you best.
2. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity has never been more critical. Research from 2019 revealed that 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses because they often fail to have proper security measures in place. So if you’ve recently started, then you must protect yourself.
The first step for good cybersecurity is ensuring your data is protected by a business-class firewall and good anti-virus/anti-malware software. It’s also recommended that you back up company data and essential documents on cloud storage to access the information from anywhere. Many businesses use Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft Sharepoint. Another critical element of cybersecurity is having strong passwords (using a password Generator can help with this) and providing employees with regular cybersecurity training. This should include instructions not to click on any links, download files, or open attachments from anyone they do not recognize. Encourage staff to speak to the IT department if they receive something suspicious. You could even work with someone like these IT and Cybersecurity Risk Management Services to develop and implement a cybersecurity strategy to keep you safe and protected at all times.
3. Practical Solutions
Depending on your business and your products, you should invest in practical security solutions. Unfortunately, theft, anti-social behavior, and vandalism are all risks a commercial property can experience. Purchasing professional Security Fences, locks, security cameras, and decent outdoor lighting can ensure criminals are less likely to target your business.
If you want to take your security to a higher level, look into an external surveillance system so emergency services can be noticed automatically should trespass occur, and recorded evidence from cameras can be stored off-site immediately. You can also look into motion detectors at entrances and near windows for protection outside core working hours.
With all this security, have clear signage to warn criminals and trespassers of the protection you’ve put in place. This should act as a deterrent.
4. Communications Strategy
A final tip for optimizing security is managing your social media presence, including ensuring your staff adheres to your brand guidelines and developing a crisis communications plan. It can help to have responses to certain situations pre-written and approved, as well as reactions to stakeholders and the media. This means that if something happens, that could damage your reputation, your company knows exactly what to do.
