Each year, criminal activity costs businesses billions of dollars in repairs, damages and lost intellectual property. Some of the most common crimes include, but are not limited to, burglary, vandalism and cybercrime. Luckily, most can be prevented by putting the appropriate strategies in place.
Ensuring your business is safe and protected should be high on the priority list as a small business owner — a single error could have a detrimental impact on your future success and financial position. In this guide, we have put together a list of security tips to keep in mind when it comes to protecting your small business:
Good lighting
Intruders tend to be opportunists that are attracted to dimly lit premises because of the impression that no-one is around or will notice them breaking and entering. If your business has a significant lack of lighting, it will be an easy target. Aim to eliminate as many dark areas around your premises as possible by installing automatically activated outdoor lighting, which switches on when it senses movement. This tactic is so simple yet is a successful deterrent for opportunists.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats can be one of the most detrimental forms of criminal damage, for large and small businesses alike. The main difference, however, is that large businesses often have the necessary back-up methods in place and financial safety blanket if this were to occur. Small businesses often don’t have these plans in place and have less knowledge of how best to protect their assets. There are many ways you can keep your private data and files safe from hackers, including the likes of:
- Improved password protection
- Layered security logging on processes
- Training employees about security breaches
- Backing up files
If you’re worried about keeping your business data secure, it would be highly advised to seek the assistance of 24×7 IT Solutions to manage remote ongoing maintenance to maximize the stability of your network, which not only reduces the likelihood of a security hack but also cuts your IT bills by up to 50%
Hire a security guard
If you’re particularly concerned about the safety of your business premises, it may be an idea to hire a full-time security guard to patrol the property and deter intruders. This will be ideal if your business premises is located in a high-risk area. Although this may take a large chunk out of your expenses, you simply can’t sacrifice your business’ safety if you’re feeling particularly concerned. It would be worth speaking to other businesses in the same location to determine whether they would be interested in combining security measures to split the costs.
Be wary of employees
It can be difficult to question the trust of employees working within your company, especially if you have built close connections with them over the years, but do remember that not everyone who appears dependable from the exterior has genuine intentions.
Ensure you carry out background security checks on all potential employees during the hiring process, so that you’re aware of their criminal history. Encourage employees to inform you if they happen to notice suspicious activity both around the premises and inside and always ensure that there are two members of staff dealing with the payroll process to prevent fraudulent activity.
