Whether you are worried about physical threats to your business, such as break-ins and burglary, or you are more concerned with the risk of cyber-crime, it has never been more important to take steps to keep your business safe.
Fortunately, there are a number of new innovations and technological advances in the security sector that promise to help protect your business, its employees, and your customers.
Discover everything you need to do to keep your business safe and secure in 2024 and beyond right here.
Create a Security Strategy
The first step you need to take to ensure the safety and security of your business is to create a strong security strategy. This should include actions to protect your business premises, your employees, your customers, and your business online.
If you are not sure where to begin, start by carrying out a risk assessment of your business, as this will identify any areas where you are vulnerable.
Alternatively, you could choose to enlist the services of a security solutions company that will create a bespoke security strategy for you. This is a good option if you want to take advantage of the latest security technologies, such as SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), which enables you to effectively identify and mitigate cyber threats and delivers safe access to all your critical networks.
Invest in CCTV and Access Control Systems
If you have a physical location, then you need to take steps to keep the premises safe and secure, especially at night when you are more at risk of thieves and vandals.
The simplest and most effective way to deter opportunist thieves and vandals is with CCTV cameras. These should be placed all around your business premises and should be made visible.
You may also want to consider investing in an access control system, especially if you have a lot of people coming and going throughout the day and night.
Protect Against Malware
Cybercriminals are more sophisticated than ever before, with new malware, also known as malicious software, emerging all the time. There are lots of different types of malware that you need to be aware of, including viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware.
To keep your business safe from these malicious programs, you need to make sure that you keep all your systems up to date, invest in email security software, and use robust firewalls.
You may also want to invest in encryption services that work to keep your files and folders safe and secure.
Set up Automatic Software Updates
How often do you forget to update your software? If your answer is often, then you are putting your business at a greater risk of online scams.
Hackers love nothing more than scanning networks and websites to see if they are running on an old version of software, as this makes them more vulnerable.
To keep your business secure, set up automatic software updates so you don’t need to worry about your employees forgetting to do this important task.
Safeguard Your Passwords
One of the simplest ways to keep your business protected online, you may be surprised to find out just how many businesses do not have a password strategy in place.
Ideally, your employees should be changing their passwords on a regular basis and they should be choosing complex passwords that are not easily hacked. Ideally, each password should be at least eight characters long and should include a mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters.
If you are worried about your employees forgetting their passwords or they need help choosing strong passwords, then a password management tool is a good investment.
Conduct Employee Background Checks
Before you hire any new employees, you need to make sure you carry out full background checks. This will help to flag up anyone with a criminal record that might pose a threat to your business, your other employees, and your customers.
Although this can be a lengthy process, especially if you have a lot of candidates to check, it is crucial if you want to keep your business safe and secure.
To save time and resources, there are online tools that you can use to carry out these background checks for you.
Invest in Employee Training
If you want to keep your business safe and secure, you need to ensure you are investing in education and training programs for your employees.
Although you might not like to believe it, most data breaches come from employees and, even if they are unintentional, they can still have devasting effects on your business. In fact, the large majority of small businesses are unable to recover from significant breaches of their data.
To make sure that your employees do not fall victim to any scams, such as phishing, you must make sure you are providing ongoing training so that they are able to recognize suspicious behavior online.
Dispose of Data Properly
You should not keep any data that you no longer need, as the more data you have, the more attractive you are to cyber-criminals. Therefore, you need to check your data on a frequent basis and delete any information that is no longer relevant or needed.
When disposing of data, make sure that you either use deletion software or hire a specialist to wipe the data for you.
Consider a Cloud Service Provider
If your business does not have the time or resources to implement a security strategy in-house, then you may want to think about investing in a cloud service provider.
A cloud service provider can carry out a range of services for you, including storing data, maintaining software patches, and implementing security measures. These are a particularly good idea for small businesses and start-ups who want to protect their business but do not have the skills or knowledge to do so.
You can find cloud service providers to suit all budgets, with different layers of protection based on what you can afford and what you need.
