How To Keep Your Business Safe
If you run a small business, you might think that you do not present much of a target to bad actors, but this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, the opposite may be true. Potential thieves and hackers know that big companies and chains can afford the most advanced physical and online security products. Because you have fewer financial resources at your disposal, they may see you as more vulnerable and target you instead.
Fortunately, just because you are a small business with fewer resources doesn’t mean that you can’t protect yourself effectively. There are ways that you can protect your physical assets as well as guard against online threats.
Online Security
Cybercriminals have developed all sorts of nasty programs that can compromise your data and generally make life online more difficult. One of the most recent developments is ransomware, which is a program that encrypts all your data unless you pay a large sum to have it released. Other types of malicious software steal your passwords, spy on your activity, or just render your system inoperable. These disruptions are not only annoying but they can cost you money because when your system isn’t working, you can’t conduct any business online. You can protect yourself with online security measures such as TLS 1.3 and antivirus software. However, even the best security software cannot protect you if it is not current, so be sure you update it often.
There is a human component to online security as well. Often, a breach takes place because of human error. Educate yourself and your employees about best online security practices, such as not opening email attachments from unknown senders and changing passwords often while keeping them complicated. Hiring a security company to identify potential weaknesses that could be exploited can be helpful, especially if you don’t have an IT department or staff member.
Physical Security
Don’t spend so much time and effort on your online security that you neglect the physical security of your business. Online security breaches can be very expensive, but physical security breaches can cost you even more than money. Keeping your business secure starts with the location you choose for it, so do some research beforehand about crime statistics in the neighborhood and talk to other nearby business owners about concerns they have about security. Foster a relationship with these people. Join a local business association or just offer to keep an eye on your neighbors. This makes it more likely that they will do the same for you.
There are a lot of simple, inexpensive changes you can make to both the property and your own habits to make your business more secure. Install strong locks and plenty of lighting both indoors and out. Instead of keeping a lot of cash on hand, make regular deposits. Security alarms can provide an extra layer of protection, and some systems are relatively inexpensive. Even if it only looks like you have a security system, it can help. For example, you can buy mock-ups of security cameras that don’t hook up to anything but give the illusion that the premises are being monitored by video. However, you still want strong locks in case a bad actor is clever enough to figure out your ruse.
You can also help enhance physical security by being careful about the people you hire. Contact references to check the accuracy of resume information and perform a background check before hiring anyone. Do a Google name search and see what kind of social media presence each candidate has.
Even once you hire your workforce, don’t give individual employees any more access than they need to do their jobs. Only your most trusted employees should have copies of the keys to the building, and only those who have a job-related reason to access sensitive documents should be able to see and handle them. In the world of business, eternal vigilance ultimately yields peace of mind.
