Every business is threatened by the very real possibility that they are going to be targeted by criminals. Typically, most businesses have and make use of some assets that they consider valuable, whether it is equipment and machinery, inventory, digital technology, or even data. As such, every business owner should be diligent about the risk of criminals trying to get what is theirs and make sure that they have the proper protective systems put in place. Here are a few tips on how you can ensure you protect your small business.
Keeping an eye out
Prevention is the best cure when it comes to theft. One of the best ways to see whether or not a customer (or even a member of staff) might be acting suspiciously in your property or if someone is trying to gain unauthorized access is to use surveillance or security cameras to keep an eye out on their action. A good camera system serves more than one function alone.
For one, it helps you monitor your property in real-time, especially if you use smart cameras that can link to your phone. However, it also lets you check back over the footage so that, if a theft does occur, you can pinpoint when and find a suspect. However, visible camera systems can also act as an effective deterrent. If people see a camera watching them, they may be less likely to try to commit the crime in the first place.
Let the right ones in
If you are trying to protect your small business’ stock room or inventory, or there should be no unauthorized access to your workplace at all, then making sure that the right people have access (and the wrong people don’t) is crucial. One of the easiest ways to do this is to designate a key-holder for the area you are gating off, but that isn’t as precise as it could be.
Installing a modern access control system can help you get much more precise about who you do and don’t let in. Modern access systems can even record who gained access to an area and when, meaning that if there is a theft, you can investigate with the help of whoever was the last person to access the area when it happened. You can get things like a smart keyless entry building system, which enable you to control access from your phone, meaning you can make sure your premises is secure, even when you are not physically there.
Keeping an eye out for cyber-theft
Data has become just as valuable to many people as the physical assets that they might simply lift physically. Granted, while it is harder for the average person to pull off a data breach, the more practiced criminals are having an easier time doing it than ever because most businesses lack any form of strong cybersecurity.
As such, it’s a good idea to work with a managed services provider who provides IT security. They can help you make sure that you have the right security tech in place, inspect your digital systems for any obvious vulnerabilities, and even help teach your team good cybersecurity etiquette so they don’t inadvertently leave the door open for would-be hackers.
If your staff are going to be working using mobile phones – and especially if they are using their own devices – you may wish to use a mobile threat defense solution to help secure these potentially vulnerable devices so that staff can do their work whilst you have peace of mind that they will be as safe as possible. Similarly, if much of your operations occur via web application, it is worth investing in quality web application security to ensure that your site is secure and customers (and their information) remain safe.
Securing your connections
You can make sure that your own devices, software, and team members are all made as secure as possible, but that still doesn’t mean that you are fully protected your small business from would-be hackers. Given that many of us are working remotely now, you might be working from a home connection or even from the nearest cafe.
Avoid using public Wi-Fi to connect to work resources as best as possible, as this tends to be the easiest thing to hack. Otherwise, consider installing a professional-level VPN that can help you encrypt the data that you send and retrieve so that, even if someone is eavesdropping on your data usage, they can’t unscramble the data that you’re sending or retrieving.
Know how to recognize scams
One of the easier ways to end up having to deal with either a data breach or a real-life robbery is to not recognize a scam when you see it. Online, things like phishing scams typically encourage users to reveal compromising information, such as usernames and passwords, by pretending to be someone they are not via email, such as pretending to be your anti-virus provider or the like. In real life, it’s often the same way, criminals will disguise themselves as service providers in an effort to gain access to the property, after which they can try to steal your assets.
Overall
The bigger your business grows, the more assets you have to lose and, as such, the more security you should consider investing in. Hopefully, the tips above give you some ideas of where to start and what vulnerabilities to target first.
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