As a business owner, you’ll have worked hard to make your vision a reality. You’ve probably also put in long days and nights and played every role under the sun to get to the point you’re at. There’s a million one things that could become a problem in your business and some things (hello, cost of living crisis) are outside your control. But one thing that’s not out of your control is your security and the steps you take in your business to prevent security breaches.
Whether you’ve recently launched a startup or you’ve been running a successful company for years, you’ll need to ensure you’ve taken the steps to protect your business. This is especially important as we try to keep up with soaring inflation rates and ride out the economic lull. Any security breaches can cost you in money, time, and resources.
So, to help ensure you’re protected, here are some ways to improve your current security setup and some things to consider.
Control Access
We’re not just talking about access to information here, but also access to your physical premises and documents too.
Who you trust with certain information is important. There’s always a risk that data could fall into the wrong hands. By limiting the number of people who can physically access certain information, the risk of data being leaked is minimised.
A sensible approach to who has access to data is to give people access to only what they need in order to do their job.
Technology makes it easier than ever before to control who has access to certain digital information and see who has accessed things in the past too. This minimises the risk of information, data and documentation falling into the wrong hands.
Apply the same principles to access to physical premises, with the use of key fobs and digital access systems.
Ultimately, making sure only necessary people have access to places, spaces and data helps keep the risk of security breaches lower.
Cyber Security
We spend our lives online. This applies to our working life. From dialling in remote workers to meetings and emailing colleagues to writing reports, everything is stored digitally.
Businesses celebrate going “paperless” and ultimately it means almost all of our valuable data and information is now stored digitally.
Cloud-based storage has been both highly useful and essential – especially during the events of the last few years. But this tech is also hackable.
If you’re using digital tech as part of your everyday operations, take the time to explore the best security options available to you in order to protect the data that’s being stored. Budgeting for robust cyber security and ensuring this is updated with every new piece of tech that you introduce to your organisation is both worthwhile and hugely beneficial.
If you’re using a cloud based system like Google Enterprise or Dropbox, you can feel confident that these big companies have already taken the steps to protect what is stored on their systems. But it will be your responsibility to ensure that you’re controlling who, within your business, has access to these files.
Physical Security
Having physical security systems in place can also help you reduce the risk of theft. For instance, investing in a security guard if you run a store can be the best way to deter would-be thieves.
Similarly, installing an alarm and CCTV can help, whether you’re based in an office or a shop. Making use of closed-circuit television that utilises PCB design can help to record in real time and capture images, adding a layer of protection to your business.
And again, the use of digital fobs for access, rather than keys, means a lost fob can be cancelled as opposed to knowing there’s a key out there somewhere!
Consider Remote Workers
As the world of business has moved further online in the last few years, remote working has moved to the fore. However, while this has widened the talent pool, giving employers the opportunity to find the best in their field from across the globe, it also presents opportunities for files to be accessed by hackers.
Investing in a company VPN, using cloud-based storage etc can all help towards keeping everything safe.
Training for Your Staff
So often overlooked is basic training in cyber security for your staff.
We train our staff in how to use systems, we offer training and development in terms of the specific skills needed for their role and yet we don’t often see businesses training staff in cyber security by default.
Giving your staff some basic training in cyber security and the role they play in keeping data safe can be very useful.
“Offboarding” Staff and Security
If a member of staff leaves the business (whether through dismissal or resignation) make sure you have a process in place to remove any access they had to files and data.
Cancel any key fobs, remove their access to files and email and ensure that said staff member can no longer access sensitive data.
Expertise
As business owners, we often play multiple roles in our own business. But without expertise of our own, security might well be something worth investing in a professional for!
Stay secure!
