In these uncertain times, the security of your business should be your priority. There have been many cases of civil unrest and burglaries. So, think about all the legal documents, money, marketing data, and records within the walls of your business and ask yourself if you are doing your best to protect them. Remember that security is key to protecting your company from attackers. So, here are some security tips to help you keep your business safe.

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Begin with the Basics

A strong password might be inconvenient; however, you cannot compare it to a data breach or even a network crash. Also, remind your workers not to use the same password on various devices. And to minimize the risks of a data breach, ensure that you decentralize password access to any delicate data. You can achieve this by distributing entry levels to different workers and maintaining the central access key to yourself.

Light up your Business

Nothing makes a thief happy than a dark and poorly lit place. Unfortunately, this means that they can easily sneak in and out of your premises without being recognized. Therefore, consider setting up well-placed lighting that can keep away the interest of burglars. Motion-sensitive lights are an excellent place to start.

Update your Locks

Many businesses tend to ignore the point of having new locks. However, it is a good idea to change the locks of your business premises, especially if you have just moved into a new building. Remember that there was another occupant before you, and they might still have access to the building. Also, get your locks updated or rent storage units to keep all your documents safe from criminals.

Establish Security Policies

You can ask your workers to work securely, but it is always good to have security policies in place for them to follow to ensure that they are working in a safe environment. For instance, you can have policies that prohibit the sharing of security information via mobile phones.

Having business security policies will help you ensure that all your workers play their part to be security conscious.

Ensure all Systems are Updated

Sometimes, you can fix any security problem you are having just by updating your software. Ensure that all your company computers and devices are up to date to protect your business from cyber threats. Additionally, you can allow computers to install updates automatically, so you will have no upkeep to worry about.

Back up your Data

With the advancement of technology, backups are more accessible than ever and need little time and effort. Most backup programs can even run in the background and store all your crucial data safely offline. However, for extra protection, ensure that you keep all the data in an external hard drive and always have a disaster plan in place.

Having a secure backup program for your business is the best way to prevent serious business interruptions in case of a ransomware attack.

Final Thoughts

All these tips must be implemented to ensure that your company and data are protected from cyber threats, burglars, and catastrophic situations. Start now because many companies have failed due to insufficient security measures on their services and devices. Use security software to store your data online, have strong passwords, ensure all your systems are up to date, and establish security policies.

When you build your very own small business, the looming potential threat of someone or something being able to destroy all of your hard work can be quite worrying. Establishing ways to protect your company and assets is an important step to ensure ultimate long term success, but it can seem somewhat impossible to cover all bases. However, figuring out where to start needn’t be as difficult as you might think, as there are a few top tips that can help you to discover the best ways of protecting your small business to prevent and possible damage in its lifetime. 

Digital Threats 

There are so many potential digital threats that your business may encounter, so searching for some kind of security to protect yourself and your data is highly recommended. It’s likely that you have stores of customer information in some kind of digital format, and it would be disastrous if an outside source could gain the chance of unlawful access and distribution. Setting up your own dedicated IT security team in house may not be a feasible option for most businesses, but luckily people like USWired have got you covered – they can act as an extra platform of professional support and protection when you need it the most. Installing some kind of firewall on every device inside your office environment should be high up on your priorities, as they will block suspicious traffic and reduce the chances of your network hosting a harmful virus.

Physical Threats 

The chances of your business encountering some kind of physical threat should be prevented with the same dedication, as the potential damage could be just as serious. Risks can come in many different forms, from being broken into to being the victim of a natural disaster, but there are so many ways you can help your business to stay out of harm’s way. To deter the chance of robberies or unlawful entry to the premises, it’s a good idea to install some kind of CCTV system that will both act as a physical deterrent when spotted whilst also being able to record every single second. You can even access some CCTV system footage live from your phone when you are in a different location, so you can keep tabs on security even when you are not around. If you’re in an area that’s prone to flooding or any other type of extreme weather, then invest in some kind of protection that you can use should the worst happen. Carry out some research and identify the threats in your local area so you can take the right steps to stay safe. 
Being able to protect your small business is so important, and the safety of your staff, equipment and reputation should be paramount in everything you do. Make an effort to evaluate the different digital and physical threats that your business might encounter within its lifetime and invest in the right kind of insurance to gain compensation if the worst were to happen.

If you own or manage a business the last thing you want is a death or injury in the workplace. This can lead to lawsuits, fines and even being closed down, so keeping your business a safe place to work in is really important. Here are a few tips to help you keep your workplace a safe environment for employees.

Protective equipment

No matter what business you are in there is always protective equipment needed. If you work in a kitchen it’s oven gloves, a building site requires a hard hat and gloves and if it’s a lab then safety goggles. No matter where you are there is always a requirement to have safety equipment on hand for anything that may happen. As said above protective eyewear is needed for anything that will have the chance to go in your eyes, like dust, liquids, and sparks. If you work in an environment that has the potential dangers of things falling then hard hats are required and so on, so any possible danger needs to have the equipment to protect from this.

As well as having the equipment to wear you also need equipment to help once a disaster has struck, so this would be fire extinguishers, fire blankets, shovels for snow and salt to de-ice any parking spaces and roads that lead to your business. All these things help to protect and prevent accident even after the incident may have already happened.

Protection Systems

Protection systems mean anything you can put in place that will help decrease or prevent an incident from occurring. So if you work on tall buildings as a builder having harnesses and fall protection systems for roofs in place can stop any danger of someone falling from the roof of the buildings you work on. Having fire alarms and any other warning devices in place would also be a great protection system, basically, anything that premediates danger occurring and has prevention in place to help stop any accidents happening.  

Safety procedures

Having safety procedures in place is a great way to make sure all staff is accounted for and safe in the case of an emergency. Making sure the staff knows exactly where to go and stay if an alarm sounds or something happens means there is less panic and it is all kept more organized. It is also crucial to make sure you have appointed safety marshals who will take control of the situation, like doing a head count and name check and calling any emergency services that may be needed. Having a copy of the safety procedure and everything on the wall and labeled correctly is key to make sure there is no confusion during an emergency and everyone goes where they need to go.

Having the responsibility of keeping people safe isn’t easy but in business it is crucial to look after your staff and keep them safe. Just make sure you have these things implemented and you will decrease your chances of an accident and increase your chances of dealing with one efficiently if it may arise.

When you run a business it becomes your entire life, you pour blood sweat and tears into your venture to ensure it’s a success. A lot of the time, your business will be your sole source of income- you might have your entire life savings tied up in it. So when something threatens it, it can be worrying and frustrating. But it’s a fact of life, we have to protect ourselves against criminals and as an entrepreneur, this means protecting your business. Here’s how you can go about it.

On Your Premises

As a business, your premises will be home to lots of expensive equipment, stock, sometimes even cash that criminals would love to get their hands on. Burglars target businesses because they know the rewards are great, in the case of lots of shops and offices no one is around after closing time giving them opportunity to get in and out unnoticed. CCTV and a burglar alarm act as a deterrent as well as making it easier for them to get caught if they do still enter. A secure safe that’s hidden away and bolted down should house any valuables and cash. Be sure to have cash collected regularly, the more that you have sitting around the more you stand to lose if you are targeted. While methods to keep criminals out are essential, you still need to play it safe. Metal, lockable shutters that pull down over doors and windows are another effective way to keep criminals out. While these methods might not be a hundred percent guaranteed, because most burglars are opportunistic, making their lives harder can often be all it takes to avoid being targeted.

Online

These days, it’s not just your physical premises you need to protect. With more and more business being conducted online, the more opportunity there is for security breaches. These aren’t just a problem for bigger business, many criminals actually prefer smaller companies as they know that in most cases their security will be easier to get past. Hackers gaining entry could mean anything from rinsed bank accounts to stolen customer details- since these can then be used for fraud purposes it’s the law to inform your customers. This can result in a big blow to your reputation and could put people off wanting to shop with you again. Upgrade to cloud based servers which are encrypted for security, and use good security software. Educate yourself, learn about ransomware protection and other attacks that you could be subject to and ways to defend against them. Even passwords need to be considered, often criminals gain access to businesses due to simple passwords being used. Update them and be careful who knows them. Trusted, senior staff members should be the only ones with this kind of access.

Just in Case

Finally, if the worst were to happen either online or in person, having the right insurances n place mean that you won’t be left out of pocket. Do your research, make sure you have the right insurances for your business and read the small print so you know exactly what you’re covered against.

Small businesses all over the world are some of the highest at risk. Beginning as a very simple idea that rapidly grows into something successful is the aim for most small to medium businesses, but many forget how important it is to protect their business as much as possible. The more successful you are, the more vulnerable you are, which is a very unfortunate truth! Being prepared to defend your business as best you can the bigger you get should be something that you include in your business plan. It’s not just the technological and financial threats that loom ahead for your business, it’s the threats to your reputation that you have to watch out for. As long as you are armed well and prepared, you can manage any hits to your business with a calm exterior and grace.

Financial Threats

A small business often doesn’t have or make as much money as a large business, but it’s not always about cash. Trust and estate planning is so important for your business future, because you need to take care of your assets. Entrusting your assets to the right company to manage for you can keep them safe and sound from being stolen. Lawsuits are a huge financial threat for your business, so you should ensure that your staff are conducting themselves in a manner befitting of your company when online on social media. They should also receive training on how to speak to customers, so that no lawsuits can be filed against your business.

Technological Threats

Cybercrime is a big deal, and if you’re not investing in the strongest firewalls and the right security programmes for your business, you are going to be bringing any threats on yourself. Small businesses are a favourite target of hackers, because they often aren’t as secure as the larger corporations. If you’re not taking care of your data security right now, then you need to shut down operations until you can protect your data, your customers data and avoid having your lax security being exploited. Your staff that work remotely should also be briefed on how to access a VPN instead of using public internet connections. The more you prepare everyone, the more secure your business tech can be.

Reputation Threats

It’s not like the school playground, with all the ‘he says/she says’, but you still need to maintain a good image. Your staff should be careful with how their social media is used, and you should ensure that you have a PR professional on your staffing so that if there are any scandals, you can manage them correctly. If you don’t want to hire one full time, you can hire one on a case by case basis to work with you if things go wrong. You need to have a strong brand that can withstand threats to your good name, so keep your business squeaky clean to avoid the rumour mill being spun. There’s nothing good about losing face in a business.