Businesses face security threats every day. With the way industries evolved, it’s no wonder that a hundred kinds of security measures must be put in place to ensure the protection of your business. Whether it’s plain and simple burglary or the more sophisticated form of data breaches, companies must keep up with the ever-changing landscape of online and offline security.
The question is, does your team have the protective measures in place? How do you protect your office, products, services, and consumer data? Why do customers entrust you with their personal information? Regardless of your answer, if it has been years since you last upgraded your system, it’s definitely time to check out what advances in technology can protect your business.
Physical Security
It’s easy to get drawn into the world of cybersecurity that business owners forget about the company’s physical security. If you have a small business, you don’t need to hire a 24/7 security guard. That is expensive. You need to leverage technology, however. That means installing an access control security panel on all the doors of your office building. Make sure that only authorized people have the code to open these doors. You can set a schedule of when certain codes will work so that it’s easy to monitor who accessed the office at certain times of the day.
You can also invest in alarm systems and security cameras. These usually deter criminals and burglars from trying to break into your office. And if ever they managed to enter your office, the system will alert the police and the security cameras will be a good source of evidence.
Many of these security systems can be accessed remotely, which means you can see what’s happening in your business even if you’re not there. Make sure that your office building is also well-lit. Installing motion-detecting lights can also deter criminals.
Data Protection
You hold a vast amount of data—yours, your employees’, and your customers’. The protection of these data is the lifeblood of your organization. Any data breach will dampen the trust that customers give you. Imagine if you’re in their shoes and your personal and financial information leaked to cybercriminals. How would you feel about that particular business? A single email address will allow a hacker to infiltrate someone’s life, so it’s important to encrypt all data in your system.
That means spending on the protection of your data. Updating systems, anti-virus software, and other programs will ensure that your data remains as far from the wrong hands as possible. If you are still keeping paper forms of such data, make sure they are in a vault in your office. Limit the access to that vault so the information remains secure and safe.
Cyberattacks
The sophistication of technology also led to the flourishing of hackers and cybercriminals. Hacking is a multi-billion-dollar business for these crime syndicates. They make money off stealing company data and individuals’ information. You need to put in place protective measures so that this will not happen to your business.
Everyone in the office should create complex passwords for their computers. In addition to that, two-factor authentication will also make it impossible for cybercriminals to hack into your systems. Usually, this involves a passcode being sent to the employees’ email or phone. That’s aside from the user-generated password.
You might want to avoid letting your employees use their own devices at work. When it comes to their jobs, they should only use the devices issued by the company. These devices should be encrypted, securing all the data they contain. Some companies have a bring-your-own-device policy, but this presents many risks. For example, if the employees access their work emails from their smartphones, a phishing email can lead hackers into the organization’s whole system. Can you imagine the kind of data breach this will lead to?
If you are going to allow employees to work from home, make sure they access your systems through an encrypted device. One wrong move can be detrimental to the whole company. No one will trust your company again if you subject them to stress from hacking, malware, and data breaches.
Work hard not to see your efforts go to nothing. An unexpected security breach will put your business in a bad light. You’ve invested a lot in your business so ensuring its safety both online and offline should be second nature to you. Use technology to protect what is rightfully yours, what you’ve worked hard for this entire time.
