With all the time, energy and money that goes into establishing and growing your business, you’ll no doubt want to protect it from the financial and reputational damage of crime. Sadly, any business or organisation could fall victim to crime- if there’s a profit to be made, your company could be an attractive target for criminals.

 

These days, it’s no longer just physical crime you need to worry about. With many modern businesses now reliant on technology for their day-to-day operations, your business also needs protection from cybercriminals. The good news? Safeguarding your business has never been easier; all you need are the right security measures in place.

 

Stop Cybercriminals in Their Tracks

Long before the days of laptops and cloud computing, the only way for a criminal to gain access to your business was through a window or door. Yet these days, cybercriminals can gain access to our businesses through an entirely different kind of window- one that we open up on our web browser. Whilst the digital age has helped advanced the business world, it also opens up more opportunities for cybercriminals, leading to new advancements in cybersecurity threats and digital crime. Indeed, from viruses and phishing to ransomware and DoS attacks, there are a plethora of cyber nasties out there that can impact your business, causing downtime, loss of operations, reputational damage and loss of profits.

Luckily, as criminals evolve, so too does the technology to protect your business. Here are some of the steps your business should definitely consider taking to protect itself from crime.

 

Conduct a Cyber Security Risk Assessment

Just like in other areas of your business, it’s vital to carry out a cyber risk assessment to understand your risk level and areas for improvement. Business owners can conduct this risk assessment themselves or employ an external organisation, such as my company Elite Group, to complete this for them.

 

Ensure You Have Antivirus

It may seem like a simple solution but installing antivirus software on your computers and laptops should be a priority for any business. They can make a good start in keeping your business information and platforms secure. However, as we’ve mentioned, cyber-attacks are becoming more advanced and targeted, so it is important that businesses go the extra mile and add other solutions to strengthen their security.

 

Deploy Multifactor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication is still one of the single most effective ways of mitigating security risks. Whether it’s for your email or business applications, you can easily set up two-factor authentication to ensure that only your employees have access to your business-sensitive information.

 

Get the Most From Cloud Technology

Cloud technology is also a beneficial innovation, with most businesses taking a hybrid approach using both traditional and cloud solutions. One of the main benefits of utilising cloud technology is that it has a lot of security technology and tools already embedded in its infrastructure. So, moving to a cloud provider space may bring a lot of security benefits, which you can then build on to create an impenetrable security defence.

 

Outsource Your IT

If you’re looking to improve cybersecurity across your business, then why not outsource your IT security to a professional supplier. They can take care of everything on your behalf, implementing security software, as well as managing, maintaining, and updating your security solutions so it’s always fit for purpose. No matter your business size or digital maturity, outsourcing allows you to take advantage of a first-class IT team.

 

 

Secure Your Property With Physical Security

Despite the new-age threats coming from our business technology, ensuring your property is still protected from traditional crime is still as essential as ever. As a business, you’ll no doubt want to protect your company from the financial damage caused by theft, vandalism and disruption. Beyond that, there’s also the responsibility to protect your employees and customers from dangers in the workplace, as well as your business data and sensitive information. Ensuring thorough physical security across your business is the surest way to safeguard equipment and employees, as well as preventing loss of data and GDPR breaches.

 

1.Create a Strong Security Policy

Ensuring you create a clear internal security policy for all your employees can help to reduce the number of security threats across your business. Whether that’s a detailed cybersecurity policy that covers GDPR training and online safety or simply ensuring all physical security measures- such as locking doors and windows- are understood and followed.

 

2.Ensure You Have an Alarm

Having an alarm system installed in your business will ensure that any intruders are detected. When paired with an alarm response service, you’ll have peace of mind that criminals will be stopped in their tracks before they can cause too much damage to your business, assets, or confidential data.

 

3.Install a CCTV System

Whilst CCTV can provide vital evidence after the fact, it can also act as a deterrent against crimes. Indeed, most criminals will be looking for an easy and profitable target; a CCTV system will let the world know that your business is protected. When paired with an active monitoring service, it can also give you peace of mind that your property is being monitored 24/7.

 

5.Control Access

If there are certain areas of your business that are housing dangerous equipment or sensitive information, an access control system may be the ideal solution for you. These days, keyless access control systems make controlling who can and can’t enter certain areas of your business easy, allowing you to add or remove permissions from a centralised system- no keys needed!

 

6.Outsource Your Security

Improving physical security across your business can be difficult. Approaching a professional security company will ensure that all your security concerns are addressed, providing peace of mind that your business is in safe hands. Outsourcing your security requirements means you’ll have access to a diverse skill set, industry experience and SIA licensed officers- all for an affordable price.

 

 

Matt Newing is a self-made entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist who’s always on the lookout for the latest and greatest business opportunities. If you have a business that needs taking to the next level, get in touch with Matt today.