Running a business means assessing risks and making sure that everything is set to mitigate or completely eliminate these risks. Staying secure is all about being proactive as a reactive approach will leave you scrambling to recover in one capacity or another. The larger the company the more need for a risk management position as with many departments in a business comes even more risks. The best thing that a company can do is to think of the risks in a terrible scenario and plan for this. The odds are that this will not play out this way but the company will be prepared if this nightmare becomes a reality. The following are different areas a business needs to keep an eye on in order to keep the company secure in all areas.
Video Surveillance
Video surveillance is as affordable as ever and can allow a business owner to see what is going on at the office via a smartphone. Most of the time when a business is robbed it is someone involved in the business or who has had contact with the business. Otherwise a theft would be unplanned leading to a higher chance of being caught. For those that have coworking spaces or others have access to the office like the cleaning crew, you need cameras that are either hidden or obvious.
Keep Important Files Offsite
There are going to be certain files that it is better to keep offsite at a secure location. This could be a safety deposit box or other secure place as robberies can be with the intention of stealing files rather than physical valuables. This can lead to financial fraud as well as identity theft if employee files with social security numbers and banking information are stolen. Keeping the files digitally on a VPN can be very safe but physical documents need to exist in case of a server crashing. The files being locked in a file cabinet can work but make sure they are not obviously the most important paperwork. Keep this out of the HR department or a founder’s office as these are the first places many thieves will look.
Security of Information That Is Shared Within the Organization
A company that is inventing a product or developing a new software need to keep this information as safe as possible. Keep this information shared on a secure platform that allows for ease in rolling out software deployments. The proper precautions like that of copywriting or patenting something is still important just in case information leaks from a former disgruntled employee. The right paperwork and employment contracts can help ease the concern about letting an employee go as it would leave them financially/legally liable. Small things like changing passwords monthly and hiring a private online security firm can help guarantee there will not be any hacks/leaks due to poor online security.
Dong Thorough Background Checks To Ensure the Safety Of The In-House Staff
The safety of staff should be priority at any business and this starts with running background checks on potential hires. You do not want someone that might come in impaired to work and be violent due to their altered state. Do not hire those with theft in their background as this could leave the company as well as the valuables of employees at risk. There are less serious offenses that can be overlooked though so an arrest does not mean you cannot hire a productive, loyal, and professional person. Avoid arrests that have happened in the last few years though as a person might not have changed their ways. Over 5 years from their last arrest means a person changed for the most part as even the savviest criminals do get caught.
Training Staff to Reduce or Eliminate Hacks/Data Leaks
Staff can be one of the largest liabilities a company has to manage when it comes to keeping company devices and information safe online. The best thing that can be done is to do trainings on a regular basis about best practices to keep everything secure. Former employees that might want revenge on a company can be a liability as well as they might use passwords to get into accounts to steal information. Changing passwords of every account an individual had access to when they leave needs to be done whether they were terminated or simply pursued another professional opportunity. Keeping passwords on a need to know basis is also important to reduce the number of passwords that need to be changed when someone leave the company. A final note is that company devices should be used for business only. A virus infecting one of these devices can compromise an immense amount of information about clients and even employees.
Keeping a business secure can take a lot of work but it is far easier work than trying to work in disaster recovery mode. Assess the risks to put a plan together to reduce these in an overall sense.
