Four ways to keep your company safe

 

 

As a company owner, the last thing you want to have is a security breach. Being confidential data leaked to your competitor, stolen employee information, or a thief in the office. That can happen sooner than you think, even if you only run a small business. Because you have less processes in place than big companies, it even makes it easier for an insider to see a  way in. Here are a few tips to keep your company safe.

 

Protect your computers

Even with one computer you could be at risk for viruses, identity theft and more. You should change your passwords regularly, and hire the services of an IT professional if you don’t have one on payroll, to come check on your servers and IT gear once a year.

Regular backups to a server out of the office, or cloud based, can save you thousands in case of a fire or a robbery. The IT consultant should look for any attempts of access, even unsuccessful, and help you install a proper security system based on your type of business and your size. As you grow bigger, you will want to tighten security even more. For example, only employees above a certain level will have access to sensitive files.

 

Shred old documents

By law, you are required to keep receipts, payslips and other documents for a period of time that varies according to the type of document. A quick online search and a call to your accountant should tell you what you need to keep and for how long. Once you have passed that deadline, you are free to save some space and get rid of said documents. But you want to make sure you dispose of them in the safest way possible. Companies like Datashredders can help you do just that. You can also scan a copy before you shred, just for future references in case something arises, yet you will be saving on space.

 

Install CCTV

If your business is small and you can’t afford to have security guards during the night, CCTV can already help a great deal. You can keep a few days worth of videos on record, and check the tapes back if something happens. How long you wish to keep will depend on your type of business, and sensitive it is. If you wish to have cameras installed inside the office, you need to let your employees know they are being recorded. Some areas are off limits like changing rooms, but you can watch the entrance door to monitor any unusual comings and goings. Then you can set up more cameras in the storage room and outside the office.

 

Protect your office

Because your office has computers, supplies, and is likely to be vacant at night, it is pretty attractive to thieves. If you are not in a building where security is provided, you can set up keypads at the entrance door, linked to an alarm if someone enters the wrong code more than three times in a row. Each employee can have a different entry code, so you know who came in and when. Alarm systems can be linked to a security company, or if you are on a budget and live nearby, send an alert to your phone instead.