Security is as important to businesses as profit. Businesses of all manners and sizes face significant security threats every day from common thieves, hackers, corporate spies, and other unsavory characters. Physical security and cybersecurity are more important for companies now than ever. Read ahead to find out how your business can secure its assets, information, and data:

Install an Alarm System

The first step in protecting your business is to ensure the physical security of the office. Make sure that a local burglar doesn’t break in and steal the monitors by buying a top-of-the-line alarm system. Purchase a full security package that includes alarms, surveillance cameras, special locks, and associated software. Alarms should be installed at all openings, including high windows. A modern alarm system should be sufficient to secure your office respectably.

Secure Your Business Network

Nowadays, cybersecurity is as important as physical security. You need to secure your office’s connection immediately. Secure your Wi-Fi network and other ways employees connect to the internet. All computers must be password protected. You must change these passwords at least every three months with a brand new password (no more reusing older passwords). You can fortify your company’s network connection using a virtual private network (VPN) like GetFlix SmartDNS. VPNs, among other perks, encrypt data connection between your business’ computers and the internet. Download VPN apps for your company’s smartphones and tabs to secure them as well.

Get a Safe

Even if we live in a mostly digitized world, some things require paper. If your company has valuable paper or other physical items that need securing, get a safe. It must be fireproof, waterproof, and preferably shockproof as well. The same must have a tamper-free locking mechanism that an amateur burglar will not be able to pick. Buy an expensive safe with a guarantee, as most cheap safes have locks that can be picked by people with the right skills.

Limit Employee Access

All your staff suspicious not require access to all the files in the system. You should create security “levels” of your company, and password-protect files and folders accordingly. You can separate security segments by the department. For example, for the marketing department, create a separate folder or a drive with all the files that department needs access to. Now only the marketing employees can access this file. If this marketing folder is somehow compromised, you contain the damage by restricting access from there to other computers. This is very important for all businesses. Contact a network administrator to inquire about how you can segment your office network.

Buy Antivirus Software

Do not overlook buying antivirus and anti-malware software. These programs should be installed on all computers and handheld devices like smartphones. Also, the security software should be regularly updated. Malware is how hackers get access to a system. So, teach your employees anti-malware best practices like not clicking on dubious links. Blocking downloads on employee computers will drastically release your network’s vulnerability to malware.
Warn Employees about Accessing Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is very insecure, and your staff should be warned regarding this. Don’t let your employees access public Wi-Fi using the office-issued phone or tablet that contains sensitive business files. As mentioned before, get a VPN app for these devices as well to secure them against a possible hack or a data breach. Otherwise, simply tell employees not to connect over public Wi-Fi.

Last but not least, back up everything. Obtain cloud solutions to back up all your company’s most important files in a secure and accessible manner. If there are any physical files, make copies and store them in a safe.

Originally posted on December 19, 2016 @ 8:39 am