Running your own business is hard work but can be very motivating. You are your own boss – the captain of your own destiny. There is a lot of hard work involved in running a secure business but you are the one who will ultimately benefit from all those hours in the office, and not someone else.
But all the hard work in the world may not be enough to save your business if calamity strikes. That is why it is so important not to stint on security measures, especially in the early days when money is tight and your developing firm is still vulnerable to collapse. A little extra money invested in security measures now could save you a fortune later on.
Let’s examine a few of the fundamentals of business security.
Shredding
Even in the age of IT, there is still plenty of paper in the average office and some at least is likely to contain sensitive or confidential information. So dispose of it properly. If high volume shredding equipment is beyond your budget at the moment, ensure waste paper is properly collected and handed over to professional to shred at regular intervals.
Talk to your employees
Your employees are the lifeblood of your company, so make sure they are fully up to speed with the key security issues they will be expected to engage with as part of their roles. These will most likely include protecting company property and ensuring sensitive data stays where it should . Include this information in your code of conduct or employment contract.
Use strong passwords
In the 21st Century, most businesses run as much online as they do in the real world. Your first line of defence when it comes to your IT infrastructure is the password. A hacker cracking a crucial password is just like a burglar finding the key to your office door.
Hackers of ill intent use automated software to try and ‘brute force’ their way into company systems. These fiendish tools apply thousands of different, rapidly generated passwords in a short period of time. Protect yourself by only using passwords that would be very difficult for hackers’ automated systems to crack: these combine numbers, letters and symbols, preferably in unpredictable combinations. So ‘p8ssw0rd’ is more secure than ‘password’ but less secure than ‘p8ssw0rd9043’ while something genuinely random like ‘ui4&*4edp9)’ is the most secure (albeit least memorable) option of all.
Lock your doors and windows
Okay, that was a slightly flippant heading, but when was the last time you checked the locks and doors you do have in place? Would they be resistant as you think/ hope to a determined burglar?
Good, strong lighting in the immediate vicinity of your office is another big disincentive to: choose premises with decent lighting both to drive away burglars and also to protect yourself when leaving (or arriving) in the dark.
Another top tip: leave a night light on in your office overnight: this will make it easier for outside observers or security staff to see inside.
Consider, when your budget allows, hiring a security firm – or at least choose rented premises which take security concerns seriously.
Serious security, in short, costs money but it could all the difference between your business thriving or collapsing.
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