How to Protect Your Business from Physical and Cyber Threats:

Whatever market or industry your company falls within, it’s imperative to be sure that security and safety are completely ingrained into every fibre of your culture. Making security part of your company culture will make yourself and your employees more alert and wise to the risks and will help to prevent your business from being compromised.

This may seem like an obvious precaution to take, but it’s important to completely cover yourself and every possible avenue that could get attacked. The key is to be rigorous, conduct in depth risk assessments and keep your employees sharp and informed.

Modern Day Risks:Absolutely everything is technologically connected in 2017 – some homes have the microwave and oven connected to a smart tablet, or a remote or a laptop, and it’s the same with businesses. Computers are all connected to the same server and IP address, and data is all stored in the same place. For cyber hackers, this is like being a kid in a candy store. 

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There could be a small little hole in the security of one device, and hackers can find their way in through this and access all of your information. Essentially, the more technologically driven your company is, the more risk you pose. This doesn’t mean that you should revert back to “hard copies” of data and physically stored information etc. it simply means that you have to be wise to the risks and know how to secure yourself. The trick to protect yourself against cyber hackers is to have layers between each system and each piece of vital information. The more layers you install into your plan, the harder it becomes for hackers to access your information. Think of it this way – if you’re a shop owner, you wouldn’t leave your locked safe out on the street, you would keep it inside, behind a locked door – it’s the same principle as protecting yourself against cyber threats.

How to Protect Yourself:
As a business owner, you can’t just bury your head in the sand and hope that hackers will leave you alone. It’s your responsibility to make sure that you are installing the right kind of security software, and putting the right kind of security practices. Here are some basic tips to ensure that your business is protected from hackers:

· Put up a firewall – this is like a home security system for your online data. Firewalls are in control of all of the data entering and leaving your computer systems and can prevent any unwanted or unrecognized access to your network

· Protect your Wi-Fi – make sure that your Wi-Fi is password protected to prevent any unauthorized person from accessing your network (make sure that your password includes letters and numbers so it’s not predictable)

· Routinely change passwords – if you change your passwords on a monthly basis, then you will have a much better chance of securing your network, put this into practice and also train your employees to follow the same standards.

· Install anti-virus software – this will collaborate with your firewall installations. Firewall prevents hackers, and anti-virus software prevents your computers from getting ‘viruses’ from malicious programmes (these can weaken your protection and open the floodgates to hackers)

How to Sort the Basics:Moving away from cyber security, there should also be measures put in place to protect people from physical threats. If you’re a shop owner, or a nightclub/ bar proprietor, extra security measures should be put into place to prevent people from either trying to cause trouble, vandalise your property or enter without permission. Security teams can be made up of security guards and even protection dogs to deter and detain any threats.

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As a business owner, you need to be vigilant as security threats are always imminent. It’s important to put into place the correct security measures to ensure that you are giving yourself the best chance of protection. If you’re a savvy business owner, you will install measures to deter and protect cyber hacking and physical threats from having a significant impact on your business.