Employees often don’t serve the interests of organizations that employ them as well as their own. As such, businesses need to utilize security protocol to prevent serial criminals and opportunistic thieves alike from harming their welfare. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to security risks, as large corporations are often in better financial positions to properly guard their organizations. Small businesses have less working capital, fewer employees, and less to risk than their larger counterparts. Here are four strategies your small business can implement into regular business functions to safeguard against hackers, robbers, thieves, and other criminals.
Implement Rules, Practices, and Procedures
An astounding 69% of small businesses fail to actively protect themselves from security breaches. An effective means of beefing up security is to create written rules that safeguard physical and technological means of business safety. Inform employees of new rules and educate them on how criminals may attempt to steal from or inflict damage upon your small business. Simply writing such protocol without educating employees and informing them how to act is wholly useless.
Invest in Physical Security Presence
Small businesses with valuable products, sensitive information, and important equipment will likely benefit from maintaining a physical presence of security guards, like those from Trident Security. The mere thought of security guards deters criminals from targeting your small business, as they’d have to make it past security guards, break into the facility, find valuable items to steal, then get away without running into trouble. Having security guards around to protect your small business circumvents a large portion of physical crime.
Don’t Carelessly Allow Visitors Inside Facilities
Criminals sometimes dress up as computer repairmen, IT workers, or construction personnel to gain unauthorized access into business facilities. Unknowing employees often grant them unfettered access to facilities. They may even hand over administrative passwords for computer systems. Inform employees of planned visits from repairmen prior to start of business days. Encourage them to never grant access to people not granted access ahead of time.
Utilize Two-Factor Authentication
Computers and other technological devices should always utilize two-factor authentication, also called 2FA. Computer programs at small businesses usually require only one password or other authentication measure to login. 2FA requires two forms of identification to gain access, usually a password and and text message sent to employees’ personal phones. Adding an extra layer of security prevents unauthorized personnel from entering passwords they find around small business’ facilities. Having two passwords, however, is not acceptable security for 2FA.
Many small businesses fail to take security seriously. Not doing so may result in hefty financial penalties or unrepairable consequences. Implementing these four measures into your small business’ everyday actions will largely prevent security breaches from manifesting themselves.