As a company owner, you work hard. You’ve likely poured your blood, sweat and tears into your venture and your entire life depends on its success. You’ve put in the work and established something that’s gone on to do well and that doesn’t come easy. So of course, the idea that someone could jeopardise this and steal it away from you is terrifying. Here’s how you can protect your assets.

Online

Online security is of the utmost importance to businesses, getting targeted by an online criminal could lead to the end of your venture. If your bank account is wiped you could be left bankrupt, or if customer data is stolen it could damage your reputation beyond repair. Most elements business are run online these days, so this is something to get right. One thing you can do is secure everything with very strong passwords, in so many cases businesses that are hacked, are done so using this method. Use a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation. It’s best to make your password expire regularly and changing it for a new one, the longer it remains the same, the longer a hacker has to guess it. You should also be careful about who knows the passwords. Stick to just one or two very trusted senior staff members only. Make sure your computers are protected by firewalls and regularly scanned for malware. Using an SQL system to store data online, as opposed to on physical computers and disks can also be helpful and prevents criminals from accessing your data if the physical computer is stolen. You could find SQL training courses online to educate your team if you wanted to switch to this kind of system.

In The Workplace

Burglars don’t just break and enter into houses, many will target offices as they know there are lots of valuable items and also that no one is likely to be there after office hours. A good burglar alarm and CCTV are important, with lots of companies offering these kinds of security measures specifically for businesses. Use lockable window shutters every evening to secure your premises which will prevent burglars from breaking windows or prising them open with a crowbar and entering. Another thing to think about is if your business takes cash from customers or clients, it should be put away properly. In a locked safe that’s bolted down and hidden from site, with regular cash collections so you never have too much on the premises.  

Just In Case

Sometimes, despite your best efforts things can go wrong and your business can become a victim of crime. Make sure you are protected if this does happen. Business contents insurance means that if any physical items that are used for your business (such as computers and laptops, smartphones, printers etc) are taken, you will be reimbursed. You can also purchase insurances such as online identity theft insurances for companies. Work out what the best options are for you, and run some quotes.