In the past, business owners only had to worry about physical security and the proper operations of their ventures. Today, however, things are different. With the help of technology, firms can simplify most of their processes, manage data easily, and increase efficiency in operations. That said, technology also has its downsides. A major disadvantage is that it makes companies vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
Therefore, besides providing physical security for a business, there’s also a need to ensure maximum online protection. This is quite essential for any enterprise, regardless of size. In fact, as an entrepreneur, you should prioritize this to keep valuable information and digital assets safe.
Outsourcing Your Security Needs
Outsourcing or hiring a third party to take care of cyber security needs is common among businesses these days. If you choose to do this, ensure you work with a reliable, reputable, and well-experienced company. Besides that, make sure they’re affordable. You can check this by researching pages like http://fusioncomputing.ca/managed-it-services-pricing-cost/ to learn how much you’re likely to be charged.
Some businesses also hire other firms to offer physical security. Such companies offer all-around protection. They’ll keep people, assets, and premises safe using the best solutions and technologies. You’ll likely find several companies promising to offer the best security for your business. However, don’t pick the first one you get. Before choosing any firm, check their credentials, insurance, licensure, and reputability.
Most importantly, make sure you pick a business that charges fairly for its services. Ask for quotes from at least three firms to get an idea of the average price. You can click here for a Calgary security company quote. You can also find other firms to compare prices and pick the most affordable one for you.
4 Tips To Secure Your Own Business
Besides outsourcing your online or on-premise protection needs, you can keep your business secure without additional help. In this section, you’ll learn some steps you could take to protect your business. Read on to find out more:
Learn About Types Of Cyber-Attacks
First, you must familiarize yourself with the common and latest types of cyber-attacks you may likely experience. For example, criminals could use malware, social engineering, or ransomware attacks. These are also very common nowadays.
Besides learning about cyber-attacks, you must also educate yourself on how to prevent them. For instance:
- Malware
Cybercriminals can install malware into hardware without your knowledge. Their goal is to disrupt operations and gain access to sensitive data. The best way to defend yourself against this attack is by installing a good antivirus program on your devices.
- Social Engineering
Social engineering is a tactic used by cybercriminals to manipulate you to reveal sensitive information or make security errors. Always stay cautious to prevent this. Train your employees to detect suspicious emails and messages. This way, you’ll identify suspicious calls or emails easily.
- Ransomware
Ransomware disrupts, halts, or takes over a business’ operations. Cybercriminals enable this by installing malware into devices. Their goal is to encrypt data in files so it’s unusable and demand money from a company to decrypt it.
Ransomware attacks are successful when you open unknown attachments, emails, documents, or links from social media or other sites. Therefore, avoid clicking on anything suspicious to avoid this attack.
That said, these malicious individuals keep changing their tactics. Therefore, it’s best to keep educating yourself about the latest tricks cybercriminals use to disrupt business operations, steal data, or gain unauthorized access to hardware, systems, or networks. It’s also advisable to teach employees about cyber-attacks, if you have any, for enhanced protection.
Use Unique And Strong Passwords
Unique and strong passwords can also keep your business safe online. Usually, using one or similar passwords for your accounts, networks, or systems puts you at risk of getting hacked. This is because if your secret code, phrase, or word gets compromised, it’s easy for a cybercriminal to access data from different areas.
It’s best always to utilize unique passwords. Also, make sure they’re hard to guess. Use a combination of numbers, special characters, and lower and uppercase letters to create a strong one.
Have Cameras, Alarms, And Motion Sensors
Surveillance cameras, alarms, and motion sensors can protect your business offline. Usually, these can deter potential criminals from stealing or doing anything improper on your premises. You can fix surveillance cameras in your building by yourself or get an expert for the job. Today, these systems can be connected to personal devices, allowing you to access footage at any time or place. Surveillance cameras can also help if anything suspicious happens on your business premises. You can retrieve footage for the day the activity occurred and easily catch a criminal.
Alarms have several sensors that can detect hazards or entry into buildings. If these sensors are triggered, the system releases a loud noise to notify you of an intrusion. The unit can also send an alert to the monitoring center. In this case, you or a dispatcher from the station can call the authorities if it’s an intrusion.
Motion sensors, on the other hand, detect movement in an environment. These can be connected to other security systems you may have. The sensors can turn on your alarm or cameras when they detect motion. Some modern ones can also send a notification to your phone.
Limit Access
Limiting access to valuable assets and sensitive areas will also help you ensure offline security. Exposing money, confidential documents, servers, laptops, and other valuable items only increases the risk of theft.
Therefore, it’s best to have these valuables stored in a secure area. You can buy a safe or have a special room for servers, devices, tools, and similar equipment. Keep the keys to such areas and make sure only a few trusted people know where they are kept. Have a reliable staff member in charge and ensure only they can access these places.
You can also limit access to your business’ building for additional security. Make sure you have a receptionist or security personnel responsible for ensuring visitors sign in and out with their identification cards (IDs). This way, you’ll know who got in and when they got out.
Employees should also have IDs and must have them at all times. This way, you can easily identify an outsider roaming around restricted areas.
Final Thoughts
Securing your company online and offline helps protect valuable assets like data, networks, systems, hardware, employees, cash, tools, and equipment. In this article, you’ve learned some steps that can help you protect your company.
You could outsource your security needs to a reliable company. Alternatively, you can take measures to protect your business yourself. If you choose the latter, you should use unique and strong passwords and learn about cyber-attacks and ways to prevent them. These steps will protect you online. For on-premise security, install cameras, alarms, and motion sensors and limit access to valuable assets and sensitive areas.
