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The success of a small business depends on the joint effort of a few yet dedicated employees. Leveraging that same drive and passion to keep the business safe from physical and digital threats will go a long way toward maintaining a growing and thriving company.
It’s the leadership’s job to focus on the bigger picture, but what can you do as a regular employee? This guide offers practical tips any employee can follow to boost the company’s physical and digital resilience.
Physical Security Measures
Vandalism, theft, and burglary are significant threats to small business security. Employees should be familiar with and help establish comprehensive security measures that will act both as a deterrent and safeguard against physical threats.
Lighting & surveillance
Awareness of the importance of well-lit, monitored areas around the business is important. Do your part by checking for broken lighting or cameras whose field of vision may be obscured. Report such failings to a supervisor as soon as you see them to help maintain perimeter security.
A security system is essential for maintaining internal and external security. Having a qualified employee monitor the feeds can identify suspicious goings on. Moreover, internal cameras may capture employee theft or brewing physical altercations and help de-escalate the situation in time.
Access controls
There’s no need to be sneaky if anyone can enter the business unsupervised during the day. Implementing an access control system prevents this, ensuring that only authorized persons are admitted.
Startups and other businesses that work with sensitive information may need to implement more sophisticated, role-based access controls. Employees with basic clearance can still access most areas of the premises and do their jobs normally. However, restricted areas – like server and file storage rooms – remain accessible only to qualified personnel with a higher clearance level. Familiarize yourself with your company’s access system and report any irregularities.
Smart sensors
Crafty criminals may find a way to bypass the above measures. For example, they may tailgate an employee and gain unauthorized entry. Smart sensors won’t stop this, but they can detect motion and sound in monitored areas. Better yet, such sensors are part of the Internet of Things, allowing you to set up interactions between them and security cameras and receive notifications as soon as something unexpected happens.
Cybersecurity Measures
Small businesses, especially ones that don’t consider cyber threats seriously, continue to be among cybercriminals’ top targets. The fact that 73% of American SMBs experienced at least one attack in 2023 should be sobering enough. Yet, many still ignore reality and risk the financial, reputational, and legal damage such attacks cause. It’s more of a mindset than a budget problem, as many cybersecurity measures are affordable and easy to implement.
Device security
Unsecured company devices represent weak points hackers can exploit to access valuable and confidential information. Stay protected by setting up antimalware, enforcing automatic updates, and ensuring you aren’t using these devices for non-work-related activities or installing unsanctioned programs. When receiving attachments or files from unknown or not-fully trusted sources, make sure to scan them with a file checker first to see if they contain malware. In addition, follow the security guidelines IT has prepared, and reach out if you don’t understand something.
Password security
Weak and reused passwords make it easy for hackers to access company accounts. They may then steal confidential and valuable data. Or, they’ll pose as the account owner and have unsuspecting colleagues give up additional data or transfer funds to the attackers. Using unique and complex passwords and securely storing all credentials in an encrypted environment provided by tools like a password manager will eliminate this issue.
Network security
A growing online presence attracts attention from cybercriminals who’ll probe your defenses in search of flaws. Robust network security encompasses several measures. Segmenting the network and implementing network access controls ensures vulnerable assets like customer and financial data are harder to exploit. Be sure to go through the proper channels to request access to such content when performing duties that fall outside your usual scope.
If you work remotely, you’ll greatly benefit from a virtual private network. Any remote employee who connects to company resources through the VPN’s encrypted tunnel accesses them without fear of being traced or intercepted. The VPN can also hide your company’s IP address and protect it from targeted attacks.
Usually, big companies will have a dedicated VPN, but for small businesses, this is rarely the case. Encourage your team to invest in a reliable one, or get a VPN yourself. To check what options are out there, go through sources like the Reddit VPN comparison table.
Employee awareness
Security measures at the device and network levels are only effective if users are aware of cybersecurity threats that exploit the human factor. Knowing not to share or expose passwords, how to recognize phishing and other social engineering attacks, and how to handle sensitive data securely will markedly boost your cyber defenses.
Conclusion
A business’s physical and digital security is only as strong as its weakest link, which more often than not turns out to be human. Follow the guidelines we laid out here and spread awareness of them to create a strong, security-minded working community that thieves and cybercriminals won’t want to touch.
Pedrovazpaulo Business Consultant for Your Success
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