Every business has vulnerabilities that could put their employees at risk. Just because a business is small does not mean that hackers will not target it. Small businesses are not immune to accidents and injuries. Therefore, it is up to small business owners to take the steps to keep their organization safe.
Build Safety into the Culture
When safety is built into the culture, everyone takes responsibility for keeping the business safe, regardless of what they do at your company. If you want your employees to prevent dangerous situations, arm them with the tools and the knowledge needed to keep the organization safe.
For example, to protect your employee’s data, educate them about cybersecurity. Teach them the role they play in keeping everything from employee data to business data to the customer’s data safe.
You can have all the CIAM, IAM, or PAM systems in place. However, if your employees are not educated on basic cybersecurity best practices, none of that is going to matter.
Reinforce basic principles frequently. However, don’t do it so frequently that your employees feel like it is white noise. The same principles apply to safety when working with tools, using dangerous chemicals, or working in unsafe environments.
Protecting Digital Assets
According to reports, 61 percent of small businesses were the victims of a cyber-attack in 2017. The targets for most of these attacks were customer records.
Your reputation with your customers is key to growing your business. If your business loses their data, you may never get their confidence again.
According to statistics, in North America, 11 percent of those interviewed had zero cybersecurity measures in place. This is because of a lack of understanding, lack of resources, and a lack of expertise.
You can provide a safe environment for your business by first securing your server. Points of entry should be limited to keep customer data safe. This includes firewalls and backing up data off-site in the event of a hack.
Protect your emails. Emails are the weakest link in your digital security. Make sure your organization uses software to scan emails for potentially dangerous viruses and links. Educate your employees on common phishing scams and email scams.
Password protection is a simple yet powerful tool to discourage hacking. Two-factor authentication and a password management system can discourage the use of easy to hack passwords.
Stay knowledgeable. The more you know about your company’s digital security needs, the safer you can keep yourself, your employees, and your customers.
Protecting Physical Assets
It all starts with where you choose to locate your business. If you are starting out, do some research before you select the location. Find out about the neighborhood’s crime statistics. Talk to a few local business owners about safety concerns.
Take the time to get to know law enforcement to be sure that you would be comfortable working with them if a problem arises. Having people look out for your business when you are away and knowing that you will do the same for them can give you peace of mind.
Require employees to follow all local and government safety and health regulations. Your business is only going to be as safe as your employees. If you are strict about safety standards, they will be as well.
Of course, you cannot prevent an accident from happening. If there is a workplace accident, contacting an L&I lawyer is a great way for you to protect your organization’s bottom line.
The most valuable asset your organization has is your employees. You want to do everything you can to keep them safe.
This means using comprehensive hiring and interview practices. Run background checks before you hire someone. Call their references, and examine their digital footprint. You can learn a lot about a person by looking at their social media. Do a simple Google search to find out as much information as you can before you allow someone into your business.
Improve security system that includes a CCTV. Make your physical space unattractive to burglars. This includes keeping doors and other points of entry secure at all times.
Conclusion
By just taking a handful of precautions, you can protect your digital and physical business. You put a lot of time and energy into building your company and building its reputation. Don’t let an on-the-job accident or digital breach ruin what you have worked hard to build.
