5 Simple Ways To Protect Your Small Business

November 17, 2015

As entrepreneurs, we tend to think the worst will never happen to us! The truth is that even small businesses aren’t immune from security threats. Whether it’s online or offline, there are many different ways your business can find itself in breach of security. You need only look at the high-profile cases of Talk Talk and Vodafone recently. The former was hacked by a fifteen year old from his Scottish bedroom. The key takeaway here is that if one of the biggest companies in the world is at risk from ameteur hackers, so is yours.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help you strengthen the existing security of your business. We’ll look at both online and offline threats, and provide actionable advice to improve it. Here are the five thing you can do to secure your company.
Disaster recovery
Disaster recovery is an all-around solution that will support you in the event of pretty-much anything. From hackers to earthquakes, the service will ensure that your infrastructure stays up and running. It ensures that the immediate damage is minimal, and protects against any long-term disruption. Unfortunately, you can never plan for a major attack or natural disaster. But, this will help reduce the impact.
Insurance
Business insurance is typically one of the first things we suggest to small companies. Even before they launch their business. A good business insurance policy will cover just about every eventuality. It will reimburse your stock in the event of theft. It will cover damages to business vehicles and premises. But, it also provides another vital function. With the right policy, it will protect against lawsuits both within and outside the company. It will cover public and employee liability, and help protect your intellectual property.
Backups and data storage
Imagine the impact of your entire company system disappearing. If your business was hacked tomorrow, how would you cope with the loss of data? Imagine if you lost every customer record, every document, and every piece of company information. Imagine if your entire website vanished. It doesn’t bear thinking about. That’s why a system of sophisticated backups is essential. If possible, install a data storage system or invest in a dedicated server that will keep everything safe and secure.
Encryption
We’ve already established that hacking and data breach is a serious threat to businesses. Luckily, there is one sophisticated way to help prevent it. Encryption is the best way to secure your sensitive files and information. It’s a series of scrambled code that makes it impossible to unlock the data. At least, not without the correct encryption key.
Physical security
Last of all, let’s not forget about physical security out in the real world. You might not know this, but many of the biggest hacking scandals occurred because of physical theft. In other words, hackers stole a business laptop or Blackberry, and logged into company files. Don’t let your guard down once you’re outside the building. Keep your personal possessions secure.
Don’t take any chances when it comes to security. You can never predict when the worst will strike.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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