May 06 2024
Running a business involves plenty of challenges. If you're not working on the latest campaign or project, you're looking for ways to boost your marketing efforts and improve your image. In between all of this, you also need to identify ways to protect your business from a wide range of threats.
But how can you keep your business safe and ensure it is secure? For many companies, it all starts with the office, so keep these tips in mind when considering how to improve security and make your workplace as safe and secure as possible.
Access systems might seem a little over the top, but they can help you protect your business and keep out anyone who is not permitted to enter the premises. This issue is especially important if you work with highly sensitive information, expensive equipment, or handle large sums of cash daily.
You can find suitable keycards for access systems that you can provide employees when they start work. This should grant them access to the office while also serving as a great and convenient way to determine who is present and who is away, which is useful when people work from home or during emergencies.
Every company possesses sensitive information, whether this includes customer payment information or addresses, or personal information about your team. Whatever data you store, you need to find ways to protect it, especially with the increase in cybercrime.
Many businesses simply set up network protection with strong firewalls. However, while this can help, it doesn't always work. You need more robust protection, which is why it can benefit your business to hire an IT support company that will monitor your system and keep things running smoothly. With this, you have one less thing to worry about, meaning you can focus more on tasks and projects that demand immediate attention.
Training your team will also benefit your business and make it easier to keep the office secure. There are various ways to provide the best information for your employees that keep them up to date. One option is retraining, which can keep security protocols fresh in their minds. You can also look at how to automate employee training to make it more accessible and straightforward.
By training your team, you can ensure everyone knows what's expected of them, which minimises mistakes and helps them recognise potential issues, such as phishing scams, that might disrupt your office and impact security.
Many offices use workplace CCTV, especially around the entrances and exits or the redemption areas. Legally, you can install CCTV in the office but only if you inform your team. Of course, retail premises always have CCTV, so customers and employees should expect this.
Installing CCTV enables you to check suspicious activity, such as a customer visiting regularly but not purchasing anything. It can also benefit an office if you find damage or realise you are missing documents or other sensitive information. The cameras can capture what happened, enabling you to take action and ensure you catch any culprits to keep your business safe and secure.
You can't let anyone walk onto the premises whenever they feel like it, so requiring appointments will keep your workplace and office as secure as possible. Everyone should be required to check in with your assistant or office manager before gaining entry and they can check their credentials beforehand to confirm they are who they say they are.
This approach might seem like you're doing too much, but it can drastically reduce the number of issues you and your team encounter. Since visitors need to check in beforehand, you can be more assured they are who they are supposed to be, which protects your office and prevents you from dealing with multiple people simultaneously.
You also want to ensure your office is safe after you leave. Some companies hire overnight security, but if you can't do this, going through the lock-up process should avoid plenty of issues. Typically, the same person will lock up every night, but it's worth training everyone on how to secure the office when they are the last ones to leave for the night.
Besides setting the alarms and locking the doors, they should also do a quick sweep to ensure no one is left there and any sensitive information is safely put away. For extra security, change passwords and lock codes regularly so that you can stay a step ahead of burglars.
Every business should have an emergency response plan in case something goes wrong. This plan can include evacuation, among other things, to ensure everyone gets to a safe spot should there be a break-in, fire, or other emergency.
Again, regular training and drills will ensure everyone knows what to do. Assign someone to take the lead and direct people to the safe meeting spot, as this means that you can rely on the safety guard to help people get out without injuring themselves. You may need to adjust your response plan depending on what happened, so bear this in mind when carrying out a risk assessment.
Background checks are a great way for employers to get a good understanding about their employees and ensure the office and workplace remain safe and secure. The criminal record check will highlight spent convictions (if there are any), which can assist in determining whether you should hire someone.
Of course, some businesses are willing to give those with criminal convictions an opportunity, especially if the charge was minor and many years ago. Still, other companies may be less inclined to hire someone with flags on their record, especially if working with sensitive information or handling money.
Securing your office will improve confidence and help everyone relax. This benefit can vastly improve more which will directly reflect on the quality and efficiency of the work ahead of you. Even if your office has never had a security scare, it's still worth looking at your current setup to determine whether it's worth making some vital changes to put your workplace in the strongest possible position.
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