For businesses large and small, crime remains a major threat, and knowing how to protect your business from crime has never been more important. Billions are lost every year as a direct result of criminal activity, and as companies find new ways of protecting themselves, criminals find new tactics to exploit them. Cyber crime is a growing issue that many companies face in the internet age, so limiting your risk should be one of your main priorities as a business owner. Here are some of the top ways that you can do this.
Why it pays to protect your business from crime
Crime is rarely a one-off event. Theft, fraud and online attacks chip away at your revenue, your reputation and the trust your customers place in you, and the costs add up quietly over time. The good news is that most of the risk is preventable. A handful of sensible measures, reviewed regularly, will close the gaps that criminals look for and keep your premises, your people and your data far safer. The steps below are a practical starting point if you want to protect your business from crime without a huge budget.
Conduct a risk assessment
The first thing that you want to do is to identify where the risks are coming from in the first place. The risks that you are looking for are both physical and virtual, and you can get professional assistance in both of these areas if you want to do a more thorough job. Protecting against crime should be a team effort, so you should make sure to get your employees involved. Tell them about how important this issue is for the successful running of the company and ask them to be vigilant so that they can help to spot any signs of risk.
Secure your premises and equipment
There are all kinds of measures that you can take to better secure your premises. To start off with, you can strengthen doors, install window locks and put in security lighting. Look at the vulnerable access points of the building and consider installing CCTV in these areas. It is a good idea to have an alarm fitted if you do not already. Shutters or grilles may also be an option. Though all of these things include an initial expense, they may help out by reducing your insurance premiums.
Protect your staff
You should have a plan in place that details how your staff members should respond in the event of a serious threat to the physical security of your business. You should also have a policy that allows you to record who is in the building at the time. Many businesses are now replacing their old sign-in sheets with a virtual system, and also looking into sophisticated identity verification services that allow them to properly check details. Try to keep as little cash as possible on site and bring any excess cash with you to your bank.
Focus on cyber crime
As we already talked about, a cyber crime strategy is something that should be updated on a regular basis as the threats are constantly changing. But there are a few basic rules that you can follow. To start off with, you want to keep your operating systems regularly updated and refresh your firewall and virus software on a regular basis. Strong passwords, two-factor authentication and regular staff training on phishing all add further layers of defence without much cost.
Complete regular checks
Just like the world of business, the world of crime never stands still, meaning that threats are constantly adapting and changing. You should be looking to review your security methods at least every few months so you stay ahead of the curve. Always be willing to take advice, particularly from your staff who may be able to identify threats at ground level.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first step to protect your business from crime?
Start with a risk assessment. Walk through both your physical premises and your digital systems, note where the weak points are, and rank them by how much damage each one could cause. That gives you a clear order of priority before you spend a penny on new security.
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How much does business security cost?
It varies widely. Simple measures such as window locks, security lighting and strong passwords cost very little, while CCTV, alarm systems and managed cyber security carry a larger upfront expense. Many physical measures also lower your insurance premiums, so part of the cost often pays for itself over time.
How often should I review my security?
At least every few months, and straight away after any incident or major change to your business. Criminal tactics change constantly, so a plan that worked last year may already have gaps. Regular reviews are one of the simplest ways to protect your business from crime, because they keep you ahead rather than reacting after the damage is done.
Final thoughts
You will never remove every risk entirely, but you can make your business a far harder target than the one next door. To protect your business from crime, assess your risks, secure your premises, protect your people, take cyber crime seriously and review the whole lot on a regular basis. Do that consistently and you give criminals very little to work with, which is exactly the position you want to be in.
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