Monday, January 17, 2011

Virtual And Physical Security For Your Business

If you want to succeed in your business, security is a basic concern you must address from the start. Whether you're online or in a physical office, you should be able to safeguard both your information and equipment so you can keep them running for a long time. How can you continue to transact with your customers if your database is constantly being hacked? How can you sell your goods when your store is constantly being ransacked? There are many ways that a security breach can happen, and there are many ways that it can compromise the security of your business. Hence, you should take the time to apply measures to prevent it from happening.

There are two aspects that you must look into when you consider the security of your business - virtual and physical. The virtual aspect is all about your information and keeping it safe from abuse. For example, if you own a supermarket, you're going to maintain an inventory list of all the items you sell alongside their prices. There can be other pertinent information that you need to keep in order to operate your business in an organized manner. When this information is compromised by unauthorized access, you could have your business in disarray which will inevitably affect customer experience. Thus, it is necessary for you to impose information security measures in order to avoid this scenario. Some of the basic precautions you can take are the following:

• Define employees' roles in dealing with high-risk data - who gets to print, read and connect to the Internet?
• Make it a company policy for all employees to log out of their database accounts in order to prevent unauthorized access.
• Install anti-malware or programs that control the entry and spread of viruses, bugs and other contaminants into your local area network.
• Use encryption when sending confidential data over the local area network or the Internet.

Aside from virtual security, you also need to protect the physical equipment that you house in your office or warehouse. The machines and devices you use are vital in your business' success, so make sure only those whom you trust and those who will need to use these use these things are the ones who can actually touch them. The dangers of unauthorized access are not only limited to thefts or robberies. Those pieces of equipment could actually be damaged when handled by untrained personnel. To secure them, consider the following measures:

• Assign a person or a team who will take turns in opening and closing the premises every day.
• Make sure everyone used an ID.
• Install security cameras for large work spaces.
• Provide lockers for employees so they can keep their valuables away from their place of work.
• Regularly conduct an inventory of all office equipment.

Boost your office security by providing an access door where you can regulate the entry of employees into your premises. Drywall access door and duct access door are other options for your other on site security needs.