Prevention and Protection: 6 Ways To Protect Your Business Better

When the topic of data security comes to mind, what are the first things you think of?  Firewalls, encryption, or vulnerability scanning may be some common associations, and indeed those are vital. However, have you ever considered the role of physical security measures such as private security guards for hire in Australia? Locked doors, security badges, and sign-in sheets traditionally all have a prominent role in safeguarding data along with cybersecurity strategies.

Consumers are becoming more aware of their vulnerability when it comes to data breaches in addition to their personal security when outside their homes. As a result, consumers are increasingly willing to discontinue their association with businesses that do not prioritise security. Putting systems, technologies, protocols and physical security measures in place is crucial if you want to retain the customers that you have and become more attractive to new clients. 

Let’s take a closer look at just a few reasons why protecting your business is increasingly important nowadays and how you can take action.

The Importance Of Business Protection

As revealed by a survey conducted by PCI Pal, a staggering 83% of consumers in the United States state they would not work with a business immediately after a security breach, and 21% would never return to that business. The findings vary slightly in the United Kingdom and Australia but are similar in both regions. In the UK, 44% of consumers would hesitate to engage in business with an entity that has experienced a data breach for several months, and 41% would never return to that business. In Australia, the percentages are equal, with 43% of customers indicating that they would have the same response in both scenarios.  

It’s clear that a modern approach to business security includes a robust cyber strategy combined with hardened physical countermeasures and professional personnel trained in the latest crime prevention strategies. As the data above shows, your customers’ view on this is clear; take our security seriously, or we’ll take our business elsewhere.

Your assets are important to the overall security realm as well. Your onsite inventory of products, systems, and supplies are all valuable assets that contribute to your balance sheet. If someone were to breach your walls and attempt to steal those assets, you will undoubtedly face significant disruption of business activity and revenue loss.

Below are some tips you can easily implement to better protect your customers and your business interests, both in the real world and in the increasingly dangerous online marketplace.

Official Security Policies

Before you can implement any security measure, you’ll first need to define it and draft a document that outlines each detail of your overall approach to security. It is essential to put these in writing to provide clarity to your employees and to mitigate liability in the event of a breach. Regular updates and training on these policies should also be implemented to ensure their effectiveness over time.

These policies will help prevent intentional or unintentional data theft. Consider including the following in your policies:

• Locking doors and specifying times they should be locked.
• Assigning access permissions to employees and defining who has access to what.
• Identifying devices that must remain on the premises at all times.
• Designating the individual responsible for implementing and overseeing security measures.
• Determining who has physical access to CDE (Cardholder Data Environment) server hardware and network equipment.
• Implementing a password change policy and discouraging writing down passwords.
• Outlining procedures for reporting lost or stolen access cards or badges.
• Establishing visitor access procedures.

Limited Access Areas

Perhaps your property spans several acres, with each area containing different elements of the business. Ensure that your employees are granted only the necessary access and nothing beyond that. For instance, your marketing supervisor may not require access to card data. Additionally, since most data is stored in data centres, it is crucial to thoroughly evaluate the trustworthiness of your service providers before entrusting them with your data.

In addition, customers shouldn’t need access to every inch of your building. Like employees, customers should only be granted access to certain areas to prevent potential criminals from gathering sensitive information about where goods or valuable equipment and information are stored.

Inventory System

With the increasing use of mobile devices in business transactions, there are also security concerns that arise. Theft of devices, such as laptops, servers, etc., often results in data breaches. It is imperative to maintain a documented inventory of all devices that carry or can connect to card data. Your business should be fully aware of the whereabouts of these devices, who has access to them, whether they are allowed to leave the business environment and other relevant details. An accurate inventory also protects you when it’s time to file an insurance claim on losses stemming from equipment theft should a physical breach occur.

Employee Training

Having well-defined policies and procedures in place is important, but they won’t be effective if your employees fail to adhere to them. Human error is one common cause of data breaches, and it can take just one instance of an employee forgetting to lock a door or a data centre cabinet, or allowing an unauthorised person into a restricted area, for card data to be stolen.  Therefore, it is crucial to emphasise the importance of following established security protocols and providing regular training to employees to minimise the risk of such errors.

Disaster Recovery Plan

Developing an emergency plan is critical for organisations to effectively respond to active threats or disasters. This plan should outline your response during emergencies, such as identifying who will make announcements and specifying evacuation procedures. In addition, you should implement an off-site data replication protocol and annually document and test the procedure for recovering lost customer and business data in case of a data breach or server crash.

Surveillance

While private security guards are an important piece of onsite security, a valuable complement to qualified security staff is a robust surveillance system. The level of protection you choose for this system depends on the nature of your business. Biometric scans, fingerprints, smart cards, and multi-angle video systems with 24/7 recording and on-demand playback are all readily available nowadays. Many customised, cost-effective solutions are available to fit your needs and provide varying levels of protection.

Foundational Security Is Key To Protecting Your Business

Integrating these solutions can empower you to regain control of your business while reducing stressful concerns about the security of your livelihood. A foundation of regularly backed-up data, well-trained employees who are aware of threats and how to respond accordingly, and the use of the latest best practices in IT security protocols means your company is well-positioned to respond to disruptions caused by cybercrime and physical theft moving forward.