5 Steps to Total Office Security

business tools organisation running a business from home website Aug 24, 2015

Security should be near the top of every business owner’s list of priorities. Not just brick and mortar offices but also home office security. Just because you work or run your business from home, does not mean you should be complacent about your office security.

If you’re looking to bolster your office security, follow these 5 steps today.

Use Simple Lights

One of the most straightforward ways of deterring potential burglars is installing lights. Security lights are strong lights that are installed outside the building and activate when someone approaches it. They are very cheap to buy and put in place, but they could be the things that stop your office from being broken into. Having a CCTV camera in place will also act as a deterrent. Even if it’s not hooked up and active it could help. When burglars see it, they’ll be less willing to attempt a break in.

CCTV units are becoming more easily accessible and affordable and very easy to set up.

Lock Screen When Not in Use

Your computer probably contains all kinds of important and sensitive information. You don’t want that information to be compromised. So, if you’re using a computer in the office, don’t leave it vulnerable when you’re not around. You should lock the screen and have a strong password to make sure that employees of visitors can’t see what’s on your screen. This is a simple thing to do, but it’s also important. Many careless business owners have put their business at risk by losing information and data.

It is also recommended if you are working from home to have a business computer and a separate family computer, to ensure no issues with files accidentally deleted, viruses downloaded from sites visited or games downloaded, and the privacy of client files remains in place.

Install an Alarm System

If the worst does happen, and your office suffers a break in, it’s important to try and limit the damage. This can be done by installing a good alarm system. When an alarm goes off during a break in, it will deter the criminals and send them running in the opposite direction. You could buy an alarm that’s directly connected to the local police department. This will mean that the police might even be able to disrupt the break in and make sure that the criminals don’t get away with your possessions.

Installing a lock on your office door if you work from home that requires a key to open the door is also a good investment (don’t forget to lock it when you leave the house).

Invest in Shutters

Roller shutters are often made from strong metals or fibreglass. This means they’re incredibly strong and very difficult to break through. This kind of protection is exactly what you need to have in place if you want to make it difficult for people to break into your office. It’s much easier to break through a window than through a strong shutter. They also prevent other forms of damage to your windows, so they’re a good investment to make.

If you can’t afford roller shutters (I highly recommend them – they were the best investment I made on my old house), invest in security doors and screens for your office.

Prevent Cyber Attacks

Securing your business is no longer just about making the premises secure. You also have to worry about hackers trying to gain access to your computer network and steal information. You might think that this isn’t something that happens to small businesses or home based businesses. But, believe me, it does. If you store customer details and payment information, they could steal from the business as well as your customers. This will leave you with a lot of explaining to do, and you’ll also have to pay compensation to those customers. So, make sure you use a secure network and have strong antivirus software in place.

If you have not checked out CSI: Cyber I highly recommend you watch that TV Show and it shows you exactly how easy it is for cyber attacks without your knowledge, doing simple every day tasks that you see as the norm can open you up to a cyber attack, it also shows how damaging it can be to people and businesses.