Securing your business over the break

With crime rates often spiking over the holidays, the physical and cybersecurity of your business may be at risk.

The Christmas period is a time to relax and destress, but it is important to protect all elements of your business while you are away. Now is the time to update security measures to ensure you are best protected into the new year.

Secure the premises:

The security of your office or storefront is particularly important during the holidays as there is no one coming into work. If an employee does wish to come in during the break, it benefits to have a company known policy about security measures. Your security policy should include protocols for locking up valuables, rules about inviting guests into the workplace for holiday functions and a security action plan in case of an emergency. Assessing security equipment is a good practice before leaving for the holidays. Updating locks, installing smart technology such as motion sensor lighting, utilising security cameras and an alarm system can all help prevent unwanted visitors while you are away.

Secure the tech:

Protecting the online elements of the business is just as important as the physical. Simple ways to look after the cyber aspects of your business are things like changing passwords prior to leaving for the holidays and scanning your networks for malware. For the highest value data, backup and encryption ensures solid protection. Storing important data on a remote network can also help protect work in the event of theft. Business owners need to be aware that these measures cannot prevent a data breach, but rather serve as an added layer of protection if a breach occurs.