Things to Consider When Hiring Security Services for Your Business

Security is an integral part of any business to protect assets and employees from any incident.  Hiring a security guard to be the lookout for every aspect such as people getting in and out of the building and obtaining their details can go a long way to protecting your business.

As such, security guards have become essential to prevent theft and other situations that can hinder overall security. This is why it's crucial to be sure you are choosing the best security for your company. Consider the following tips when selecting a security company.

Reputation

Find out the level of reputation of a security company by doing extensive research. You can research on the internet and see what other clients think about the security company. Also, be sure to find out how the company handles complaints. Further, request customer references from the company to see if the services they received were satisfactory.

Licensed and insured

A security guard must be appropriately licensed, insured, and bonded. While it may seem like a basic requirement, it would help to confirm. As a client, you must ask for state authorizations, insurance policies, and bonding documents when conducting the interviews. Also, confirm that the licenses and training are up to date. The security guard company must also be insured.

Patrol management

Security companies might not be able to provide effective without an efficient patrol management system. However, most clients don't consider the kind of patrol management system a security company uses during the hiring process. So, be smart and ask about it.

Experience

Longevity matters when looking for security services. A reputable company with years of experience is likely to have better security standards than newcomers in the sector. An experienced security company is also likely to have established contacts with local authorities, be familiar with local security issues, and know how to handle these issues.

Besides, a security company that has been in business for a long time is likely to have a considerable number of reviews and referrals to add to its credibility.

Response time

Apart from preventing criminal activities, responding to emergencies should be a priority to professional security companies. They should offer round the clock dispatch service and have a reliable patrol system to respond to incidences as fast as possible.

Training

While there isn't a legal requirement for security guards' education, they should be adequately trained. Training helps security guards handle any security situation and guarantee that your business is safe.

It could also be best to consider hiring specialized security, especially when you run a business with a considerable number of employees to handle situations such as strikes. The same goes if your company has important persons that need specialized security for their safety.

Communication

You and your security partner will be working together to protect your business. If the security company can't communicate on security-related matters on your business, it could be lagging on its service.

Great communication is a vital aspect to look for in any business contract, and it's especially crucial when looking for a security partner.

Sensational Ways of Protecting Your Business in 2020

In today’s digital age, it’s more important than ever to know the potential cybersecurity risks that could harm your business or brand as well as for entrepreneurs to have fundamental knowledge on the right online safety and security protocols. In the following article, we discuss simple ways to protect your business this year and beyond.

Running a company in today’s digital environment comes with all kinds of cybersecurity challenges and issues, and this is something you as the manager or owner need to make sure you get right. Think about the different elements that play a part in helping to improve your company and make it more of a success in the future. This is something that you need to work on right now, and it is going to have a major impact on the future of the company.

Knowing Cybersecurity Risks and How to Prevent Them to Protecting Your Small Business

Cybercrime is such a massive issue in the world of modern business that you need to make sure you take decisive action. There are so many ways in which your business may be at risk digitally, and this is one of the reasons why cybersecurity is an absolute must. You need to know what it takes to protect your company, and one of the best ways of doing this today is to make sure you think about having cybersecurity measures in place to protect against that. Try to hire IT experts to take charge of this for you and ensure that you do as much as you can to improve cybersecurity measures right now. Protecting your business from cyberattacks and ransomware issues is critical to building trust with customers. Assure your customers that their financial and personal information is safe and secure.

Hiring an Attorney with the Right Expertise and Experience to Protect Your Business

Make sure you think about how you can protect the future and reputation of your brand. This means looking after the public persona and perception of your company, and there are a lot of ways you can go about achieving this. Make sure you look at doing what you can to hire a business attorney. You can protect your business from negative publicity as well as legal action by making sure you have a skilled and professional business attorney to hand. The right attorney can also handle all intellectual property issues.

Ensuring Your Business Has the Right Password Protection

It is also important to do as much as you can to password protect your files and equipment. This is something that is so simple, but it can actually be more important than you might think. So, you are going to need to factor in the best possible ways of utilizing password protection all across the company.

It is important to use complex passwords. Password protecting your devices, your network, and your files is so important. We recommend using passwords with at least 17 characters and updating them every three to four months to prevent your accounts from being hacked. In fact, we change and update our passwords every three months to ensure our emails, devices, and other important digital tools remain secure.

Using a Secure Server to Prevent Cyberattacks and Malware Issues for Online Safety and Security

One of the best ways to prevent cyberattacks and malware issues is to make sure you use a secure server so that you can be sure your business data and information is protected. Dell, Lenovo, and other PC companies sell affordable options.

Making Sure to Disaster-Proof Your Premises

The company is not just at risk from cybercriminals and malpractice suits, unfortunately. You also need to understand that improving and protecting your business also involves disaster proofing the premises as much as possible to prevent injuries. Make sure you do as much as you possibly can.

Earthquake retrofit contractors can play a massive part in the process of protecting your business premises and protecting them from harm. Natural disasters to protect your business against:

·       Tornadoes

·       Earthquakes

·       Landslides

·       Tsunamis

·       Lighting

·       Volcanic activity

·       Hurricanes

·       Fires and floods

Here are other types of disasters to consider when it comes to protecting your business:

·       Hardware failure – failed hardware issues can lead to downtime and team lost productivity.

·       Online security breaches – online security breaches can expose your customer’s personal data to hackers.

·       Social media hijacking – if your Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram page is hacked and the hacker posts a derogatory comment or photo to your account, this can cause huge reputational issues for your company. We had our Twitter.com account hijacked several years ago, and it took more than a week to attain control and fix all of the problems this person caused.

·       Software corruption – if your company’s software programs are corrupted and you haven’t backed up the data, this can lead to huge issues with lost files.

·       Malware/ransomware attacks – viruses and worms can cause huge issues such as data theft, corruption, or permanent data loss for your small business so it’s important to have the right firewalls and cybersecurity protection on all devices—both in the office and at home.

·       Robberies/burglaries – upscale businesses such as jewelry stores and high-end retailers are at a higher risk of being burglarized so it’s important to have the right safety protocols in place. These include security cameras, a security system, and an insurance policy in the event that thousands of dollars in merchandise is stolen.

Developing and Implementing Health & Safety Training for All Employees

Health and safety training is one of the most important things you can use to improve your company. Protect the future of the business by making sure you think about how you can improve your staff training and health and safety. Protecting your business and ensuring you are focused on looking after the brand is more important than anything else. There are a lot of things that play a part in helping you protect your company, and health and safety training is an important way of being able to do this. 

There are many things you are going to need to think about when it comes to improving and protecting your business from cybersecurity attacks and other safety issues. Preventing cyberattacks and other issues should be at the forefront of your mind.

Is Your Business Properly Protected?

If you're running any kind of business then there's no doubt that it probably means a great deal to you. Your business is likely the result of years of hard work and labor in the pursuit of something that you really care about. Because of that, the idea of something bad happening to your business is something that you would really rather not think about at all.

However, if you avoid thinking about the kinds of things that could go wrong in your business, that's a serious mistake. After all, there are so many risks to your business out there that if you're not making sure that you're taking all of the right precautions to avoid them, you're leaving your business vulnerable. With that in mind, here are just some of the things that you should be doing to protect your business as much as possible.

Hire an attorney

Staying on the right side of the law is always an essential part of a business and something that a lot of business owners take for granted. However, this is a mistake. Sure, you would never knowingly engage in any illegal activity but business laws can be complex and are often changing all the time. From drug testing laws to the current laws around employee wages, you want to be sure that you're always within the confines of the law no matter what. Often the best way to do this is to hire an attorney who can help you stay fully within all necessary legal limits. They can provide plenty of legal counsel and support in the unlikely event that you do get into some kind of legal trouble, but they can also help to ensure that you never end up in that situation in the first place.

Take precautions when introducing new elements

Growth is one of the most crucial parts of any business. This is especially true in the fast-paced modern world. Without growing and pushing forward, your business risks stagnating and falling behind the competition. However, one of the most common mistakes that a lot of business owners make is that they don't think about growing their business in a sustainable way. If you're just adding new elements to your business without giving it all that much thought, then you could end up doing more harm to it than good. The truth is that the more you push your business forward, the more important it becomes to be careful. Introducing things like new technology or new products to your business can be incredibly beneficial but it's important to consider if they're actually right for your business in the first place.

Invest in security measures

All business owners know how important security is and yet it still often seems to end up getting neglected all too often. A lot of the time this is because security is kind of invisible when it's working. If your security measures are up to scratch and working properly, it's actually pretty easy to start to take them for granted. Now, the comfort that your security measures bring is a positive thing but it's important not to let that level of comfort go too far. Never let it reach the point that you forget why you have your security measures in the place in the first place. Whether it's securing the physical premises of your business or making sure that everything is fully protected and backed-up when it comes to the digital side of your business, the right security measures are some of the most important things that you can invest in when it comes to your business.

Create a positive culture within the business

There is no doubt how important your employees are to your business in general. But you shouldn't forget about what a difference they can make to how well protected your business is. Of course, that's only the case if they're fully conscious about safety and security in your business as a whole. The best way to make sure that this is the case is to create the most secure and positive culture possible in the workplace. From simple things like making sure that all of your employees have secure passwords set up and encourage them to back up their data and work as often as possible. Not only that but by creating a culture of security at work, you reduce the risks that your employees pose to your business. If they are all fully aware of the importance of protecting the business, it's far less likely that they could end up leaving in vulnerable, either by mistake or on purpose.

Be responsible

As much as it can often feel as though you're protecting your business from many things coming from the outside world, it's just as important to remember that you have the potential to put your business at risk just as much as anyone else. This is particularly true when it comes to how you present yourself publicly. The things that you say and do will massively impact the perception of your business so make sure that you're being as careful as possible about how you publicly present yourself can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping your business protected.

No matter what, there are always going to be risks to your business. That's just a fact of life and something that you have to come to terms with pretty quickly. But with this advice, at least you're going to be in the best possible position to create a suit of armor for your business that will help you to defend against those risks and dangers as effectively as possible. The key is to make sure that you stay vigilant when it comes to protecting your business. As soon as you become complacent and start to take your business's success for granted is the moment that you leave yourself open to things going seriously wrong. If you're ever in doubt, the best thing that you can do is to lean in the direction of being overly cautious rather than taking too many serious risks.

Tips For Running A Secure Business

Do you have what it takes to run a successful business? Are you aware of the operations that go into running a safe and secure business in today’s age of cyberattacks and fraud? Continue reading to see what protocols need to be in place for you to run a safe and secure business.

Running a business for any founder or entrepreneur can be an awesome career experience. And many people refer to their business as their ‘baby’ because it means so much to them! From spinning new product/service ideas, drawing up strategy plans, developing marketing blueprints, and applying for funding, running a successful business that you can be proud of, it is an amazing journey, despite all of the headaches and issues that come along with it. Creating your own innovative spaces and making your ideas a reality is an incredible feeling like no other.

However, any business owner will tell you that success is a double-edged sword. You are calling all the shots, meaning that if you make a big mistake, it will be your responsibility to troubleshoot why it happened and to fix it. This isn’t always easy.

You manage your own team, meaning that if there’s conflict or issues between employees or between an employee and their supervisor in the office, you are the first port of call to sort it out. You also have the business’ spending at your fingertips and are accountable for all financials and financial statements; if went over budget or making costly hiring mistakes, the business could take a but hit. If there is a security breach or cybersecurity issue in your business, your entire operation can be compromised. Simply put, being an entrepreneur and running a successful venture means there is a lot at stake. 

Here are some tips for running a secure business!

Outsourcing Your Cybersecurity, Network, and Information Security Needs to an External Company

Have you ever been a customer of a company that had a security breach? Throughout the last several years, Target, Adobe, and Equifax all suffered security breaches. These are global corporations with some of the best security infrastructure protocols in place. If cyber attackers can cause issues with these companies, then small businesses are at a much higher risk.

In fact, research shows that every 39 seconds, there is a breach of web security online. And you are likely not a cybersecurity expert. Your area of professional expertise lies in running the daily operations of your business - but in this day and age, running your company means having watertight cybersecurity to prevent attacks. If you run any kind of online operation—whether it’s a software company, digital publishing venture, an e-commerce store, or a membership website, you need to contact a cybersecurity company such as Office 365 to help you achieve your intended security needs. 

These types of companies will ensure your business operates safely and within the guidelines of your specific location. Without efficient and effective cybersecurity operations, you cannot operate a successful business. Consumers will simply not trust your business if without online security.

To start the process yourself, here are some simple ways to protect your business while looking for an outsourcing company:

·       Develop a handbook of the best security processes and procedures

·       Have a working firewall in place for your internet/wi-fi connection

·       Ensure you have a mobile device action plan in place

·       Back up all important data in the event your servers go down

·       Ask your employees change their passwords every few months 

Understanding the Legality of Your Business and the Documents Involved

Depending on where you live, there are different legalities to how your business should be run. From e-commerce, to taking payments and collecting taxes, to the distribution of products, there are guidelines and laws that must be adhered to. If you do not fully understand these laws, you could be faced with a lawsuit, a huge fine, and even in extreme cases a criminal charge.

It is advisable to contact lawyers in your local area in order to ensure you are operating your business within the law of your town, state, and country. If you have never dealt with legal documents such as contracts, articles of incorporation, sole proprietor forms, or partnership agreements, understanding the language in each can be difficult and confusing. To ensure you understand the terms of each legal document, it’s best to find a lawyer that specializes in that area. A simple Google search can yield the right results.

Setting the Record Straight and Keeping Your Files Organized

As a business owner, it is imperative that you have your legal, insurance, financial, and administrative records in order in the event the government requests certain documentation. Your tax forms and payments, your employee payroll records, and your insurance policies--absolutely everything must be organized. Hiring a trustworthy, reputable accountant or tax professional to help you with these tasks will save a lot of time and headaches down the road. You never know when a missed bill or misunderstood tax form can cause issues or result in late fees or penalties. Given this, keep your records orderly, and stay on the right side of the law to ensure you’re prepared for any situation. You care about your business - don’t let it go to waste on financial corner-cutting or incorrect tax reporting. Be smart and be in the know to ensure your business is compliant.

4 Totally Necessary Security Features For Your New Business Premises

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Such is the industry today that you might not think you need an office for your business. Plenty of entrepreneurs prefer to go rogue and work from home, coffee shops, or even the local library. However, if you decide to invest in a corporate office, co-working space, or an executive suite, you should factor in IT and physical location security. Making your office the safest possible place for you and your staff is issue number one, yet bosses can let their standards slide. Allowing people into the office that aren’t welcome might turn out ugly, which is why there are specific security features in which you’ll want to invest.

Here are the four most significant ones.

A Receptionist with a Complete Reception Area

Receptionists or reception areas may sound old-fashioned and outdated, but they are excellent at keeping unwanted guests out of a location as well as keeping the building safe. The reason is simple: they have eyes on everyone who enters and exits the premises and act as a security buffer. Therefore, they can stop anyone they deem to be suspicious and ask them for a couple of non-intrusive questions to determine whether they belong in the office. The incredible thing is that by doing their job, it doesn’t make people feel uneasy or mistreated. As long as the person is polite and welcoming, nine out of ten guests will gladly sign-in, adhere to office policies, and interact positively.

Access Control

A more sophisticated option is to install an access control system in your workplace. By doing this, anyone without the right clearance wouldn’t be able to get in the main door, never mind into the hub of the office. Your employees, on the other hand, merely need to bring a retractable key chain with their I.D and the door will slide open. As far as security and accessibility in one go, access control technology is at the top of the tree for small to medium-sized companies, as well as big ones. There’s no reason to rely on alarms and deadbolts any longer!

Door Chimes

Okay, maybe you don’t have offices, but you have a shop in which you do the majority of your business. In this case, the two options above aren’t suitable. You require a security feature that’s effective that doesn’t turn-off customers. The last thing shoppers want to do is have to press a button to buy their bread and milk! Thankfully, humble door chimes are on hand to help. Placed above the main entryway, they sound every time the door opens and shuts, alerting you to new customers. So, you’ll know when somebody has arrived and exited without investing in fancy gadgets.

Exterior Lighting

Finally, please don’t underestimate the usefulness of outdoor lighting. Thieves hate brightly-lit spaces as it gives them fewer places to hide while doing their undercover work. As a result, burglars are more likely to target nearby businesses that don’t have huge lights shining overhead. So, installing lights strategically around the property could make your company, store, or office less of a target. The energy bill might be high, but you can leave them on all night to ensure cameras and passers-by can see thieves trying to case the building.

Can you think of any more that are must-haves for your business?