SECURITY – it’s a terrifying phrase for most employers, glaring at them in fifty-foot high neon lettering; and there’s huge arrows pointing at the neon; and a man with a loudhailer is barking “SECURITY! SECURITY! SECURITY!” over and over in a panicked clamour.
If you’re a startup, the question of security on your premises is likely to eat away at you quicker than a morbidly obese man eating all the cakes in a cake shop. And, just like that morbidly obese man, you’ll feel pretty sick when the inevitable happens.
Crime is a major industry, and your startup has to know how to combat it from the get-go. So, take a look at some of these tips to find out how you can keep your business secure.
Protect your perimeter
The perimeter of your premises is the first port of call for an increase in security, being the starting hurdle for any would-be intruder. But that doesn’t mean you have to have a workplace looking more foreboding than a military compound.
Instead, purchase a high-quality fence painted an unthreatening colour. Couple that with a set of sliding gates to make entry easy for the right people, and you’ll have a safe perimeter that won’t make you look like a paranoid loon to the outside world.
Deny digital attacks
The world of cybercrime has become even more perilous than its physical counterpart, with national newspaper the Express claiming that if cybercrime was a business, it would be ranked 27th in the world for total revenue.
What’s frustrating about that figure is that cybercrime is easy to combat with a few cost-effective measures. Firstly, purchase internet security software (Norton Internet Security comes highly recommended) that will set up a firewall and regularly scan your computer for viruses.
Next, keep your passwords varied, difficult to guess (your name or birthday don’t count) but easy to remember. The ideal password should be like a fingerprint – unique to you and almost impossible to replicate.
Make trust count
You know that employee you hired who keeps discussing going “on the rob”, darts his eyes at you like an extra from Pirates of the Caribbean and speaks like some kind of Artful Dodger tribute act? Yeah, probably not the most trustworthy sort.
You need to hire employees who can be trusted to not, well, rob you. Ask probing questions of them during interviews, perform background checks and, most of all, know that they can work without supervision.
Keep these tips on your mind and your business will tick over without your property going missing.
