As a business owner, protecting your assets is one of your top priorities. After you have spent years developing your business, just one preventable incident could cause huge problems. Therefore, it is important to have comprehensive security measures in place, for both physical and digital security.

In this guide, we’ll cover the essential security measures your organisation needs to deploy to protect your business. Let’s get started.

The five steps to secure your premises

1) Appoint a person with the responsibility for security

One person must have overall accountability and authority to make decisions regarding security, so choose the most suitable person for the job. For larger businesses, you may want to employ a person specifically for this role but for smaller businesses, the responsibilities will usually be in addition to their current job role.

2) Assess your risks

The first step to establishing the relevant security measures is to assess the main risks, such as weak points that could result in a break-in to your premises. The accountable person should perform the assessment and record all of the potential risks that could result in damage or loss to your business.

The main areas to focus on are:

Physical security

This involves inspecting the security of windows, doors, and any other physical weaknesses where someone could break into the property. You should inspect the types of locks that you have in place and decide whether you need to upgrade them to the highest level of security, for example, installing anti-snap locks on doors.

Electronic security

You should also review your existing electronic security, such as your alarm and CCTV. If you do not have the latest technology of these solutions, now could be the right time to invest in better electronic security. The quality of CCTV systems available now compared to ten years ago has vastly improved, incorporating sophisticated features to deter potential thieves and trespassers.

3) Prevent IT theft

Protecting your IT systems is also hugely important and is a legal requirement if you collect any customer data. You must comply with the relevant data protection laws depending on how you use and transfer data. To ensure that you are preventing IT theft you should have a robust IT security framework including a firewall, encryption software, and other appropriate security software.

In addition to this, you need to make sure that your IT equipment is protected from theft. For example, if a laptop was stolen from your premises, this could potentially result in a data loss incident, as well as losing valuable equipment. Therefore, having a secure storage place for IT equipment and ensuring systems are password protected is essential.

4) Consider the threat of arson

Arson and vandalism are a problem that businesses also have to consider, as there is an increasing number of these types of incidents occurring, accounting for over 50% of all attended fires. Vandals and arsonists often target business premises when they are unoccupied, causing considerable damage and threatening lives.

A high-quality CCTV system can help to deter arsonists and vandals but there are other actions you can take to protect your business. For example, making sure there are no combustible materials left outside and there is no accumulation of waste or rubbish.

5) Train your employees

Another important step in protecting your premises is to ensure that your employees have adequate training in the key areas including data protection, IT security, and protecting the premises. If you have delegated responsibility to an employee for the security of your premises, they would benefit from the Protected Premises course available from Bob’s Business.

Get in touch with our team today and start reducing your risk within hours.