Do Your Employees Have Business Security?
These days the most basic of startups have to look incredibly professional. This is quite a pressure, especially when you're finding your feet. But, when you've got so many other businesses out there that are willing to steal your thunder, you need to ensure that everybody that works for you is up to code.
This means not just ensuring that the business is ticking over effectively but also that the business is sufficiently protected. The topic of security is something we've got to be very hot on.
But, it's not just our responsibility to have the most up-to-date software packages. Your employees need to know the essentials also. How can we communicate these effectively?
Regular Training for Business Security
A lot of people view computer security training as one of those boring but essential things we've all got to do. But we don't hear any grumblings from our employees until they accidentally lock themselves out of their computer. Then, oh NO, everyone is up in arms!
And it's these little mistakes that seem to take all day to rectify. But if you gave your employees regular training, rather than just that box-ticking exercise every 6 months or so, you may find that mistakes will be reduced, and productivity increased.
I've had this happen with one of my freelancers. We went right down to Best Buy - The Geek Squad helped us out immediately. It saved a lot of time for us that day to get the work done. There is nothing worse than a blank computer screen when you are an online business!
Conducting Evaluations
We've got to find out how vulnerable our business is to cyber-attacks. As far as training is concerned, the best way to determine if our business and our employees are able to deal with the situation is to perform "live fire" training exercises.
This is where users have a simulated attack, for example, a fake phishing scam email. And based on the number of people that click on it, this can highlight what needs addressing within the employee circle.
Testing the basic security functions, like firewalls and passwords, is another simple but effective way to get an understanding of how good the company at protecting itself.
If employees' passwords are very weak, then introducing two-factor authentication to stop cyber criminals stealing sensitive information becomes an essential component. It should be a part of your business framework, to conduct evaluations and tests, but this is seldom the case.
Of course, having your help and yourself change passwords often is key. I know when I worked in corporate America I had to change passwords every month. I could not even log into my computer without doing so.
Constant Communication for Business Security
The best way for your employees to know how to protect themselves. And to have their fellow employees communicate it on a regular basis. This is not just about mentioning it every couple of days or so. Hence, you will need to create a substantial plan on how to communicate this information properly.
You need employees to be on board with this. It is why it has to become part of the culture of the company. If you are a struggling startup that's focused on your own specific actions, rather than the benefits of the entire workforce, a lack of communication is one of the primary symptoms that need addressing.
Helping your employees is helping yourself. With cyber security, we've got more reason now to be more protective of our essentials than ever before.
From the biggest of businesses to the tiniest of small-scale companies it seems that no stone is left unturned as far as cyber crime is concerned. So, you've got to arm your employees with the goods to keep your business secure.
Finally, having someone you can trust to help your business with this is a must. You can't do it all alone and run your business at the same time! I'm learning this tip quite fast since going full time with the business myself.
Do you have your online business security set up today? I'd love to know more in the comments below. Please share on your social networks.
