Whether you’re running a 9 to 5 business or operate around the clock, it’s important to get your beauty sleep. But how do you ensure that your business is safe and secure whilst you’re slumbering? Sleeping with one eye open shouldn’t be the solution – you need to be able to relax during downtime. Here are a few ways to keep your business safe and secure so that you can rest easily at night.
Secure your office
When you’re not using your office, keep it safe from any criminal behavior by adding security measures. A burglar alarm is the most common method, but there are other features that can deter would-be thieves such as CCTV, motion-sensitive lighting and locking important objects in a safe. Don’t advertise your office to criminals – make sure that the curtains are drawn when you’re not in and that windows are all locked. Various insurance schemes can also help such as property insurance and cyber liability for hacks.
If your office is open 24/7, you may want to introduce a screening process so that only authorized staff can enter. Ensure that overnight staff are trained in security measures and have a disaster plan so that everyone knows how to react in the event of a hack or robbery (more about hiring overnight staff later). CCTV is a great tool to have for a 24-hour business and can be affordably outsourced.
Digitally track progress
Using digital technology, you can now monitor your business’s network without actually having to be there to monitor it. Such technology is known as SIEM (Security Information And Event Management) and there are various programs available, all of which digitally record hardware and security alerts on the Cloud for you to check in your waking hours.
Having a digital clocking-in system for your staff can also be useful. This will require employees to log in as they start work and log out before they leave. This way, if somebody’s computer is being accessed and that person isn’t clocked-in – you know something is up!
An incident report database may also be worth keeping so that you are up to date with problems (a shift manager can fill this in).
Hire trustworthy night staff
If you’re hiring employees overnight, they need to be trustworthy. You should train a shift manager who you can trust to take care of security threats whilst you’re out of the office (they should also be health & safety trained).
DBS checks are a good screening process for staff, checking each person for previous criminal records before you hire them. You can also run various trust tests by seeing how certain staff members deal with lesser responsibilities – from here you can build up your trust, giving them more access to sensitive information and finally giving them the trust to take charge during a security threat.
If you are outsourcing night workers, you should always meet in person to give alarm codes, passwords and discuss other sensitive data – never disclose this information via email or phone.