How to Secure and Protect Your Startup’s Physical and Digital Assets
Your assets are the most important things in your startup. Whether they’re physical or digital, it should be your priority to protect them as your startup is exposed to many risks. These risks may cause your startup’s reputation to be damaged, accounts to drain, and even legal liabilities to arise. Protecting your assets from these risks is essential for your business to succeed. Here are a few things you might want to implement to secure and protect your physical and digital assets.
Cyber Insurance
In the digital age, we often have concerns relating to losing our digital assets. Your startup’s data is a crucial aspect of your digital assets. To protect data, you should consider cyber insurance. Cyber insurance will cover your startup against risks such as data breaches and data theft. There are also different levels of cyber liability coverage. Some protect you from direct losses to your startup and others will insure you from any action taken by your clients or other parties.
Consult a professional about what’s the best option for you. Remember that although cyber insurance can address the costs of data loss, it cannot replace cyber security. Ensure that you have other systems in place to prevent these risks in the first place!
Physical Safeguards
The easier it is for a thief to steal from you, the higher the chance they’ll go through with it. This is why it’s important to make it as difficult as possible for them to do so. When it comes to physical assets, there are countless ways for you to make it challenging for a thief to take things away from the premise.
Attaching chattels to the land wherever possible is a good start. You could also secure computer monitors and systems to desks or the floor. To protect your startup from thieves, you’ve got to think like a thief and have all the preventions in place, ready to go.
Security Systems
Security systems are an obvious option when it comes to securing and protecting physical assets. Not only do they protect your assets by making it difficult for thieves to access them, but they are also great for deterring.
Installing security systems such as CCTV cameras, alarms and smart locks presents a risk to the offender. If the risk is high enough, it will help with deterring criminal behaviour because of the likelihood of being caught. It’s also important to ensure that your security systems are up to date with regular upgrades. This will prevent break-ins and help secure your startup’s physical assets.
Hiding or Moving Assets Offsite
If there isn’t a safe place for you to put important business assets, simply move them to a location that does. It’s simple. Changing up your hiding spot can also make it more difficult for thieves to locate your assets. You can also install locks in your desk drawers and invest in a safety deposit box to store all important business property. This can help prevent losing your assets even in cases of premeditated robbery.
Fast Internet
Talk to your providers about upgrading to ultra-fast broadband. There is a link between the speed of your internet and data security. This is one of the easiest ways to help secure and protect your digital assets and won’t cost much too!
When it comes to securing and protecting physical and digital assets, it’s helpful to stay aware of the risks out there. Risks can be physical such as theft and natural disasters or digital such as hacking and leaking data. Follow these simple steps to secure your start up’s assets and prevent risks like these from adversely affecting your business.
AUTHOR
Cloe Matheson is a freelance writer from Dunedin, New Zealand who is passionate about responsible, sustainable living. She loves supporting local businesses that promote initiatives for protecting the environment.