When it comes to ensuring the long-term viability of your company, you must prioritize the protection of your trade secrets, your equipment, and most importantly, your employees. Whether the threat comes in the form of physical late-night looters or cyber-vandals, chances are good that your company may be more vulnerable to potential harm than you might believe. Here are a few key ways to protect the resources that make your business function for long-term success.
Label Sensitive Information and Monitor Where It Is Stored
Step #1 in protecting your trade secrets is to know which information and materials are sensitive and which are not. When creating documents, consider using a universal label such as “confidential” in clear, bold letters at the top that notifies your employees or third-party contractors handling these documents that they must be protected from outside exposure.
In terms of both physical and digital storage, take care to catalog where sensitive information is stored. This includes physical computers, hard drives, and external storage locations such as flash drives or discs, as well as digital storage spaces such as clouds.
Use Non-Disclosure Agreements
Non-disclosure agreements, commonly known as NDAs in the business community, protect your trade secrets by creating an enforceable agreement between your company and any employees or contractors who have access to sensitive information. This ensures that they will not expose your company’s proprietary secrets.
Legally effective NDAs can be easily downloaded from the web in template format and then fitted to match the needs of your company.
Create a Physical Perimeter Around Your Business
A physical barrier to entry by the public is one of the best ways to ensure the integrity of your property. Fortunately, building a wall or fence doesn’t have to be expensive. An affordable chain fence with weave is a great way to erect a simple yet effective barrier to keep unwanted visitors out. It also helps prevent observation. If you already have a chain fence, you can find Pexco brand silver fence weave or other weaves to improve your security.
CCTV Surveillance
High-quality cameras are more affordable than ever before. Consider placing a handful of these cameras over sensitive areas near your business. If possible, keep the monitors in the office of any security personnel who look over the property. Or, if you don’t have access to or the means to hire security personnel, you can at the very least record activity 24/7 to be used for any future investigatory purposes.
These are just a few of the many effective ways to secure your assets and prevent losses or damage to the infrastructure that keeps your business healthy and profitable.
