Name three things off the top of your head that worry you as a business owner?
While some are likely easy to spout off (staying within budget, marketing and advertising effectively to consumers, hiring and retaining the best employees etc.) others may not be quite as easy.
One of those challenges can appear in the shape and form of identity theft.
Yes, you may think your business is all but immune to I.D. theft, but the nasty truth is that it can strike your business at any point and time. If it does, the negative fallout can be quite resounding.
That said will you make it your business to stop identity theft.
Keys to Keeping I.D. Theft at Bay
Even though it may not seem like there is any 100 percent guarantee against identity theft, there certainly are some measures you can take to greatly decrease the odds you (along with your workers) and your customers will become the next victims.
Among two of them:
- Security software – While one might assume you have your network fully protected against online criminals, some businesses actually fail in this area. As a result, they open themselves up to a windfall of potential problems. If you feel like you just do not have the available time to find the best I.D. theft protection service, find a pro willing to do it for you. In stopping identity theft (or doing your best to attempt such a feat), review various security software programs, looking to see which one is best suited for your online needs. Find one that not only offers a well-rounded program of preventing identity theft, but also one where customer service is second to none. If you pick a service and end up not liking it, will you get your money back? If you choose a service and have questions about it after it is implemented, will your provide be there to answer those questions? Matters like those are critical to getting your money’s worth, not to mention full-scale protection;
- Employee commonsense – Given how important a role your employees play in your daily workplace efforts, remind them as many times as necessary about the importance of not letting important company and/or customer data get outside the office. As important as that facet of your business is, keep your eyes and ears peeled for any wrongdoings inside the office too. While you never like to think about it, some employees will go rouge on you, stealing customer data to use for their own financial purposes. Not only can this be financially damaging to your company, but your brand’s reputation can suffer too. Some employees travel for their respective employers, so remind those who do this to be safe with company property when on the road. Whether they are using a company laptop or an office credit card for business purposes, they must be careful. It can be real easy to have a credit card stolen (or at least have the pertinent data picked from it) while in the hands of an employee. They may also end up leaving sensitive company data on a laptop screen and walk away for just a moment. In no time at all, someone can grab that data off the screen and be gone. Lastly, make sure employees using social media in the workplace do so in a professional manner. More and more identity theft thieves are turning to social networking sites in order to try and land company information. If you allow your employees to use social media while at work, it should be only in promoting your brand and/or items related to your respective industry.
In order for you to meet and even exceed your company’s bottom line, having a safe network with which to work from is crucial.
Imagine if you left your front door at home unlocked 24/7. Don’t you think one or more people would wander in over time?
The same premise can be held to your online activities at work.
Given the sensitive company and customer data that sits within your network, you can’t have just anybody gaining access to it on a regular basis.
By stopping identity theft in its track, your business and your customers stand to be the beneficiaries.