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As a new business, you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks to do before you launch. The majority of these will be reliant on your finances. Funding is a critical factor in the success of your new venture, so it makes sense that this will take up much of your time. However, equally important is the data and assets that your new business produces. If this falls into the wrong hands, you could be left with a massive infrastructure failure as well as compromised confidential data. Instead, you need to construct a policy that will help your startup to hit the ground running with all data and information protected. Take a look at these simple ways to protect your business assets.

Training

If you have a new team of staff it’s crucial that they are aware of the importance of being safe and secure online. All too often, a piece of malware or adware will be unleashed onto your network because a member of your team has opened a dodgy looking email attachment. Don’t just pay lip service to training and actually get some pros in to highlight simple strategies that all of your staff can take to prevent human error causing cybersecurity threats. Ensure that your staff understand the importance of changing their passwords regularly. Make sure that they only ever access the most confidential data in the office rather than over an unsecured network at their favorite coffee shop. And always have a process for reporting online incidents that all staff should be aware of.

Paper

Most office based businesses try to be a little greener nowadays. The need for document hard copies is diminishing, although you may still need master copies for your filing cabinet. Any documents that you do need to print off need to be disposed of in a secure way. If these documents have customer addresses or financial details on them, you cannot simply send them out to recycle as they are. They could easily slip into the wrong hands. Instead, consider utilizing a company that specializes in paper shredding services. These companies will have pricing plans to help with your ongoing shredding needs, meaning that you never have to worry about the integrity of your asset protection measures.

Cybersecurity

Most threats are of a cyber nature. In the twenty first century, hackers and rogue nation states have become adept at causing chaos for even the largest companies in the world. Although your venture may be much more modest, you could still fall victim to a ransomware attack. Ensure that you have a strong anti-virus software on your network, that you utilize cloud storage and that you back up your systems regularly. Should the worst happen and you find yourself tackling a piece of ransomware, you can still trade and carry on because you have backed up data.

As a new business, you will be nervous and excited about what lies ahead. Follow this guide and ensure that you protect your business assets.