4 Ways To Protect Your Business Investment

[This guest post was written by Jayla Barnsen, a freelance blogger from Eugene, Oregon.]

Investing in a business is a large step for many people. The investment is made with the intention of growing the business and eventually generating a profit. Business investments and assets need to be protected. Any number of factors from theft to a fire could cause serious problems. There are four effective ways to protect a business investment.

Access Control

The first line of defense for a business investment is an access control system. Access control systems physically stop a person from entering a business or a room by requiring some type of authentication. Keypads are an effective method of access control. More advanced technologies use biometrics like fingerprints for authentication. Access control systems should be on external doors as well as internal doors leading to sensitive areas. Many systems have multiple levels of authentication so that trusted employees can be granted more access.

Functional Sprinklers and Fire Extinguishers

Most commercial spaces are required to have sprinklers and fire extinguishers. It is important to make sure sprinklers are always functioning and well maintained. This means repairing any minor problems immediately and scheduling regular inspections beyond what is required. Similarly, fire extinguishers should be kept in easily accessible areas. All employees should know how to use the extinguishers. This helps to protect a business investment from an unexpected fire that could occur at night or during work hours.

Layered Digital Security

Hackers who attack the business systems might not be able to do any direct damage from behind a computer. It is nearly impossible to disable a secure alarm system in this way. What a hacker might be able to do is find the emails, documents or messages from an employee containing access codes to doors. The hacker might even be able to see schedules of when the office will be empty during the day. Protecting a business investment means using layered security for computers and networks. This can include passwords, physical authentication techniques and even tunneling protocols using layered encryption.

Security Monitoring Service

One of the most effective ways to protect a business investment is with a live security monitoring service. An alarm monitoring service involves a live person who will immediately respond to any alerts sounded by the security system. This means a fast response by authorities. It also means notification that something is happening. Security monitoring professionals can respond to burglaries, vandalism attempts and even fires or floods that trip sensors. Monitoring services protect a business investment even when the office is empty.

Jayla Barnsen is a freelance blogger from Eugene, Oregon.