Let’s face it: no one likes to think about bad things happening to them, much less plan for them. But, because the spring storms are among us, we wanted to give a quick “brush-up” on some simple steps you can take to help protect your assets and business.
1. Consider Cloud Computing.
One of the biggest advantages of cloud computing is that your data and assets are store off-site in a highly secure, high-availability data center, with failover and redundancy built in. That means that if your building were destroyed and you had to evacuate, or if your server melted down due to an unexpected hardware failure, everything you’ve worked so hard to create over the years is safe and not a sitting duck in your unsecured closet or server room. In our recent blog, “3 Steps you Can Take to Protect your Data in the Cloud” we review the enhanced security components on moving to the cloud.
2. Secure Your Data.
Making sure that your data is protected from theft is a never-ending battle you don’t want to lose. Companies that get hacked and expose sensitive client and employee data can face severe penalties, lawsuits and massive loss of credibility in the marketplace. Make sure you never have to make a phone call to your clients explaining the bad news that a hacker accessed their info through you. Further, if you keep any sensitive information (even passwords to portals containing sensitive information) on laptops, phones and other devices, make sure you have a way of controlling and safeguarding that information. Our President, Tony Schafer, posted a cybersecurity video discussing the importance of locking up personal and client credentials.
3. Write A Simple Disaster Recovery Plan.
The keyword here is “simple”. If your plan gets too complicated or difficult, you won’t want to finish it. But at a minimum, think of the disaster that is most likely to happen and that would have a severe and negative impact on your company’s survival.
4. Review Your Work From Home Policy.
With working from home being the ‘new normal’, it’s imperative that your employees know the security best practices. They should be encouraged to keep their devices safe by continuously installing software updates, security patches and offering the install of the latest version of antimalware software for the devices. Employees should also be educated on data security like, password hygiene, identifying phishing attempts, attachment hygiene, etc.
5. Business Insurance.
Most businesses carry some type of general liability insurance that would pay them if their building and the assets in it were damaged. However, many businesses do not have enough coverage to replace all the computer equipment and devices, desks, TVs, supplies, and other items within the office. Be sure to review what’s included in your policy each year and keep in mind what new additions have been accumulated since the originating year of the policy.
These topics are just a starting point of what to think about during business continuity planning. It’s not uncommon for businesses to think it’s too complex and to feel overwhelmed. We encourage businesses to not give up! A lot of SMBs, don’t create a business continuity plan thinking it is too much of a hassle. This can be fatal to your business later! We work directly with our clients to help them understand business continuity planning in simple terms that’s best suited for them. Contact us today for more information!