Do not underestimate the many ways in which crime can affect your business. It’s not just the immediate equipment losses and financial hits you have to concern yourself with; falling victim to a crime can result in employees and customers losing trust in you. Employees will worry about their safe; customers will wonder if their personal information and money are safe in your hands.
Here are the top crimes that you should be concerning yourself with as a business owner.
Trespassing and Theft
This is the primary crime concern for many businesses, and justifiably so: it remains the most common crime committed against businesses. This goes for businesses that don’t even deal directly with the public; a lot of offices fall victim to someone walking in with no-one questioning their presence. This leaves the business vulnerable to theft of both equipment and data!
Businesses with customers on-site face a much more frequent threat of this crime. A strong CCTV system is vital if you want to ensure that activity is being monitored. Make sure people know you have CCTV – this can prevent trespassing and theft occurring in the first place. On-site security guards are also a good investment.
Cybercrime
Your business is probably hooked up to the Internet – which makes it a potential target for cybercriminals! Don’t shrug this off. You may not think small businesses fall victim to cybercrime, but they’re often targeted with more frequency – and more success, which affects the frequency – that bigger businesses. After all, you still have records and customer data that cybercriminals want.
Most cases of modern fraud occur due to cybercrime. Hacking into a network can provide access credit and personal information of your customers and employees. They may also destroy data, which is why you should consider working with data backup services for business. They may also infect your network with malware. Long story short: you’re open to a lot of severe problems if your cybersecurity measures
Credit card fraud and identity theft can result in direct losses for your company, and can even result in expensive legal action being taken out against you. Consider working with an IT support agency to ensure your cybersecurity is strong. The usual methods of online protection – strong passwords, anti-virus software, back-ups, and firewalls – are all essential.
Employee Crime
Not exactly the most fun thing to think about, but you should have measures in place to prevent employee crime. Employees are generally in the best position to commit a crime against your business (and no, we’re not trying to make your paranoid). Theft is the most obvious example. Embezzlement, however, can be much more serious, and it can take several years for employers to realize what’s going on.
What are the best ways to prevent employee crime? It all begins at recruitment. You should ensure you’re hiring trustworthy people. Criminal background checks are very useful, though you should ensure you’re doing everything in accordance to state law. Many business owners make the mistake of only placing CCTV in areas where the public are allowed – as Orwellian as it might sound, you also want to keep a close eye on employees!