If you own a business, you’re probably all too familiar with the potential dangers lurking in the world around you. From break-ins and vandalism to natural disasters and data breaches, you’re up against numerous threats. Protecting yourself against them can require numerous measures from heavy-duty doors and shatterproof windows to antivirus software and data encryption. You need to safeguard your company from every possible angle, but that’s easier said than done.
When Risks Come from Within
Having said that, many business owners overlook some of the most obvious dangers. Those are the ones that come from within. In many cases, employees inadvertently place themselves, their employers, and their customers at risk. Other times, they intentionally use their inside access for their own gain. Either way, they can cause serious problems. Consider some of the ways employee access control can protect your business from within.
Digital Access Control
Digital access control is crucial. It’s you’re primary line of defense against data breaches and cyber threats. It can even protect you against certain physical intrusions. No doubt, you store volumes of data from your financial records and customer databases to information about your products and processes. Without proper access control, all of this data could be vulnerable to any number of threats.
Controlling employees’ access to sensitive information means operating on the principle of least privilege. In other words, you need to be sure employees only have access to the systems and information they need to perform their jobs. That can greatly reduce the risks of attacks from outsiders and from inside.
Physical Access Control
Then, there’s the matter of physical access control. It can protect your assets and sensitive information while also keeping employees safe. As is the case with your digital information, it’s important to limit access to different areas of your business to only those who need it based on their jobs and responsibilities.
At the most basic level, you need to use internal access control measures to keep people from entering restricted areas and ensure only authorized personnel have access to various spaces within your business. Those can include something as simple as a key or PIN code to something as elaborate as facial recognition or retinal scanners. Limiting access to different areas of your business can prevent not only security issues but also safety risks.
Employee Training
Regardless of the access control measures you choose, being sure employees understand why they’re in place is essential. Educate them on the potential dangers your company faces and their roles in either managing them or leaving you more vulnerable to them. Since no two employees’ roles, security clearances, and other factors are exactly the same, be sure their training is customized accordingly.
Keeping Threats at Bay
Today’s businesses face an ever-growing list of physical and digital threats. Unfortunately, many of those dangers come from within. Employees can place you at risk either willingly or accidentally, but both are equally detrimental. Access control measures can help you minimize the risks. That includes controlling who enters your business, who has access to different areas of your company, and who can see your sensitive data. Covering all of those bases will protect you against costly security breaches.