A modern business must contend with a diverse range of external threats. These might arise from competition in the market, or from changes in the weather. But we should also consider the potential impact of a business being targeted by criminals.
If your business hasn’t taken security seriously, then you’ll present an extremely tempting target. This doesn’t just have direct consequences: it can also leave you open to legal consequences, especially if your clients end up losing out as a result of your lack of foresight.
Keeping your IT systems secure
In the modern internet age, a lot of focus is rightly placed on cybercrime. Today, a criminal doesn’t have to walk into your premises to target you. In fact, they probably won’t even live in the same country as you.
According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey, around 40% of businesses in the UK identify cyber-attacks each year. These attacks come in many forms. The most common is the phishing attack, which accounted for 83% of attacks in 2022. On the other hand, more sophisticated forms of cybercrime are also possible, like ransomware attacks.
Most businesses have a policy against paying ransoms – perhaps because doing so might invite further attacks. Whatever your approach, it’s vital that you limit the likelihood of the attack being successful in the first place. In the case of payroll information, this might mean investing in a quality human resource management system.
From a people perspective
Businesses in the UK are legally required to provide a safe working environment to their employees. This means performing regular risk assessments, and taking action based on the findings of those assessments.
Making sure that your staff are physically protected will matter, too, especially in industries which involve physical danger, like construction and agriculture. It’s worth bearing in mind that your employees will actually put your security policies into place, and ultimately determine how protected you are against attack. After all, a human being can decide to delete a phishing email, rather than opening the attachment.
Retaining quality employees might therefore be looked at as beneficial to the security of your organisation in the long term. So, how can this be done?
Making sure that your staff are happy and fulfilled
Retaining staff means keeping them fulfilled. This means being receptive to feedback from them, and providing opportunities for development and growth. This is where a quality HR department might pay for itself – but we should also think about the culture and mission of the business more broadly. If you can articulate this in a way that’s succinct and straightforward, you can make it an integral part of your onboarding process for new recruits.
