Managing your business from the comfort of your home is great, but since the environment is different from a traditional office, it’s easy to forget about the importance of securing it. When you’re working from home, you are the only one who’s solely responsible for office’s security.
Just the way it’s important to keep your home office organized, it’s also important to keep it safe and secure. Here’s how you do it:
#1: Install a Home Alarm System
The safety of your home office should be your top priority – not just when you’re home but also when you’re away. Installing a quality home alarm system goes beyond warding off any intruders and keeps your home office protected round the clock. Simply having visual signs such as a sticker on your front door or a clear alarm sign in your yard is enough to deter intruders from breaking in.
What’s more, top home security systems today come with “rapid alarm response”, where local authorities get notified in case of an emergency at your home office so that they can rush in for help. For more info on how the rapid response alarm works visit http://www.securitychoice.com/. And yes, here’s an added advantage for you as a small home business owner – you might be able to write off the home alarm system for that part of your house on your income taxes.
#2: Remove Obstructions
By removing obstructions around your home, you enhance natural surveillance. The main aim of natural surveillance is not to keep any intruders away from your home office, but to keep them under observation. So how do you achieve natural surveillance? The simplest way would be through effective lighting. You don’t want any potential burglars hanging out in the shadows in the dead of the night, right? Which is why having motion lights in your parking area and also next to your house can help a great deal.
Another way to improve natural surveillance is to prune any trees near your home by up to 10 to 12 feet and keep the shrubbery low. Besides this, make sure your premise is maintained and good landscaping is done as it shows that the area is active/alert. Lastly, you should place items such as dumpsters to get a better sight lines from within your home.
#3: Avoid Data/Identity Theft
Having backups is good, but what if your business computer gets stolen? Your data gets stolen too. Most of the computers today come with built-in security options/features that can be controlled through the system preferences panel. Make the most out of this to ensure you’ve got active security. For example, you can have your sensitive data dragged into folder protected by a single password.
Want to rev up security to the maximum? Then go ahead and activate the built-in encryption program that helps in scrambling all the files on your business computer. The upside to this is that not even a single file can be opened without the required password. And the downside? In case you lose the password, you lose the data. If you’re not comfortable with such advanced data security then install a strong door to your home office equipped with the solid lock.
Article contributed by Jenna Smith
