Businesses of all sizes are vulnerable to physical, technical and personal threats that could have potentially disastrous consequences for a company. Being aware of these threats, knowing how to identify them and creating a disaster prevention and recovery plan, will ensure your business will continue to work as efficiently as possible when faced with potential threats. Below we explore some of the most common threats and disasters facing businesses today, and how to prevent them.
Data breach
Due to GDPR, data protection has become more than just a buzzword, but an essential factor for all businesses to consider. If your company is targeted by hackers and confidential data of your clients is accessed, the consequences could be fatal for your company. A data breach can seriously damage the reputation of your company as it depicts your business as unsafe, unreliable and careless. Hackers could also attempt to hold your data for ransom; while you should never give in to hackers, the potential legal fees to track and charge the hackers may be high.
To prevent this, ensure your data is stored securely and is compliant with the latest data protection laws. Storing data in the Cloud can be an excellent storage solution as data in the Cloud can be encrypted to a high level, meaning that even if hackers access your data, it will be useless to them.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters, such as floods and fires, happen more often than some business owners would care to think. Even something as harmless as heavy rain has the potential to cause damage to your workplace, and therefore, your company. If your business is unable to operate from its usual location due to a power cut, for example, without a recovery plan you could potentially lose many working hours and potential clients.
If your company operates with a VoIP system, this potential disaster can be easily managed. VoIP systems allow you to redirect calls, no matter where you are based. So, for example, you can redirect calls from your work phone to your personal mobile, ensuring that while your office is without power, clients will always be able to contact you.
Internal disasters
As much as we’d like to have as much faith in our employees as possible, human error is inevitable. Whether it’s submitting the wrong file, sending incorrect information or incorrectly storing data, the possibilities for human error are vast and potentially disastrous. Human error, such as an employee losing an important file or document, for example, has the potential to cost your business both time and potential clients.
Cloud storage can help to minimise human error as it logs user behaviour. It is simple with Cloud systems to check the history logs of a particular employee, identify their error and then rectify it. Accessing the logs of your employees can also be a useful way to check for any unusual behaviour and identify security risks, such as an employee trying to access information they do not have clearance for.
Loss of data
Similar to a data breach, a potential threat a business could face is losing all of their data entirely, whether due to a cyber attack or system error. For many businesses, losing their data would be a death sentence as it would mean the loss of their client base and potential sales leads.
To avoid this nightmare scenario, regularly back up your data whether on an external hard drive or on a Cloud server. External hard drives can be expensive and take up physical space in an office, so backing up your data on a cloud server is usually the more efficient solution. Cloud storage is flexible and can grow with your business, making it a scalable solution, unlike external hard drives.
Employee shortcomings
While you will always aim to hire the best employees, occasionally an employee who is not suitable for your company or needs re-training will slip through the cracks. For example, if an employee in your customer service department is failing to satisfy the needs of your customers, they may be creating a negative reputation for your company.
This disaster can be easily identified if your business operates with a VoIP system. A VoIP system makes recording calls and monitoring the behaviour of your employees on phone calls simple. Recorded calls are particularly beneficial as they can be used in training exercises, to help employees identify how their behaviour could be improved and how it has been successful.
What if it is too late to prevent a disaster?
The best solution to a workplace disaster is preventing it from happening in the first place. While there are many benefits to VoIP and Cloud services, including helping you identify and avoid disasters, sometimes prevention is not always possible. Creating a business continuity plan will help prepare your business if an unexpected and unpreventable problem occurs. Having an efficient disaster recovery plan will ensure your business can get back to operating at its full potential as quickly as possible. Some important factors to consider when creating your plan are:
• Employee safety – do your employees have a safe environment to work from?
• Incoming calls/emails – how can they be answered?
• Sending out a message to clients – Can you reassure clients your business will still be operating as usual?
If creating an effective disaster recovery plan seems like an overwhelming task, Immervox can help. We have a team of experts who can help create the perfect business continuity plan for you, tailoring it to your unique needs and specific requirements. We can analyse your business operations and identify any vulnerabilities, preventing disasters from ever occurring. Our team offer support 24/7, 365 days a year, to ensure if a disaster should occur, you are not alone. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
