Having a well-executed security plan protects your business on multiple levels and lets you focus on running your business. But did you know the more secure your business is, the better your business relationships will be?

Running a business means establishing and nurturing trust.

As a small business owner, you're responsible for creating safety for your team members and customers. People need to feel safe in their daily business transactions.

For instance, if we go out to eat, we trust the food Is prepared safely. If we get food poisoning, we might think twice before we eat there again.

It's in a restaurant’s best interest to have protocols in place to ensure they've safely prepared the food. This keeps diners safe and coming back for more.

IT security works the same way.

Your customers expect their private information to be kept confidential. Keeping your business safe from hackers keeps your customers safe. The safer your customers feel, the more they will trust you, and the better your relationship will be.  

Every transaction with customers involves sharing sensitive information. Maybe it's a name, address, credit card number, or their SNN! With each exchange, customers need to trust you can keep their information safe.

They expect that you have done your due diligence to have proper security and compliance protocols in place that will protect their privacy. They will assume you have until you give them a reason not to. 

Whether you mean to or not, you can break your reputation as a trustworthy business if you fail to protect your customer's sensitive information.

Word travels fast in a world where you can instantaneously leave a negative review on social media.

There is no such thing as a 100% secure business. But, the more secure your business is, the safer your customers will feel. The safer your customers feel, the better your relationship with them will be.