For anyone who works at home or in a small office space, thinking about how you can avoid damaging your gadgets beforehand – both internally and externally – can save you many headaches down the line.

So, should you cover everything in bubble wrap (including yourself) to ensure nothing ever gets damaged? Definitely not, as there are a lot more cost-effective and easier tips to safeguard all the electronic devices we use daily.

Employ protection on physical devices

Devices like our smartphones have become so intrinsic to our work: making business calls, checking emails, using map apps to find a restaurant for a meeting, updating social media accounts, and so on. To imagine that if we damaged our phone and had to send it for repair (if only for a day) doesn’t bear thinking about. Every smartphone should have a tempered glass shield for the screen, as it will protect against cracks in case you drop it on a hard floor.

It would be best if you always paired that with a sturdy case, as the corners of the device are particularly vulnerable to breakage. If you’re prone to knocking over coffee cups and water bottles, waterproof/washable keyboards are also available and will prove priceless.

Consider gadget insurance

It’s fair to say that not enough business people consider the importance of insurance for their phones or laptops. Should either of these items be stolen or damaged beyond repair (such as dropped in water, short-circuiting, or destroyed by fire), then you’re looking at a hefty repair price or possibly the need to buy a completely new phone.

When we understand that these are two things that are incredibly vital to business success, we should do everything in our power to ensure they keep functioning properly. If you have more gadgets that are important for the running of your business and could also benefit from insurance, such as cameras and printers, then a good option could be simplesurance, as they cover many types of electronics vulnerable to damage.

Protect your machines from cyber criminals

The size of your company is of no concern to hackers and cyber criminals. You could be targeted with spam emails and phishing calls just like any of the major players, but don’t fall victim to thinking you’re invulnerable. To protect your hardware and data (as well as that of your clients and customers), you should do the following:

• Ensure all antivirus software is updated and working properly
• Educate and remind employees not to click links or open email attachments from unknown senders
• Make sure all employees have complicated passwords and that these are changed every 90 days
• Hire an expert to carry out penetration testing to find weak points in your cyber security infrastructure that need fixing
• Purchase a cyber insurance policy to protect you in the event of a successful attack

Protect against physical theft

Even though cyber criminals operate online, there are still thieves who look to break into your office premises and steal expensive gadgets.

Investing in a physical security system even in this day and age is well worth consideration, at the very least having in place several preventative measures (security doors, tethered computers…) should be a focus.