7 Ways to Complement Your Business Security Tactics

Friday, 18 May 2018 09:59

With story after story of high-profile cybersecurity breaches in the news, it can be easy push physical security to the back of your to-do list. But this is a risk your company cannot afford to take. Nearly 9 percent of businesses experience a break-in or theft each year.

From the theft of costly computer equipment, inventory, and cash holdings to destruction of property, the financial hit that businesses take is often significant. Perhaps as difficult, though, is dealing with the aftermath: workplace crime erodes the sense of security and trust which your employees, customers, clients, and the public place in you. Damage to your reputation is another risk that you cannot afford to take.

The solution: a comprehensive — and smart — commercial security system combined with tactics that optimize your business’s defenses against thieves, vandals, and other criminals.

How can you compliment your business’s security strategy? Here are 7 simple, and cost-effective, ways to protect your people, your assets, and, just as importantly, your good name:

1. Post Security System Warning Signs

When you install a security system, your provider should offer warning signs. Take the time to place these around the perimeter of your business. Does this work? Yes. According to the National Council for Home Safety and Security, “Just the presence of an alarm system is enough to make a potential burglar reconsider.”

There is a “but” here: fake warning signs are far less effective in deterring crime. Remember, thieves, burglars, and vandals can Google too. All they have to do is search for the name of the security company on your sign. If it’s a fake, and if they see no other signs of an active system, you have just rolled out the welcome mat for them.

Bottom line: real signs backed by a real system are the real deterrent.

2. Install Strategic Lighting

Light, and limited hiding places, is also an effective theft/vandalism deterrent. Be sure to position them in key areas, such as:

Above entrances and exits.
In parking lots.
Along main walkways/paths.
Near outside areas/facilities, such as dumpsters, service bays, loading docks, etc.
Along the perimeter of your property.

Not only will this help protect your physical property and assets, it will add another layer of protection for employees and others who have legitimate reason to be in your space during non-daylight hours.

3. Plant Smart

The right landscaping creates an inviting atmosphere for employees, customers, clients, and guests. It can also create an unwelcoming environment for would-be thieves and burglars. Trim bushes or trees that grow near doors and windows; this provides criminals with fewer places to hide.

Thorny, abrasive plants, shrubs, and trees can also provide a good protective barrier. Varieties like bougainvillea, roses, juniper, common holly, and golden bamboo are both “fierce” guard plants and beautiful compliments to your business’s appearance.

4. Install Window Stops

These are small devices made of wood or metal, which enable you to control the height to which your windows can be opened. This way, they can be lifted for a little breeze, but not so far that they allow entry to a thief.

5. Conceal Valuable Assets

Limit thieves’ desire to enter your business: lock valuable items in drawers, storage closets, or offices. If assets are concealed, it makes your business less attractive for those who are on the lookout for an easy target.

6. Restrict Access

There are two effective ways to do this:

Use an Access Control System. If it makes sense for your business, restrict comings and goings with access control solutions. Authorized personnel can use key cards, codes, credentials, or other means to gain access to your property. You can also monitor who is in your building/facility and control admission into higher security areas.
Implement a Visitors’ Policy. Create a policy that includes the following:
- Guidelines on who can admit a guest. Staff? Managers? Supervisors? Make this clear. On the same note, providing unrestricted access to your business is generally not a safe idea. Make sure that the admitting staff member knows the rules regarding escorting guests.
- Information on restricted areas. Where can guests go, and more importantly, from which areas do they need to stay away?
- Procedure on tracking visitors. In many cases, this can be a simple log or sign-in sheet.
- Proper identification. While on your property, ensure guests and visitors to be clearly identified. A “Visitor” badge will usually do.
- WiFi, recording, and digital rules. Define “appropriate use” of your wifi network, as well as any restrictions you have on recording, taking photos, or using digital devices.

7. Remember Cybersecurity

It’s hard to forget! You can take steps to protect your digital assets by limiting physical access. For example, if you have systems in which client records, financial data, and other sensitive information are stored, restrict which of your employees can access them. Enforce strict password and privacy standards.

Protecting your business is job #1 — and you don’t have to do it alone. To learn how to keep your company, assets, people, and reputation safe, contact the experts at Integrity Security. Your business’s security is our business.