Business Security: How Safe Is Your Office?

Business security is perhaps more critical than home security. At home you’ve only got to worry about your family and some properties. But at the office, there’s the life of your customers, workers, information and other valuable company assets.

 

The general rule is this; when you have so much to lose, security is no longer an option but a necessity. The more you have at stake, the more you need security. And this is why it often amazes me when I see some homes more fortified in terms of security than offices. That’s a serious misconception. The more public a place is, the more prone to danger, risk and criminal activities. And the more private a place is, the less prone to danger, risk and criminal activities.

 

Your home is a private premises and your office is a public premises. Meaning, you can determine who and when people come into your home. But in the office, it is not so. Customers are always welcomed and so are criminals who come in as customers. Workers must always resume for work, so do criminals who come in disguised as workers.

 

Since you cannot completely determine who comes into a business premises, access control as a form of security system was introduced. This was created to ensure that certain control measures are in place to monitor who comes in and who goes out. Unfortunately, criminals understand this security procedure and plan accordingly.

 

For instance, a common form of access control for workers is identity card that must be presented before access is granted into the office. This can be replicated and a total stranger can gain access into an office just because they presented an ID card disguised as workers.

 

A typical example is the recent Boko Haram bombing of Thisday Newspaper in Abuja. The suicide bombers came into the building in a jeep. The security guards had no way of detecting their evil intentions when they granted them access into the building. The fact that they brought a car, a jeep for that matter meant they were responsible and came for business purposes. Unfortunately, the security guards who led them in couldn’t live to learn from their mistakes.

 

So what does this suggest?

 

That you have security guards on post and have installed security cameras all over your office premises is good, but not sufficient. These are good security steps that are better than none. But like I mentioned above, when you have a lot at stake, security becomes more than an option, but a necessity. The more you have to lose, the more security you need to prevent the loss.

 

4 Often Overlooked Security Loopholes In The Office

 

1.       Your Source Of Power

Criminals know that you need power supply to function as a business. And they can capitalize on this to strike. If you use a generator to power your business, you need to keep it under tight security to avoid being used as a distraction by criminals. Criminals can put off your generating set just to cause distraction in your business operations and take advantage of the distraction to carry out their evil plans. So keep an eye on your source of power, it is a security loophole you need to always watch out for. If your generator is behind your office building, make sure a security camera is installed there and make sure the generator has a cage or house that has a lock. Don’t leave your generator in the open!

 

2.       Your Parking Lots

The parking lot is another major security loophole in the office. Workers in the heat of work often leave some valuable items such as ID cards, company documents, goods, etc. in the car forgetting to lock the door. The assumption is that they are in the business premises and all is well with these items. This is a major security loophole as criminals can capitalize on this and make away with valuable company assets or even use this as way to kidnap company employees. Always lock your car and make sure the parking lots are covered with security cameras.

 

3.       Your Entry Points

Like I mentioned in the introduction, access control is not enough. You need full surveillance and this includes external camera coverage. It is not enough to know what is happening on the inside [within your business premises], you must also be aware of what is happening outside and around your business premises. Criminals can be scaling the fence from the back of the building while your guards are busy checking people in through your entry points. And some offices have back doors, ensure that there is a security camera installed there and keep the door locked at all times. Criminals can gain access into the office through these doors.

 

4.       Your Intellectual Properties [Company Information]

Company assets come in both tangible and intangible forms and the criminals are aware of this. It is not enough to secure what you can see only; you must also secure that which is unseen. In these age of digitization, valuable company information form the core of the knowledge work being done in most organizations. Several intellectual properties are in digital forms stored on computer hard drives and on company servers. These are important assets that need to be protected. Losing them can cost a company millions and may lead to several non monetary loses. So it is very critical you invest in the security of your company’s information. It is not sufficient to install security cameras or have security guards in this case; they can’t see anything because information in digital form is invincible. What you need is tight network security and this requires working with a security company that is IT compliant.

 

Conclusion

The best form of security is prevention. And the key to prevention is being informed and being prepared. There is no such thing as too much security. When you have so much to lose, you need to be more security conscious. When it comes to security, everything and anything matters. This is why as a security company, before taking on a client, we do a full and thorough risk assessment of your business premises to uncover some of these overlooked security loopholes. It is important not to leave any stone unturned.

 

Your turn

How safe is your office?

What other security loopholes can you identify in your office?