Business security key in a high-crime society
According to recently released crime statistics – burglaries at non-residential premises have increased to 75 008, which is an increase of 0.9% from the 2015 statistics. While this doesn’t seem much, it certainly impacts businesses. In fact, coupled with this, criminals are getting smarter in terms of accessing business premises by using jamming techniques for security systems and gate remotes for example – while also blocking the signals that go to the security company when an alarm is activated.
Further to this, research indicates that more than 58% of business executives have had their personal safety directly affected.
Physical business security then – in an ever-increasing crime society – is a critical consideration and one that should be top of the priority list. However, physical security concerns aren’t just for large companies; small businesses require just as stringent a plan to protect their physical assets – as well as to ensure the safety of all staff members.
Today, cyber security seems to be all the hype however, the reality is that businesses are faced with critical physical security concerns, which can have as large – if not larger – an impact on the business continuity and the safety of a company’s IP. In fact, it is not only external factors that need to be considered but certainly making sure that movement within the office is monitored and access is controlled – to obtain accurate data on such movements, in the event of a security breach and to protect areas of the business that may not be accessed by certain personnel.
In fact, if we consider that almost R930 million a year in commercial and white collar crime is witnessed within South Africa, then there is no doubt that internal crime can be deduced as one of the most serious threats to business continuity, with these security incidents on the increase in a tighter economic landscape.
It’s about investing in technology-related security solutions that can give businesses peace of mind knowing that both them and their staff, as well as important and confidential information, is protected against any possible intruders and inside fraud/crime.
Some of the solutions that companies can and should look at include:
CCTV – this – while not new – is a cost-effective crime prevention tool that business owners can access to have full view of their operations at any given time. Through this, owners are able to respond efficiently to any suspicious activity or possible break-in attempts whether on, or off, the premises. Not only does a CCTV solution enhance safety on your business’s premises, having one can also assist you to monitor your staff movements and actions, as well as ensures full compliance with insurance requirements.
Access control – knowing who comes in and out of your premises is critical as it not only manages external factors, but is able to negate the wrong people from accessing parts of the building that they are not permitted to. This can negate internal theft and malicious activity, while also ensuring that external visitor access is well managed.
Monitoring solutions – mobility is a very key aspect to doing business in today’s modern world, you need to be able to access business information even while you’re on the go. Therefore, real-time monitoring becomes a critical aspect.
Security System Integration – the integration of different technology solutions ensures an end-to-end security solution, leaving no point of access that is not effectively monitored and ensuring that each system ‘talks’ to the other at all times.
While we live in a world that is epitomised by crime and, while we don’t have control over every aspect here, it is critical that with increasing crime levels and the potential impact this can have on personal, as well as business safety, businesses investigate their security options, understand what they need for their specific organisation and ensure that they are taking an active approach to managing the well-being of themselves, the business and very importantly, their staff.