Keeping Your Office Safe and Secure

Keeping Your Office Safe and Secure

Office security is always important, but in the summer, it can get more lax.

Office security is always important, but in the summer, it can get more lax. Just think: did you close your window last night before you left…?

Here, First Fence look at five ways in which you can still enjoy that summer breeze, whilst keeping your office safe and secure: for when you’re working in the office, and once you’ve left for the day.

Lock up Your Laptops

It goes without saying that you should remember to shut your windows every night before you leave the office, otherwise you provide a would-be criminal with an easy access point.

Laptops are still popular targets for burglaries, and as a business, it’s highly likely you’ll have lots of them.

You should therefore ensure all of your laptops are locked so they can’t be taken – you may decide to purchase Kensington locks for all of your laptops or alternatively, stow them away in locked drawers overnight (taking the key home with you, of course!).

If you decide to opt for Kensington locks, then remember that they must be looped around an object that can’t be moved – for example, a table that’s been bolted to the floor. The other benefit is that they’re fairly cheap, and can be fitted easily – making them a quick win to upping your office security.

Install a Fence

This may be heading back to basics, but a fence provides an extra level of security for you and your business – especially during summer, if half of your staff will be away. Essentially, it acts as a physical barrier between your office – and employees – and potential criminals, and can be a great deterrent.

Whilst not every business may be able to erect a fence outside their office if they don’t own the land; if you do, then you may want to consider fencing as an option.

It doesn’t even have to be permanent – temporary fencing is still an effective security measure, and can be removed at a later date if you decide you don’t want it anymore.

Set Up CCTV and an Alarm

Having an alarm will set off a warning should someone sneak into your office when no one else is around. You can even install alarm systems that directly alert the police – it’s just that the last person that leaves the building needs to remember to set it!

For an extra layer of security, why not install CCTV too? Should a trespasser sneak into your office, you’ll have a better chance of catching them. Plus, with the shocking statistic that over 50% of UK employees have admitted to stealing from their employer (and 1/20 taking valuable items such as computer hardware and phones), you’ll be able to deter – and catch – any criminal activity taking place.

Train Your Staff

Implementing all of these safety techniques is only one part of the process: if staff don’t actually make use of them, then you’re not making your office a safer, more secure space.

Set up a training session with all colleagues, and run through the basics: shutting their windows in the evenings, locking the door if they’re the last to leave, setting the alarm… If one person were to forget to shut their window, and the last person in the office didn’t set the alarm, then that provides a thief with the opportunity to get into your office undetected, and steal from you.

Whilst the statistics regarding employee theft may not make for great reading, it highlights the importance of keeping a record of staff who have a key to your office, to ensure optimum security.

Secure Your Wi-Fi

Whilst it should be a priority to keep your office physically safe, you also need to consider the other ways in which your office may not be so secure.

Leaving your Wi-Fi open for anyone to use will not only slow your internet down, but it can enable hackers to steal sensitive information, which could be very detrimental to your business. Make sure you password protect it.

Other security aspects to consider include setting hard-to-remember passwords (and not writing them down!), locking your computer when leaving your desk, and shredding confidential information.

Ultimately, ensuring your office is a safe and secure place to work should always be at the front of your – and your fellow employees’ – mind; to stop potential criminals from entering your workplace. By implementing these five tips above, you’re taking great steps to helping protect your office.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.