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.

  • By Katie Torrance
  • Jul 12, 2018

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

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • 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.”