During this difficult time, there has been a transition to a digital workplace infrastructure for many industries; and a large focus on cybersecurity–assuring that remote work employees have safe online experiences without the risk of a firewall breach or personal and company information being compromised. However, maintaining the security of physical locations for both nonessential and essential businesses are of equal importance—and are often overlooked during times of crisis.
Since the global pandemic, unemployment rates have skyrocketed. Those unable to work due to stay at home orders have resulted in an estimated 47 million Americans filing for unemployment—and studies have shown that unemployed people are more likely to commit petty crimes, such as vandalism or petty theft.
With millions simultaneously feeling sudden financial strain, many of those people may turn to theft to make income–making your business a target. Thankfully, there are ways to take matters into your own hands—securing your property from criminals; an effort that will decrease your chances of property loss long after the curve is flattened.
Access Control Systems
Access control systems are essentially a type of technology that can allow or deny someone access inside of an area based on what credentials provided by the person. These systems allow business owners to control entry into premises via a key card, a thumbprint, or key fob.
Because many access control systems include built-in cameras, businesses can even grant access to entrants remotely–truly safeguarding who can come inside your business. With the current lockdown, having 24/7 remote access to your property isn’t just advised—it’s 100% necessary.
Security Cameras
The most effective way to deter crime during this time period would be investing in a security camera system. An alarm system may initially take a criminal by surprise, but if they still complete the robbery and evade the scene, nothing will be more helpful than to have a high-resolution image of them.
When investing in a security system, one of the most important considerations is placement. That’s why it’s best to have professionals install cameras that are either in clearly visible locations to deter criminals or in ideal locations for capturing images of the perpetrator’s face, vehicle, or license plate.
Security cameras come with a variety of different features, so choosing the right system for you will depend on the specific needs of your business. Facilities like apartment complexes, restaurants, and banks may benefit most from having an infrared camera that can pick up high-quality images even in low light situations.
On-Site Security
Having a physical presence to keep tabs on your business can also be a valuable way to keep your business safe and secure. Having a single or multiple security guards patrolling the area would greatly decrease the odds of someone taking the risk of trying to break into your space.
Taking just a few precautions to protect your physical business assets can go a long way. You’ve worked hard to build your company, so don’t risk falling prey to petty crime. Remember, one of the best ways to safeguard your business is to limit the number of people who have access to important information and engage with your employees on safeguarding processes.
Security Consultations
You might think securing your business is as easy as going to your local department store (or Amazon.com), purchasing a camera system, and plugging it in—but you’d be sorely mistaken.
While many stores advertise cheap cameras with high-resolution, you truly get what you pay for. Because the resolution of your recorded video depends on various factors like lens quality and size, brand and model of camera, and what software you’re running—you can’t always trust what you read on the back of the box. Not to mention the amount of knowledge it takes to ensure your cameras are properly running, placed in an ideal location, and protected from weather and vandals is not something for a DIY job. That’s why you’ll want to get a security consultation from a reputable security system provider.
Ideally you’ll want to find one that doesn’t charge monthly fees for monitoring services—or access to your own cameras. For example, Camera Security Now will give you a free consultation and price quote on a system that is custom selected just for your facility. They also don’t charge any fees for viewing your own cameras, and don’t rope you into a monitoring contract unless you want one!
