With the rise of technological development and innovation, security threats have become more diverse and substantial. To effectively combat these threats, institutions must identify their security needs and implement measures that safeguard their institution. Here are some tips on how to upgrade your office security system:
- Productive Communication: Communicate information to workers about potential security risks and institutional procedures. Workers should be informed of what and who to be prepared for, so they are better equipped to identify suspicious activities and individuals. It’s also essential to use a single source of information that is short, workable, and contains good news as well as preventative information and details.
- Key Control: Allocate the duty of locking and unlocking the office to specific individuals, limit the number of people, and establish a course of action. Workers with keys should occasionally be asked to produce them to verify a master registry.
- Site-Wide Policies: Implement a “clean-desk” policy, where workers clear and secure their desks of valuable items or institutional information before leaving the office. Require workers to possess and show ID badges/access cards, avoid listing job titles on directories, and enforce an official “chain of possession.”
- Small Investments: Secure computers and laptops with cable or plate locks, install docking stations, monitor high-risk targets, and enhance door security by installing peepholes and keypad-locks.
- Anti-Virus: Use some form of anti-virus software, high-end protection from viruses, spyware, malware, Trojans, and worms. This includes firewall protection for your main system, security for your wireless Internet routers, and securing backups of all data, ideally off-site.
- Lights, Camera, Layout: Install sufficient lighting in parking lots, outdoor break spaces, and eliminate blind spots in stairwells. CCTV security cameras should be installed at crucial places, e.g., loading bays and access points such as after-hours entryways, for surveillance purposes.
- Reception: Consider hiring full-time receptionists to inspect the credentials and identification of visitors or use an allocated phone line in your lobby, which goes only to an appointed recipient. This technique, in conjunction with a sign-in station, can be effective for most workplaces.
- Electronic Access Control System: Implement an electronic access control system, issue access cards to workers, and provide total control in terms of determining what each card may open. Give “total access” to only a small number of people (when possible), allowing workers to spot and report irregularities and potential violations.
In conclusion, implementing these measures will safeguard your institution against security threats. By addressing and upgrading your office security system, you’ll create a safer environment for your workers, visitors, and institutional property.
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