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Increase Your Office Security

If the past year and a half have shown us anything it’s that we need to start thinking about the concept of “the office” differently. The future of the office seems to exist in a hybrid space, somewhere between the convenience of working from home and the collaboration that comes from having your colleagues in the same building. With this new normal becoming an ongoing fixture in our lives, we thought it would be a good time to take a fresh look at office security through this lens. Whether you’re looking to make your office building or home office more secure, this article will provide a useful primer.

Why you should invest in office security

The purpose of office security is twofold. Firstly, it protects your employees and secondly, it protects the business assets. Both these aspects are essential for the functioning of your business, and many of the office security solutions in this article will serve to protect both.

Take care of your employees

Let’s start by talking about your most important asset, your employees. Not only do employees have a right to work in a safe and secure environment, but it can also make them more productive, as it allows them to focus on their work tasks without having to be concerned about their personal safety.

Increased ventilation

The presence of good security protocols means that employees are able to open windows and doors to allow fresh air in, which is important for productivity. This is more important than ever as a greater number of people are working from home where their home office may not have air conditioning or other forms of ventilation and the only option is to open a window. If you need to open a window, but your office doesn’t have secure grounds, then you may need to look into installing burglar bars or lockable window latches.

Protect confidential information

Your intellectual property is one of your most important business assets and needs to be secure. Good office security allows you to safely store IP and confidential information without fear of it getting lost or ending up in the wrong hands.

Ways to secure your office space

Now that we have a better understanding of why you should improve your office security, let’s take a look at the how. There are several measures you can take that will be applicable to both remote and on site work that we have outlined below.

Install and use surveillance cameras

Surveillance cameras come with a host of security benefits. They can improve access control measures; help identify intruders; reduce your insurance premiums; and act as a deterrent to criminals. Not only this, but with new and more affordable technologies readily available, they are more accessible than ever. With smart home devices you can even afford to have security cameras installed at your home office to ensure it stays secure.

Access control

Following on from the point above, shoring up access control measures is one of the easiest ways to improve the general security of your business. By knowing who enters and exits your building and being able to stop unsavoury characters from entering, you go a long way to minimising the risks.

Keep secure areas locked or latched

All parts of the business need to have a lockable door. For highly secure areas that may house sensitive information or expensive electronics, it is wise to invest in extra locks. These can be extra door locks such as deadbolts or alternatives such as lockable latches.

Make use of a good safe

If your office has a lot of sensitive information then you may also want to invest in a safe as a secure storage solution. If possible, you should invest in a fireproof safe that is able to protect your sensitive information even in the case of a fire.

Keep important documents in a locked cabinet

If your office doesn’t have a safe then a locked cabinet is the next best thing. There are many types of lockable filing cabinets on the market and they allow you to store a great amount of documents. While many of these types of locks can be forced open, they are effective in preventing crimes of opportunity.

Regardless of whether you use a lockable filing cabinet or a safe, it is always a good idea to also keep backups of important documents off site, so that you have a contingency if the worst ever happens.

Adequate lighting

Making sure that offices and the surrounding grounds have bright enough lighting is another easy and cost effective way to improve security. Burglars like to work where they can’t be seen and having adequate lighting installed is one way to deter them from choosing your business for robbery.

Ensure all windows are secure and inaccessible

Windows are one of the most common entry points for criminals, and in office scenarios they are sometimes left open by distracted employees. This is also true for the home office, where an open window might be the only source of ventilation. For both the home and office it is a good idea to look at securing key windows to ensure that they don’t become a quick and easy way for criminals to access your business.

Window locks

Lockable window latches such as LockLatch or MiniLatch are a great way to secure office windows while still being able to leave them open to let in fresh air. These patented devices feature adjustable C304 stainless steel arms, which can be quickly and easily installed onto any type of window in minutes. This allows you to lock the window in place while it is open, making it a great solution for both the workplace and home offices where windows are an important source of natural ventilation. Each LockLatch device comes with a lifetime guarantee, which shows just how robust it is.

Burglar bars

An alternative to a lockable window latch are burglar bars, which are another window security solution that allows for ventilation without compromising on security. Depending on the type of burglar bar chosen and the method of installation they can be a truly effective security solution, however, they are not without their drawbacks. They can be expensive to install and their size means they can often spoil the aesthetic of a building. However, in an office situation you may be happy to forego aesthetics for improved security.

Shatterproof glass

Another effective way to improve window security is with the installation of shatterproof glass or a security film installed onto existing glass. Both of these make window panes harder to break and thus harder for intruders to gain access to the office.

Cybersecurity for your office

Physical security is just one aspect of office security. Another area you need to be mindful of is the security of your digital devices. As we move towards paperless offices, ensuring that our cybersecurity is up to standard becomes a necessity. From malware to ransomware, cybercriminals are finding new ways to access the data of businesses anywhere in the world.

Invest in a good antivirus

While most operating systems now come with antivirus and antimalware software out of the box, if your company deals with lots of sensitive information then it is worth investing in added security for your devices. If you are unsure of which antivirus software to choose, then this useful guide will help you out.

Keep your firewall and firmware up to date

Ensuring that your virus definitions, firewall and firmware are up to date and all the latest drivers are installed is essential to ensuring effective cyber security. Where possible you should set up automatic updates for security features, so that they can offer true realtime protection.

Train staff on suspicious emails

It is very difficult for malware to infect a computer without the user first downloading and clicking on a file. As a business owner it is important that you make your staff aware of what suspicious emails look like, and what measures to take if they receive one.

Secure your router

Your router is a mini computer that could potentially give a hacker access to your greater network. That’s why it is very important to ensure that you change the factory settings to prevent easy hacking. You should also ensure that firmware is always kept up to date to keep it free of vulnerabilities.

Regularly back up data

Accidents happen and computer components can fail when you least expect them to. That’s why it’s very important to back up your files regularly. If you use physical backups then make sure to keep them off site, but a better alternative is to use secure cloud storage for your backup needs.

CTA: Keep your staff safe by increasing security in your office space today.

Whether you’re working from your home office or looking to make your office safer for your staff, one of the most affordable and cost effective security solutions available to you, is a lockable window and door latch. Why not make your office safer today with a LockLatch or MiniLatch.

 

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