Physical security is essential but is frequently disregarded in favor of digital security. Physical security refers to measures taken to prevent harm to persons, property, and other tangible assets.
When developing a physical security strategy for your business, it is critical to understand typical physical security vulnerabilities, threats, and risks.
In this post, we’ll look at the top 5 physical security threats to businesses and how to defend yourself from them.
Security Threat 1 – Document Theft
Papers and paperwork will likely be scattered around your workplace, from workstations to printing stations. Sensitive papers might easily go missing – and end up in the wrong hands.
Even if they are not removed from the office, a visitor may be able to see information that you do not want them to access.
How to Avoid Document Theft
Implementing a clear-desk policy is one of the most effective strategies to avoid the theft or inadvertent disclosure of papers and critical information.
A clear-desk policy, which requires that all desks be emptied and all papers be stored after the workday, reduces the likelihood of important information being left in risky areas. You should also ensure that your personnel trash sensitive papers they no longer require.
Implementing access control and prohibiting unaccounted guests from accessing your business is also critical to avoid document theft.
Security Threat 2 – Tailgating
Most offices have some access control, whether it be a closed door or a swipe-card entry point. Unfortunately, a determined attacker may quickly circumvent these physical protection measures.
What’s tailgating?
When an unauthorized individual follows an authorized person into a secure location, this is known as tailgating.
This will occur when many people walk through doors, with just the front requiring identification or a swipe card. People trailing behind will follow through, making it simple for unauthorized individuals to enter.
How to Reduce the Risks of Tailgating
Tailgating, fortunately, may be restricted with the proper physical security measures. If you’re ready to make the expenditure, anti-tailgating doors make tailgating almost impossible. Installing them may be costly, but you should consider them to avoid tailgating issues.
Another strategy to avoid tailgating is to provide your personnel with physical security training. This is less dependable but far less expensive. It entails boosting staff awareness and implementing a strict physical security strategy, including guidelines such as avoiding opening doors to strangers. Employees should also be encouraged to report any tailgating efforts to security officers.
Implementing security measures from a security company in NYC aimed at managing access to a building is paramount in mitigating possible security hazards and ensuring the removal of unauthorized individuals. The primary objective of access control systems is to mitigate unauthorized access and provide a defined perimeter.
Security systems include various options, including keypad-based numerical input, card readers, and access-restricted doors using biometric identification methods such as fingerprint and iris recognition.
Security Threat 3: Unidentified guests
Remember that your guests will need access to the facility. The best approach to authenticate guests and ensure their safety is to check their identification upon arrival. The next step is to record their information so they may enter your building.
How to Keep Visitors Tracked
Access control by swipe-card access or ID is critical for corporate security, but you should also provide visitor cards to guarantee that all visits are tallied. This way, you’ll always know whether someone in your premises is authorized to be there – plus you’ll have a record of entry to prove when someone was in your premises.
Of course, you must ensure that everyone uses the verification they are authorized to use.
Security Threat 4: Identity theft
Business owners who neglect to take simple security procedures to safeguard their company are vulnerable to the cunning and relentless actions of business identity thieves and fraudsters.
Intentionally exploiting another person’s identity, often to get credit and other advantages in that person’s name or to achieve a financial advantage, is defined as stolen identification.
Employee identification card education
Employees must be trained on safeguarding their identification or access cards. Employees often exchange or lend one another their cards without training, making it difficult to control access effectively. Employees may also be careless with their IDs if the significance of preserving them is not emphasized.
Security Threat 5 – Social engineering
Social engineering risks may take a wide range of forms. One of the reasons it is so tough to fight is because of this. Social engineering attacks depend on tricking your staff into impersonating someone else or exploiting basic human empathy to access protected locations and networks.
Examples of common social engineering
For example, the ‘coffee trick’ is one of the most prevalent social engineering threats. This strategy is a more advanced variation of tailgating: it entails a person going towards an office door while carrying a cup of coffee in each hand.
An unwary employee passing through or near the entrance will keep the door open out of politeness, allowing an unauthorized individual to enter the premises.
Prepare your employees to deal with social engineering.
While there is no one solution to all social engineering concerns, the first step in preventing social engineering is to do a complete physical security risk assessment and evaluate how someone may circumvent the safeguards in place.
Raising social engineering knowledge among your staff is also essential, as recognizing the hazards that social engineering may bring will assist your employees in being more vigilant to any questionable behavior or interactions.
Physical security threats should be measured, mitigated, and monitored in your business.
While suitable physical measures are required to secure your company, security barriers and anti-tailgating doors will not keep your business safe in the end.
Raising physical security awareness among your workers and encouraging them to safeguard their workplace actively is the most effective strategy to battle a wide range of physical security risks.
Installing security cameras or video surveillance outside and within your facility is a great way to increase security. Theft, vandalism, and trespassing may all be prevented through video surveillance. It also serves as evidence if criminal behavior occurs in your business. The last thing you want is for your workplace to be a victim of a crime and for you to have no proof to defend yourself once the police are called.
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