Security issues should be high up on the agenda of any company. In 2023, the security of both the digital infrastructure of an organization and its physical assets and information can be threatened by both “traditional” acts of crime (such as burglaries and theft) along with the emerging threats posed by cybercriminals.
A successful cyberattack can cost a business hundreds of thousands of dollars to fully recover from and can also damage the business reputation of a company, causing customers to lose confidence in the organization. This can affect its share prices and damage the brand image.
In addition, acts of physical crime in a company premises may result in the loss of expensive equipment or sensitive information, and may make staff feel apprehensive about working there in future.
In this article, some of the key ways that a business can protect itself from both acts of cybercrime and physical theft will be explored.
Educate staff on “tailgating”
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Tailgating is becoming a more common form of physical crime in business. It occurs when a criminal attempts to gain entry to a premises by following an employee through the building. It’s a form of social engineering that relies on the employee assuming that the tailgater is a genuine employee (and for example, holding a door open for them out of politeness). In larger firms, staff may not know all the employees, especially if workers come from other business locations to visit.
It’s therefore of paramount importance that staff are educated on this topic and taught to be vigilant when they see a person at work who they don’t recognize. In addition, the working environment can be secured by using entry barriers into company car parks that can only be raised by staff members who have the appropriate swipe cards.
Secure your online IT systems
In the digital world of business, online applications can be vulnerable to acts of cybercrime. In recent years, more businesses are using application programming interfaces (APIs) to manage the communication between different business systems. However, unsecured APIs can be an easy route into a company’s online systems for experienced hackers. These sites can be probed and then entry will be attempted if they’re deemed to be unsecured.
It’s therefore vitally important for IT security teams to ensure that api security best practices are in place. These can include the real time monitoring of traffic to APIs and additional software systems that will indicate if abnormal traffic or activity is taking place in these locations. Authentication software should also be used to verify the identity of clients who are requesting access to these systems.
Environmental on-site deterrents against crime
Finally, there are several key steps that can be taken to secure the physical property of companies in their corporate buildings. The first action should be to install security fences around the perimeter of the property. High and securing perimeter fencing provides a visible warning to potential burglars that the property is protected, and it may deter any opportunist thieves who are simply looking for an easy target to break into.
In addition, larger firms should consider hiring night-time security staff, especially if the premises are unstaffed during the night. Another key piece of on-site security is to install CCTV cameras. Today, modern commercial CCTV systems are relatively inexpensive and can record footage that successfully identifies and leads to the prosecution of intruders.