People often think the office of the future is fully run by artificial intelligence and robots. That can’t be too far off from happening. With the current global crisis caused by the pandemic, security and access technologies have been significantly enhanced to keep up with health and safety protocols imposed by all governments. To date, these technologies address three key areas.
First, enhancements in security and access technologies have improved the health and safety of all employees, from the executives to the facility workers. Second, improved technologies have increased business efficiencies through the proactive development of solutions to business challenges. Lastly, enhanced technologies have created new and better ways to implement office security through security management.
Office security, therefore, is about creating a healthy and safe environment where both assets and people are protected. This allows businesses to thrive and become more efficient at their processes.
A secure workplace also allows employees to be creative and collaborative. Remember that a thriving business treasures its talents. It’s crucial to provide them with a workspace where they can be confident and comfortable.
In addition, a post-pandemic office is one that can adapt to ongoing changes and have security management in place.
To have a secure workspace that will achieve all of this, business owners and security managers must know key information about office security. A secure office can only be achieved through well-informed decisions. For both starting businesses and companies that still don’t have office security policies, here are key information that can help you develop a security management plan
Office Security
Office security isn’t simply providing physical barriers around an office building. Office security is divided into two main departments. First, office security involves the protection of the workplace and employees. The office premises must be secured against all forms of theft and vandalism. Employees, on the other hand, must be safe against physical, personal attacks, especially if it originates from competitors and business-related people.
In general, the first area of office security deals with the protection of the physical workplace and assets. This includes having alarm systems, barriers, access control, employment of security guards, building a secure office layout, and other physical protection elements.
Second, office security involves the protection of the company as a business entity. An organization must be protected against corporate sabotage. This primarily entails safeguarding a company’s intellectual property.
In general, the second area of office security involves the implementation of cybersecurity, enforcing employee surveillance, and even the use of paper shredders.
Protecting a Company as a Business Entity
Because information can be easily shared online, it has become harder for companies to protect their proprietary data. And with mobile banking becoming the norm, organizations often find themselves losing funds, too. Both these risks can lead to corporate sabotage and intellectual property theft.
The majority of these risks are accomplished digitally. And unfortunately, most culprits behind these cybercrimes are employees. Inc. magazine warns that most of these crimes include internal theft of time, property, money, and information. They can take many forms such as illegal data scanning, false data entry, using company web content without permission, personal use and selling of company software, and many more.
Corporate sabotage can make any business fall to its knees. Millions are lost because of these crimes which can include misappropriation of funds, embezzlement, paying ghost employees, selling critical business data, and other illicit activities.
The Risk Matrix
Installing alarm systems, access controls, barriers, and other physical protection elements is easier said than done. Before any organization can protect its offices and other physical assets, it must first conduct a risk assessment. In fact, according to the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), risk management is fundamental to the management of any organization.
Organizations have different risk profiles. Business owners and security managers must, therefore, brainstorm and conduct research about what risks may happen to their organization and how likely they are to happen. This can be visualized using a risk matrix, a diagram that enumerates a number of risks that a company is likely to encounter. Each risk is organized according to its vulnerability, probability, and importance.
After risk assessment is completed, business owners and security managers must create a security plan to respond to the risks. Solutions for each risk can take one or more forms of office security. For example, a disgruntled employee threatened to leak data about a proprietary software in its beta stage. You can solve this challenge in several ways.
First, it’s best to prioritize hiring a reliable software patent lawyer who can secure your software and help prove that your business is the owner of said property. Second, you can enhance access controls for your information systems to prevent it from being reached by most employees. It should only be available to key staff and executives. These are only examples. Your risk matrix can help you determine the best probable solutions.
Avoid Shortcuts
Office security can never be achieved if you take shortcuts. There’s no hurrying the entire process. It takes long deliberation and a lot of analysis to develop the best office security management system for any organization. Taking into consideration this basic information about office security, however, can help you get a good start.
