Five essentials to protect your business from crime  

Although government figures suggest that crimes against businesses are falling in most areas, the tens of thousands of incidents still occurring show that companies still have plenty to fear. The threats go far beyond just theft as well; owners and workers across all industries are at risk of fraud, assaults and cybercrime too. So how do you go about keeping your business and the people within it safe? Below are the first five things to put on your priority list.

A trustworthy, well-informed team

The journey to a safer, more secure business starts close to home. Your workforce needs to be full of trustworthy people who respect you and your organisation; anyone who doesn’t fit this description is a weak link who could potentially increase the risk of crime. They may not adhere to internal policies or use your security equipment properly, for example. Worse still, they could be tempted to act against the company directly. Use the recruitment process to build a strong team of happy workers and then cultivate their trust by showing the respect they deserve. Keep them involved in major decisions, especially around security processes.

Access control measures

There are plenty of physical tools you can use to control the movement of people throughout your business premises. A robust and reliable access control system is a must, and it pays to implement one that meets your needs specifically. That’s easy when you’ve so much hardware to choose from. TouchStar provides all kinds of access control solutions, including door furniture, gates, barriers, turnstiles and identification scanners. With the right mix installed throughout your business, the risk of crime falls substantially.

Powerful software

A vast collection of security equipment is nothing without the powerful software to bring it all together – it’d simply be too much to manage, especially for a large business. Our Microtrak Evolution software is designed to ensure everything works hand-in-hand to keep your business protected from harm. All equipment can be controlled from a central point, meaning your security and reception staff needn’t waste time moving from one point to the next every time something needs to be changed for a visitor or a new team member. Data collected from the Evolution application also gives you valuable insight into how people move around your business.

CCTV

It may seem too traditional an idea to be useful, but CCTV has come a long way since the days of eyesore cameras and blurry greyscale footage. Today’s devices can capture clear, colour recordings in almost any weather or lighting condition. This means they act as more than just deterrents – you actually have strong evidence too, should a crime take place. What’s more, modern CCTV equipment can be hooked up to wider systems, including the access control solutions mentioned above. You really can have all bases covered.

Cybersecurity measures

While most kinds of business theft are gradually decreasing, online crime is well and truly on the up. Almost half of all UK businesses fell victim to at least one cyber breach or attack in the 12 months to April 2017, with the proportion rising significantly when you consider medium and larger businesses only. It’s something you really can’t ignore. With that in mind, robust cybersecurity measures are a must – as is the internal policy to go with it. Research the types of crime your business is at the highest risk of and use the services available – such as the government’s National Cyber Security Centre – to determine how best to combat it.