Under lock and key

Kiri Gray of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) looks at the wide range of technology and services available to help companies reduce the risks of business crime

Repeated Home Office surveys of business crime have found that losses are often sufficient to influence the financial viability of organisations, costing some firms up to five percent of their turnover. The indirect effects can also be extremely damaging, particularly in cases of repeated victimisation, which can lead to difficulties with insurance and staff retention.

Companies of all kinds are at risk from crime, yet survey after survey shows that only a minority of victims had previously regarded the issue as a serious problem and most had not sought professional security advice beforehand. This may be due to the understandable pressures and priorities of simply running the business but if lack of time is an issue, businesses should realise that leading members of the security industry are always willing to provide advice and quotations on specific areas of risk.

If a more comprehensive approach is desired, the BSIA also operates a section dedicated to professional security consultants who can be employed with confidence. One major reason for seeking such advice is that although many elements of security are relevant to virtually every business, individual companies often possess unique features that demand variations in the scope and detailed application of particular solutions.

A sensible starting point in planning security is to decide where physical security measures need to be focused. The physical security of buidlings must be regarded as an essential precaution. A solid boundary with secure gates will impede access by vehicle. All external doors should be of solid construction, set in strong frames and securely fixed to the walls. Five-lever mortise locks should be used in conjunction with strong hinges and hinge bolts.

Security rated doors with multi-point locking are even more effective. Accessible windows also demand protection, such as by security locks and grilles, which can be removable if aesthetics is an issue. Remember, however, that any door or window can be forced, given time and determination, so whilst security at this level will deter some intruders it should be regarded as a means of delaying, rather than preventing, a skilled attack.

In some circumstances, the most effective form of physical security may be to harden specific areas within the building. Commercially available secure stores that can be erected within existing rooms can be a highly cost-effective option for protecting certain types of valuable property. Again, it will rarely be possible to totally exclude determined intruders but secure internal storage, combined with delaying measures at the site boundary and building exteriors can add up to a time-consuming challenge that stacks the odds in the company’s favour.

Another deterrent tactic that has proven highly effective is to reduce the attractiveness of the firm’s property by making it easy to trace back to its source. Advances in forensic property marking techniques now offer an affordable and reliable means of protecting valuable items such as IT equipment, using unique identifiers and national databases to provide proof of ownership, along with evidence admissible in a court of law to help convict those responsible for the theft or handling of stolen goods.

The best value for money in security design is obtained, not from any single step but from mutually supportive measures that give defence in depth. That includes attention to procedures as well as physical protection. Just as property marking can make the firm a less attractive target, so professional services such as secure document destruction and cash collection and delivery can reduce the vulnerability of intellectual property and avoid exposing staff to unnecessary risks.

Security officers can also form a highly effective part of this type of layered protection and even though many smaller companies cannot afford to employ permanent officers, one alternative is to consider random visits by mobile patrols. Patrols have proven extremely effective against vandalism, one of the most common problems facing many firms. There is clear statistical evidence that if left unchecked vandalism leads to far more serious acts such as burglary and arson, so patrols are a valuable and cost-effective option, since cost-sharing arrangements can often be arranged with other local businesses.

Having assessed the need for physical security measures and services, the next step is to consider the role of electronic security, which encompasses intruder alarms, access control systems and closed-circuit television (CCTV). Few, if any, modern businesses could be safely advised against installing an intruder alarm. A monitored alarm should always be used, whereby activations are relayed automatically to an Alarm Receiving Centre, which can then notify the local police.

A professionally installed, maintained and monitored intruder alarm provides good protection against undetected burglary, which means that any offenders who are not deterred by its presence have only a limited time in which to steal or cause damage before someone responds. Access control systems reinforce this advantage by limiting entry to and movement within a site.

They are thus useful not only in preventing trespass, but also in impeding the circulation of people like ‘walk-in’ thieves who cause a major problem for many businesses by posing as legitimate callers. Modern systems incorporate advanced features which allow individual programming, giving different people different levels of access. Transaction recording facilities also help to control costs by allowing systems to be used for dual applications, such as emergency evacuation and time-and-attendance purposes. Access control is a useful precaution against intrusion during working hours, with significant extra potential in protecting both physical and intellectual property from internal theft.
CCTV is increasingly used to protect businesses both from external and internal risks. It has proven extremely effective in deterring offences and protecting specific locations such as perimeters, loading bays, cashiers’ offices, R&D departments, reception areas and the entrances to buildings and sites. CCTV images may be recorded, monitored in real time by security staff or linked to detectors for event-based surveillance.

This latter facility – driven by advances in video-over-IP technology – is now subject to a clear set of standards – BS 8418 – which governs the situation where cameras and detectors can be placed in and around buildings and at site perimeters and linked via LAN, WAN or Internet to a Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC) tens or even hundreds of miles away. In the RVRC, trained operators provide 24/7 event-driven monitoring of the area in real time, observing – and recording – what is happening if a fence or building alarm is activated. Depending on the circumstance, the operators can issue verbal warnings to intruders via on-site speakers or alert the emergency services and keyholders.

An holistic and systematic approach to crime prevention is the key to a safe, secure business environment. Business people have many competing priorities but crime is a problem that can stop all business activity permanently. This brief introduction has been designed to make this essential task easier and less time-consuming.
The British Security Industry Association is the trade association covering all aspects of the professional security industry in the UK. Its 570 members provide over 70 percent of UK security products and services and adhere to strict quality standards. For more information see www.bsia.co.uk, email info@bsia.co.uk or telephone 0845 389 3889.