5 Ways to Make Sure Your Office Is Physically Secure

It’s not a nice thought but there may come a time in your business life where someone attempts to steal from you. Whether or not this is on a data level or a physical level, it’s best to do some preparation before it’s too late.

This is not only good practice but it will also help staff feel more secure and give you the peace of mind that your business is safe and sound.

Think carefully about your office location

While this may be a bit too late if you already have an office, if you’re moving location and renting an office, thinking carefully about the area you’ll be moving into is a good idea.

Is the area known for high crime rates? Is it badly lit? Have there been break-ins in the past? These are all questions you should ask yourself before moving in.

While these places are often cheaper, you have to weigh up the extra costs keeping it secure. Another thing to think of is the safety of your staff, it doesn’t do much for staff morale if they don’t feel safe on their commute into work.

Install CCTV

Closely tied to the first point, even if you aren’t in a bad area it’s always a great idea to think of having some CCTV installed. Having security cameras installed can go a long way to making your business look that little bit more unappealing to steal from.

Train your employees on security measures

It’s also important to make sure your staff knows what’s going on. You should train each member of staff on the security measures in place to make sure there aren’t any weak spots.

There’s no use in having a great set of locks for your building if staff start to prop the door open on their lunch breaks. Even letting unidentified people into the building can undo all your hard work. Making sure your workforce is security-conscious is a great way to minimise any chance of intrusion.

Make sure the point of entry is secure

This can be accomplished in a number of ways. A lot of businesses simply have a lock on the door and give each employee a key. If you want to be even safer, you could look into installing some type of keyless entry or even having a second layer of security once you enter the building – either a second locked door which leads to sensitive areas or even a receptionist to greet visitors.

Lock up valuables

While a lot of companies may have most of their valuable data stored on computers these days, that doesn’t do much in the way to stop a thief from stealing the actual computer itself!

Most PCs will usually have a small section on the case that you can fit a padlock through which can then be paired with some type of cable lock to keep the PC secure. This can then be secured to either something that doesn’t move or something that is so large a thief will think twice about trying to move it, e.g. a desk.

If you have any important documents lying around it is always best to invest in a lockable filing cabinet or even a room with an external lock. However, remember, locks are only ever as good as the person using them though. If you forget to lock up or even start to grow complacent, there’s suddenly nothing solid in place to stop theft.

If you are starting to get a bit worried about the security of your office, any of the above steps would be a great place to start.

Is there anything we’ve missed out? What other security tips could businesses follow to protect their offices? Share your tips in the comments.