Security Articles

Improving Company Security with Security Guards

Business owners are often rightly concerned with company security. One of the best ways that you can improve security at your business is by using security guards. While other methods of company security are certainly effective, there just isn’t a substitute for the physical presence of a security guard. However, not all security guard services are created equal. That’s why you’ll need to be proactive when you’re choosing a company security provider.

Phone Line Security

We often think about protecting our homes and everything located inside our homes. There’s a good reason for this, of course. You want to take steps to ensure the safety and security of your possessions and your loved ones. However, one aspect of security that is often overlooked is phone line security.

Smart Home Monitoring: Watch and Control your Home from Anywhere For the ultimate in convenience and security, trust smart home monitoring. Smart home monitoring is more than just a security service. It is a way to control and protect your home from just about anywhere. With smart home monitoring, you can use your smart phone to make life easier and more secure.

Monitored video surveillance cameras have a wide variety of applications. They keep your property safe and provide peace of mind.

Tips to Stop Data Theft

Protecting your company’s data is just as important as protecting your physical property. Many businesses do not understand how crucial it is to take steps to stop data theft. Data is incredibly valuable and can be used to seriously hurt a company if it were to fall into the wrong hands. Think about what could happen to your business if your company financial information, client lists, marketing plans and other sensitive data ended up in the hands of a competitor. According to a 2016 survey of 600 employees in seven industries by Biscom, employees are the greatest risk when it comes to data theft. The survey showed that:

• 15% of employees would be more likely to steal data from their employer if they were fired
• 85% of those who take data say that it’s not wrong because they’re only taking data they created
• 25% of ex-employees stole data that they did not create

This survey also showed that employees take data for two main reasons:

• Because the company does not have polices or technology tools that prevent data theft
• Because the company ignores the polices that it does have

Since this is true, it’s obviously important that your company takes steps stop data theft by creating and enforcing polices regarding data theft. Here are some tips to do so.

Educate Employees

Many employees who take data from their employers do not consider these actions as wrong. To stop data theft, it’s important to educate your employees on how valuable data is as well as what constitutes data theft. Teach new employees these facts and periodically review this information with existing employees.

Establish & Enforce Clear Policies

It is important that you create a clear policy on data handling. This will help stop data theft. Make sure that you address issues such as the use of personal devices and company data (such as using a personal cell phone or laptop to create or access private company data) as well as the usage of file sharing tools and company data (such as emailing company information to or from a personal account or uploading it to a personal cloud storage site). Once you have these policies, you need to make sure that you enforce them.

Use Strict Permissions

Not all employees need access to all data. Consider using strict permissions to ensure that your most sensitive data is only accessible by your most trusted employees and those who actually need this access. This can help your organization stop data theft.

Keep an Eye Out

Monitor employees for large amounts of data transfer (for example) or for those who access company data at odd hours. While these may be legitimate activities, you’ll still want to keep an eye on them.

Respond as Needed

Decide how you will respond if data theft occurs and be sure to keep this response consistent with all employees at all times. A consistent reaction will help you stop data theft in the future. It’s also important to address what you will do if there is a cyber attack against your company and how you will handle disgruntled employees as well as those who have been terminated. You may wish to restrict access to critical data before terminating an employee, for example, to stop data theft and ensure that he or she does not take their termination as an opportunity to steal company data.

Now that summer is here, your mind is likely filled with all sorts of thoughts, both personal and professional. You probably aren’t thinking of installing a new commercial security system. In fact, you might be creating your summer work schedule, putting together a plan for the next few months of work and also considering taking time off for a vacation.

However, one thing that you should certainly be thinking of is installing a commercial security system at your property.

The Importance of a Commercial Security System

Why is a commercial security system crucial thought heading into the summer? There are a number of reasons:

• There are fewer people around to witness crimes
  – If you don’t have a commercial security system installed, you have to count on the fact that passersby will notice if someone tries to break into your property. This isn’t always a good strategy, to begin with, but it’s one that can be even less effective in the summer.
  – During the summer months, more and more people will be out of town on vacation or at the cottage. This leaves your property especially defenseless.
• People have more time
  – During the summer months, young people are out of school, and they may also have time off from work. This gives them more opportunities to get into mischiefs such as vandalism and breaking and entering.
• You may wish to close for a vacation
  – Many businesses close for a few weeks during the summer to allow staff to have some time off. Others institute “summer hours” where they are closed more often than usual. These additional closed periods can give criminals more opportunities to strike.

By installing a commercial security system at your property, you protect yourself from summer crime as well as a crime all year round. The savings you get from avoiding vandalism and break-ins more than pay for the costs of the security tools.

Consider having your commercial security system monitored by a central monitoring station. This will ensure that your property will be watched over at all times, no matter where you are.

You may also wish to look into services that allow you to remotely monitor your location. These tools make it possible to check in on your business from nearly anywhere with an internet connection.
For more information on a commercial security system and keeping your business secure, please contact SafeTech today. We have more than 20 years of experience in protecting people and property.

Spring Fire Safety Tips to Keep in Mind

We “sprang forward” for daylight savings time recently. Did you check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? This is an important part of spring fire safety. In many regions, working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are the law. For example, in Ontario, every home must have a working smoke alarm installed on every level and outside all sleeping areas. This is an important part of spring fire safety. Plus, as of last April, any home in the province that has an attached garage or a fuel burning appliance installed must also have working carbon monoxide alarms outside all sleeping areas. It’s very important that you take the time to make sure that these systems are working correctly. A smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector can save your life. As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at least twice a year as part of your spring fire safety plan. Doing this check when the clocks change for daylight savings time is a good idea as it’s easier to remember. If your alarms are battery operated, make sure to change the batteries so that your alarm works when you need it. If you have a hardwired alarm, test it to make sure that it’s functioning correctly. However, spring isn’t just a good time to check on alarms, it’s also a good time to do an overall fire safety review. Spring is the time to get outside, enjoy the weather and to make repairs that may have been overlooked during the long winter. Here are some tips for spring fire safety:

Focusing on Spring Fire Safety

• Visually inspect all electrical cords and outlets, both inside and outside your home. Replace worn or damaged cords and repair any outlets that may have been damaged by winter weather.
• Clean up any debris that may have built up in your yard. Once the snow melts, you might find a lot of miscellaneous debris in your yard and some of it could be hazardous.
• Cut back branches and remove dead tree limbs and grass. These are fire hazards and should be removed.
• Check your fire extinguishers and get them serviced as needed.
• Review your family’s fire safety plan and escape routes.
• Clean eaves troughs thoroughly. Make sure that you use a sturdy and reliable ladder.
• If you have a barbecue, get it cleaned and serviced. Make sure that all fuel tanks and lines are safe and replace any damaged parts before you start using it.
• Clean back any trees, bushes or other debris that could be obscuring your house number from the street. It’s important that emergency vehicles are able to easily identify your home.
For more information on what you can do to protect your home and plan for spring fire safety, please contact our experienced team. Fire detection and carbon monoxide detection and monitoring services save lives. Find out how SafeTech can protect your family and provide greater peace of mind.

Facts to Consider When Having Security Cameras Installed

Security cameras are an excellent way to keep your property safe. Whether you are looking to secure a home or business location, having security cameras installed provides you with an extra layer of security protection and peace of mind. Video surveillance cameras catch criminals in the act. No criminal wants his or her face or actions captured on video. This footage can be used by law enforcement to identify criminals and determine exactly what happened at your property in the event of a crime. Security camera footage often leads to arrests and convictions. Criminals know this and, therefore, they avoid locations that have security cameras installed. When it comes to having security cameras installed, there are a few important points that you should keep in mind.

What to Think About When Having Security Cameras Installed

If you are considering security cameras, it’s important to understand the different options out there. It’s also very important to consider your needs, which will likely be different than just about anyone else’s.

What area do you want to cover?
– The size and shape of the area you’re planning on covering will determine a lot about the camera set-up that you require. A very large area, an area with many rooms or a location with lots of nooks and crannies will likely require more cameras than a smaller area or a single room.

What are the lighting conditions?
– Will your cameras be working in low-light conditions? Is there a lot of bright sunlight that could negatively affect the quality of the footage? Do conditions change throughout the day? These are all facts to keep in mind.

How much video storage is required?
– Do want to retain the footage from your cameras for one day? Two weeks? Several months? Be sure to choose a set-up and a hard drive capacity that suits your needs.

Do you want remote access?
– Many modern security cameras can be remotely accessed from smart phones, tablets and computers. Do you want to be able to view the footage from your cameras remotely? Do you want to receive alerts when motion is detected? If so, you’ll need a smart security set-up for your location.

Do you want central monitoring?
– Another good security choice is to have security cameras installed that are connected to a central monitoring station. If a trouble condition is detected, station staff can log in and view your cameras, giving them important details about the situation taking place.

For more information on having security cameras installed and details on the cameras and security services that we offer, please contact a member of our loss prevention team today.