A large risk for offices is the threat of intruders, especially since the introduction of GDPR where personal data should be protected at all costs, but intruders can also pose a danger of violence or theft against your team.
However, there are steps that you can take to help keep your business safe against intruders.
One of the reasons why an intruder might want to enter your premises is to steal equipment, data or business information. They could do this by physically taking equipment, stealing data from your computer systems or using recording devices to record conversations.
If you have a suspicious guest, be sure to vet them before giving them access, and monitor their activity to make sure that their visit is for legitimate reasons.
If you notice that you have someone on your premises that you don’t recognise, and doesn’t have any of your business’ identifying features, such as a visitor lanyard, it is your job to challenge the individual. If you feel anxious about approaching a suspicious visitor, make sure that you let another member of your team aware so that the matter can be dealt with.
Criminals can use your uncertainty to carry on without being questioned, and even if you have security in place, it is more effective to challenge an intruder in person to make sure that they don’t go undetected.
Never allow someone to enter your premises that you don’t know, especially into areas that require an access card to enter. An intruder may try to access your premises by joining a group and hope they will go unnoticed, so be wary of anyone whom you don’t recognise entering the building as part of a group who doesn’t have an identity visitor pass.
Be extra vigilant if your premises is usually open to visitors during the day. Having CCTV at your access points can be a great deterrent, but can also be a way of helping to identify criminals who may be trying to access your premises.
An intruder sometimes doesn’t even have to enter your premises to steal information. They could access your sensitive data by going through your rubbish for information that they could find useful.
Make sure that any confidential paperwork is properly disposed of, either by doing this yourself or using a confidential waste disposal contractor. You could even use CCTV to monitor your outside waste to catch out any criminals.
By getting a good look at anyone being suspicious, you will hopefully be able to remember as much detail as possible to report to the authorities.
Things to look out for are physical features, particularly features that may be unique to a person, such as tattoos, any vehicles that they have used and their attire. These are all details that can be used to help the authorities identify someone.
Source: Zywave Inc. – Office Playing it Safe: How to Handle Intruders
Office insurance with Premierline
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Whether you run your business from your home and require home business insurance or have premises and require office insurance. Speak to one of our knowledgeable business insurance advisors today for advice or if you know your insurance requirements compare quotes online.
