You've probably used parking garages at some time, maybe on campus, at the mall, or even where you work.

Access control to a site or installation is one of the most essential components of a good quality security system.  

It determines who enters the area, how the access is controlled, and what technology or equipment is used to make the access happen. An access control system can range from something simple, such a fob access to a larger and more sophisticated security solution using biometrics.

You wouldn’t think twice about locking up your company’s most valuable physical assets.  But what about assets like your intellectual property? Or even valuable office equipment and PC workstations are all vulnerable to vandalism?

A managed access control system can add an extra layer of protection over and above conventional lock and key systems, with the additional benefit of varied authorization levels to protect key areas in your business.  

And with the Sonitrol Managed Access System, you’ll be able to take advantage of supervising your staff, managing security access levels, and reducing employee-triggered false alarms, with the help of our expert Central Monitoring Station operators.  

You’ve just returned home from a long day at the office only to receive a phone call from your security company alerting you that your alarm system has been activated.  A thousand questions go through your mind – is a burglar attempting to steal or vandalize your property? Are your employees safe? Will the police respond quickly? Maybe you’re wondering if this was simply another false alarm.

Unfortunately, false alarms are common occurrences for business owners and operators who do not use a verified security solution.  And one of the most common false alarm triggers is human error, including employee-triggered false alarms.  

Employees may trigger your alarm simply by forgetting to de-activate your alarm system or by entering an incorrect code.  Or at the end of a shift, an employee may not lock or close the door properly, triggering sensors and detectors that activate your alarm system.  User triggered false alarms account for more than 80% of false alarms.

FACT: According to the RCMP, police departments across Canada respond daily to burglar intrusion alarms. However, more than 98% of the alarms the Police attend are false. 

False alarms can be prevented by implementing some simple preventative measures including managed access control and verified audio/video.

Businesses with less than 100 employees tend to be the most vulnerable to losses caused by internal theft and workplace violence. When you add to that external threats from would-be thieves and violent criminals to the mix, the overall security risks to a small business increase dramatically.

A managed access control system is one of the easiest, most cost-effective methods of increasing security at your store, site or office.    

One of the most important benefits from using a managed access control system is that it gives you more control over your business, who's coming and going, and this equates to an immediate reduction in your security risks.

I've identified 5 ways a managed access control system can improve your security:

Today more than ever, it’s sad to say but, you just don't know who to trust. With employee theft rates on the rise, now more than ever, it’s critical for business owners and managers to be in control of access to their property, businesses and buildings.

According to recently released stats in the U.S., a staggering 71,095 dishonest employees were apprehended in their workplace in 2012, and that figure has most likely risen since then. Employee theft and workplace violence of any kind is just unacceptable and you have to do something about it.

This makes many businesses vulnerable to internal, as well as external threats it’s important to understand the benefits of a Managed Access Control System. Not only can monitored access control systems track and restrict who goes where and when, these systems also only allow authorized users to enter your facility or designated areas at certain times within your facility.

I think there are many good reasons to having a managed access control system as part of your business security system, so here are the main top 10 benefits!

No matter what type of business you're in, an integrated CCTV surveillance security system is one of the best ways to protect your property, building, compound, construction site, office, warehouse, school, retail store or church. 

Investing in a modern closed-circuit television (CCTV) system that is integrated with security technologies such as audio detection, managed access and 24/7 verified video monitoring can save you money and time, while reducing insurance premiums and potential losses.

Using CCTV cameras is also one of the best ways to help keep your employees and customers honest and safe, providing a watchful eye to deter crime and keep you informed. 

But where are the best places to position your CCTV system to make sure you minimize your risks? 

Construction sites and compounds frequently have security problems, break-ins after dark, and employee pilfering during the day.

One of the best preventative measures I recommend to stop these types of crimes, is to install a remotely monitored CCTV camera surveillance system that will automatically trigger an alarm when a potential criminal event occurs. 

This is not a conventional CCTV system that just records what takes place, this is a Sonitrol construction security system, called SonaVision, that instantly relays or "pushes" the video stream to a 24/7 central monitoring station, where professional monitoring staff can view and assess if the activity is potentially criminal, or just a false alarm.

Distribution Centres and Warehouses are more liable to employee theft than any other business.  While you may focus on keeping criminals out of your warehouse, internal theft by company employees and contractors should also be considered.

I've seen many different types of warehouse and distribution centre theft, and one of the most common methods of theft in a warehouse environment involves a partnership between two employees, often a warehouse employee working with a delivery truck driver.  

Sometimes, theft is committed by an employee you would never suspect, as it can be common place for inventory to go missing if employees feel under-appreciated or underpaid, or perhaps just feel that the occasional product is a fringe benefit of working in your Distribution Centre.

As you know some distribution centres are massive, and can be very challenging to monitor, therefore properly protecting your facility from internal theft by implementing the following preventative measures is a good start to reducing your internal theft risk.

Home-made flame throwers, guns and knives are the weapons of choice for armed robbers who hope to 

make a clean getaway after raiding pharmacies for opiates and opioids to be sold on the street. 

Criminals target the highly addictive and lucrative narcotics readily available at many pharmacies, making pharmacies as well as pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution facilities particularly vulnerable to break-ins from armed robbers.

 “Hundreds of thousands of units of oxycodone, morphine and other “opioids” are still being robbed, pilfered or otherwise lost from the pharmacy supply chain, despite some recent improvements, the statistics reveal.” – National Post 

 Every retailer knows that carelessly handled inventory and internal “shrinkage” can add up to a serious bottom-line problem. But when your inventory is literally made up of precious gems, lots of gold, high-end custom jewelry, and the most expensive luxury handbags and fashion accessories you can imagine, a single item of lost inventory can add up very quickly indeed, and the "loss" of more than one item can be financially huge with a large impact on your bottom line.

Add to this the temptation that a random smash-and-grab thief may have, or the specific targeting of a luxury goods store by sophisticated and organized criminals, often armed, then you'll quickly see the need and importance to have a top quality security solution.

In my last blog I spoke about occupational fraud protection, what it is and some key motivations behind it. In this blog I'll look at 5 strategies for preventing occupational fraud.

Occupational fraud is a real threat to Canadian businesses, unfortunately more than half of small businesses and mid-sizes enterprises that are vulnerable to occupational fraud do not believe they're at risk, yet 1 in 4 businesses experienced incidents of occupational fraud in the past fiscal year. That's a real threat and a risk you have to prepare for.

Understanding Occupational Fraud and Its Motivation

We’ve all heard stories of executives embezzling client money, employees selling intellectual data, and even management accepting bribes from contractors and vendors.  These are all forms of occupational fraud and they could easily become a very costly problem if you have not taken the necessary steps to protect your business.

Occupational fraud affects businesses around the world and can cause huge losses in revenues.  Small businesses and mid-sized enterprises are particularly vulnerable to occupational fraud, often due to a lack of anti-fraud controls, high employee turnover and ineffective employee monitoring mechanisms.

“The majority of Small Businesses and Mid-Sized Enterprises are not prepared to respond to occupational fraud, and more than half do not undertake period assessments of risks of fraud.” – CGA Canada

In honour of Fraud Prevention Month this March, I will be sharing some strategies that will help reduce your risks, beginning with defining occupational fraud, identifying fraud motivations and describing strategies to reduce your risk.

You walk into your workplace, use your security card to swipe in, and then open the door for the person entering behind you.  This simple, courteous action can have serious consequences.

One of the easiest ways for a criminal to gain entry into your business is by “tailgating” your employees as they enter or exit their workplace. 

As criminals become bolder, tailgating is becoming a common security breach that refers to a situation where an unauthorized person tags along with an authorized person to gain entry into a restricted area or pass a certain checkpoint, without the consent of the authorized person.

So the main question comes down to, how to prevent tailgating in your office?

The Retail Council of Canada reports retail theft costs $4 billion a year, an average loss to retailers of $10.8 million per shopping day!

And according to Calgary Police Service’s Crime Prevention Unit, organized retail crime is on the rise.  Combined with employee theft, counting errors, damaged goods and fraud, it is forecast that retail shrinkage will become even more damaging to your bottom line.

How can you protect your business from organized retail crime?  

Not all break-ins occur at night. 

There are many instances reported by the Police of break-ins during daytime, by audacious criminals who pretend to be employees, an IT worker, or a repairman. They just casually walk into an office (usually larger offices with lots of staff), and steal valuables from the desk of employees.

These businesses are incredibly lucky.  While it is extremely unfortunate that valuable items owned by employees are stolen, the situation could be much worse.  

Workplace violence is ranked as the number one concern for employees. With more than 356,000 violent workplace incidents reported by Statistics Canada in 2004 with associated costs of up to $36 billion annually, workplace safety is becoming a growing concern for business owners.  

Understanding workplace violence, identifying your risk factors, and implementing professional office security solutions are significant steps to take to protect your workplace from violence.  

What is Workplace Violence?

Professional offices and commercial office buildings are at risk for more than just a break-in in the middle of the night.  Theft of intellectual property is an internal and external threat that puts your business at risk.

In his article Forget cybercriminals: How to protect data from disgruntled employees, Ben Ross discusses how corporate offices often fail to terminate office access for former employees.  This clearly highlights that outdated accounts, privileged account passwords, office keys and customer account access, can all present potential risks to your intellectual property and reputation.  

How can you protect your Intellectual Property?

For the best office security solution, business owners and facilities managers operating an office or a building, need to have the ability to limit unauthorized entry to their properties. 

Access control systems provide the ability to protect employees and businesses against theft, property damage or bodily harm. Therefore your office and building security system should have integrated access control to control access to a single point of entry or protect multiple points of entry.

What is an Access Control System?