Christmas is a season of goodwill. A time to come together with family and friends and celebrate the good times. However, for criminals, Christmas represents something different entirely – an open goal and a period of lax security measures that they can easily exploit. Read on for ways that you can avoid returning from your holidays to an unpleasant surprise.
Prepare and enact a closure plan
There are a number of tasks that need to be checked off before you can begin your holidays. You should develop a strong checklist that covers every aspect of your operations from cyber security through to physical and perimeter plans. Here are a few things to include:
- Lock any external windows and doors and fasten any grills or covers.
- Lock any external gates and barriers into place
- Lock or remove any bins and waste units that could contain confidential data or items of value
- Turn off any machinery or electrical items that do not need to remain on during closure
- Turn off any heating or water devices that do not need to remain on
- Check external areas for any items of value that can be moved inside
- Check window displays for any items of value in view and close curtains or shutters
- Check that any security lighting or CCTV units are working correctly (this should be done periodically to avoid any last-minute issues)
- Shut any internal doors and passageways to limit fire risks
- Ensure that your building is empty of personnel and then set alarms correctly
Designate keyholders
Keyholders are tasked with the job of responding to any incidents that arise on your premises such as police calls or alarm triggers. It is important that those tasked with doing so are aware of their duties, and keep their means of communication within sight during any periods of closure. A failure to respond quickly could mean that criminals are left to do as they please.
Access control
Not every business can shut down completely over the Christmas period. If you are to continue operations then you should consider how access will be controlled at both exterior and interior levels. Traffic should be recorded and logged and unmanned entry points can be accessed through tools like automatic barriers or number plate recognition systems. While interior units can be given tiered access through fobs and keypads – for instance, if you want to protect high-value goods or sensitive data.
Maintain a strong perimeter
When criminals decide which properties they are going to target, they will almost always go for those that show either a lax approach to perimeter security or none at all. To send the right impression, you should ensure that your external site is protected with key measures such as gates, barriers and bollards and that signage is displayed to warn off intruders.
If you feel that your business could be vulnerable this Christmas, then you should waste no time in reaching out for support and advice. Here at Gateway Automation we regularly assess properties for risk making sure that they are adequately secured and recommending any ways that we think security could be improved. Call us today on 01522 682 255 to discuss how we can help to keep you safe.
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