Why Physical Security Is As Important As Cyber Security For Your Business

No matter what your business is responsible for producing, or what service you’re providing, you want it to be as secure as possible, for both you and your clients. What you have worked hard to set up, is of course worth protecting, and as a business owner, cutting corners where security is concerned, should simply never be an option.

However, some company owners overlook physical security and focus their attentions and their budgets on cyber security, alone. While cyber security is naturally vital for any business with an online database, keeping the business premises safe and secure is equally as important.

What is physical security?

Physical security is the protection of personnel, hardware, networks, data and software from physical actions or events that may present a serious risk to an enterprise, agency or institution. In other words, your business premises need to be protected from natural disasters such as fires and floods, but perhaps most importantly, protected from burglary, theft, vandalism and terrorism.

Why is physical security for businesses so often overlooked?

It may be that some business owners perceive the threat from online hackers, malware and espionage to be far greater than the risk of a burglar entering their premises and stealing sensitive data or equipment. However, breaches of physical security can be carried out by individuals or groups of organized criminals with very little specialist knowledge and with a great deal of brute force.

How can you give your business premises the best physical protection?

It may sound straightforward but securing all access to the business site and making it as difficult as possible for intruders to gain unlawful entry, is the best physical protection you can ever give your business. Start by upgrading all your locks to those that offer maximum, tamper-proof protection, making it impossible for intruders to break in. You must get the locks fitted by a professional locksmith (they are worth every cent and will ensure that each lock is fitted
correctly) and have them checked over regularly, particularly if you have reason to believe that someone has tried to force entry to your premises.

Protecting your business from the inside:

Just as networks need public areas and those that are restricted, so do physical business locations, and restricting access to those areas of your business premises that contain the most sensitive information and items is a great way of preventing security breaches. Doors that are secured with tamper-proof locks, key cards and the simple addition of a receptionist, are all controls that you can rely on to ensure that your systems and your physical media are kept safe from unauthorized access.

Since data theft can come from inside a company, an employee or contract worker for example, it really is worth having a modern, impenetrable safe somewhere in your building, too, so that you can store soft copies of documents or anything of value, safe in the knowledge that even the most skilled of thieves will not be able to access its contents.

While breaches of cyber security are a huge concern for businesses today and can end up costing companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties and lost profits (not to mention a loss of customer loyalty and respect), physical security is as much of a risk and can be equally as costly for a business.

Make sure that your premises and any sensitive areas within the building are adequately protected by talking to your local locksmith, today.