Commercial security should always be a top priority for your business. Therefore, it’s extremely important to get a regular security assessment and security audit for your commercial property. Doing so will help you identify any potential vulnerabilities and address them before they have a chance to become a serious problem.
Physical security for your business goes beyond keeping a security guard at your entrance and exit points. A thorough security survey will allow you to keep your staff protected by giving them a safe and operational workspace. Additionally, it will strengthen your physical and digital security; especially if you use cloud-based systems for surveillance and monitoring, improve the efficiency of your emergency plans, and can potentially save you money down the line as well.
What is a Security Audit?
A security audit is the process of evaluating an organization's commercial security measures to find and fix any potential threats. This is done with the intent to improve your organization's security so that you can protect data, your physical property, your personnel, comply with regulations, and avoid fines and crime.
During a security survey, experts identify risks, assess them, and then recommend solutions. A company that hires a third-party auditor to conduct an audit should be prepared for experts to challenge their assumptions about their current practices and policies. This is a crucial part of risk management services.
Why Your Property Needs A Security Audit/Security Survey
A security assessment should be both a systematic and independent examination of the security controls in place within your organization to ensure your commercial security is up to standards.
Your commercial security should include a regular security survey because:
- It’s an opportunity to evaluate the current state of your commercial property’s security system and identify any gaps in protection.
- It can provide a peace of mind to tenants and landlords alike, as it provides them with more information about what to expect from their building’s safety procedures.
- It can help prevent future crime by identifying potential risks that may not have been considered before, such as holes in the perimeter fence or unintended access points.
Some of the benefits of conducting a commercial security audit are:
- It helps identify any weaknesses in the system, which can then be corrected before any damage is done.
- It helps you understand your company's current level of risk and vulnerabilities, so you can take appropriate measures for improvement.
- It provides a peace of mind by knowing that everything is safe and secure.
- It assures that all risks have been identified so that there are no surprises later on.
What Happens During the Security Audit?
Commercial security audits will examine every aspect of your business including IT and network security, physical access controls, personnel security, customer data privacy policies, vendor management, and surveillance systems, to name a few.
The following categories are different areas of risk management services that are aimed to create both a comprehensive commercial security audit and an action plan of how to protect your property and assets. Here are some of the best practices for a security survey:
Access Control
- Take all the potential points of entry into account and identify who will need access to your location regularly.
- Determine the different permission levels that will be needed for access to specific areas and ensure your system can accommodate them.
- Installing door readers at entrances to places where you want to limit the people who have access is a great way to control who enters. These systems can monitor and log each person coming in, and automatically grant or deny access based on the criteria you set up.
Surveillance
- Install video surveillance cameras at key points internally and externally. Consider parking garages, storage areas, and administrative offices.
- Integrate with a video management system (VMS) for real-time monitoring.
- Ensure you have met local retention standards for security camera footage.
Emergency Response
- Check all existing alarm systems and install any new ones if necessary. It is important that you have installed the correct alarms per the building's codes, and that they are tested regularly.
- Create lockdown plans that are customized for different emergency scenarios like a fire or active shooter.
- Install backup power sources for your security systems that will ensure that your building remains functioning during a power or Internet outage.
In conclusion, it will be very valuable to your commercial property to regularly conduct security assessments and security audits. Having an expert identify any risks, assess them, and furthermore recommend solutions will be very beneficial. By identifying any potential vulnerabilities your company currently has, you will be able to increase the efficiency of the business's safety and security.
About OPS
OPS Security Group has over 80 years of combined experience protecting executives, businesses, residents, guests, and government officials throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., and New Jersey. As a regional security alternative with a service-first approach, we offer a level of customer service that international providers are too big to deliver. If you'd like to learn more, you can contact us at https://opssecuritygroup.com/contact/
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