Last month, we showed you how to better protect the intangible assets that are so important to your business: intellectual property, trade secrets, and employee goodwill. This article focuses on the more traditional side of business security: protecting your premises and equipment against theft and vandalism.

Keep trouble out with access control systems

Whether it's desktop computers in an office, construction vehicles in a lot or garage, or inventory in a warehouse, your valuable supplies and equipment make tempting targets for thieves. The first line of defense for these physical assets is simply keeping unauthorized people out of your premises.

Simply locking everything up tightly isn't an option if you want to stay in business: your employees still need to use your equipment. Access control systems let you strike a balance between letting the right people in and keeping everyone else out.

At its most basic, an access control system is a door secured with an electric lock and a keypad. To get in, you just enter a code on the keypad to unlock the door. While simple, this lets you keep the door locked at all times, but still lets authorized employees get in and out when they need to.

More appropriate for many businesses are larger access control systems that control multiple doors. Instead of keypads, these systems usually give each employee a unique identifier. Most common are cards - either magnetic stripe or proximity cards - that employees use to identify themselves to the system.

There are some pretty big advantages to this approach: you can grant employees access to some areas and not others depending on their responsibilities, and the system creates a running log of which cards are used at which times at each entry point. Additionally, when employees leave the company, it's a simple matter to disable their cards.

Access control systems can help make sure your important assets are behind locked doors at all times, without creating much inconvenience for employees. Find out more by submitting a free request for quotes for access control systems.

Respond quickly with monitored alarm systems

No matter how well you lock up your premises, there's always a chance that a determined burglar can get inside. In these cases, the best way to protect your valuable equipment and supplies is to respond quickly to the break-in.

Hiring security personnel to patrol your business after hours isn't a very practical solution for most businesses. But with a monitored alarm system, you can get the benefit of a virtual night watchman, thanks to a combination of technology and live monitoring.

Monitored alarm systems have several basic features. They have sensors that detect intruders: most common are magnetic contacts that indicate when windows or doors are opened and motion detectors that use infrared or microwaves to 'see' motion. The sensors are connected to a central control panel that runs the operation and is also connected to a phone line.

When any of the sensors report trouble, the control panel sends a signal to the monitoring service. Trained operators then call both a number you choose - typically a trusted employee - and the police.

You may be most interested in an alarm with loud sirens or flashing lights to scare intruders away. Keep in mind these types of deterrents are more effective against vandals and petty thieves than against determined burglars. They can be a valuable addition to your security setup, but only in combination with a monitoring service.

Not only do monitored alarms help keep your valuables safe, they also provide a safer working environment for you and your employees. Find out what features can improve security at your business by requesting a free quote on monitored alarm systems.

Make a record of events with video surveillance systems

Video surveillance systems provide two different types of security enhancements: first, visible cameras provide a degree of deterrence. Second, they can capture evidence of crimes to help you catch and/or prosecute the perpetrators.

The primary use of highly visible cameras in retail stores, banks, and other public spaces is deterrence: many stores use "Smile! You're on camera" signs or actually have a TV showing what the camera sees to get their point across. While most (if not all) of the cameras are functional, their presence can help prevent problems before they occur.

If you do have an incident, the recording from your cameras is an extremely valuable tool for police and investigators first, and for prosecutors later. To get the best results, the positioning and focus of cameras is critical. As part of installation, your video surveillance vendor will help you decide how you can get the best coverage of critical areas: entryways, cash registers, vaults, or sensitive storage areas.

Modern surveillance systems use DVRs - digital video recorders, like TiVo or the recording feature offered by many cable companies. DVRs are a huge improvement over VCRs – they can record for longer periods of time, they make it easy to find specific events or times, and they can easily record feeds from multiple cameras simultaneously.

You'll have to decide whether you want a system designed for constant real-time surveillance, or a system that just runs all day and night that is only reviewed if there's an incident. Most businesses can get by with the recording option - and there's no need to pay an employee just to watch the cameras.

Find out how cameras and digital recording can help your business become more secure - get free quotes on video surveillance today.

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