A suspicious figure emerging from a computer screen in an office


Preparing your business against office intruders

23 September 2019

A large risk for offices is the threat of intruders, especially since the introduction of GDPR where personal data should be protected at all costs, but intruders can also pose a danger of violence or theft against your team. 

However, there are steps that you can take to help keep your business safe against intruders.

Monitor

One of the reasons why an intruder might want to enter your premises is to steal equipment, data or business information. They could do this by physically taking equipment, stealing data from your computer systems or using recording devices to record conversations.

If you have a suspicious guest, be sure to vet them before giving them access, and monitor their activity to make sure that their visit is for legitimate reasons.

Challenge

If you notice that you have someone on your premises that you don’t recognise, and doesn’t have any of your business’ identifying features, such as a visitor lanyard, it is your job to challenge the individual. If you feel anxious about approaching a suspicious visitor, make sure that you let another member of your team aware so that the matter can be dealt with.

Criminals can use your uncertainty to carry on without being questioned, and even if you have security in place, it is more effective to challenge an intruder in person to make sure that they don’t go undetected.

Access

Never allow someone to enter your premises that you don’t know, especially into areas that require an access card to enter. An intruder may try to access your premises by joining a group and hope they will go unnoticed, so be wary of anyone whom you don’t recognise entering the building as part of a group who doesn’t have an identity visitor pass.

Be extra vigilant if your premises is usually open to visitors during the day. Having CCTV at your access points can be a great deterrent, but can also be a way of helping to identify criminals who may be trying to access your premises.

Confidentiality

An intruder sometimes doesn’t even have to enter your premises to steal information. They could access your sensitive data by going through your rubbish for information that they could find useful.

Make sure that any confidential paperwork is properly disposed of, either by doing this yourself or using a confidential waste disposal contractor. You could even use CCTV to monitor your outside waste to catch out any criminals.

Observe

By getting a good look at anyone being suspicious, you will hopefully be able to remember as much detail as possible to report to the authorities.

Things to look out for are physical features, particularly features that may be unique to a person, such as tattoos, any vehicles that they have used and their attire. These are all details that can be used to help the authorities identify someone.

Source: Zywave Inc. - Office Playing it Safe: How to Handle Intruders

At Premierline, we understand that no office environment is the same, and will each have their own unique business insurance needs. This is why our insurance advisors are trained to assess your business’ needs so that the insurance quote you receive has the perfect cover for your business.

Whether you run your business from your home and require home business insurance or have premises and require office insurance. Speak to one of our knowledgeable business insurance advisors today for advice or if you know your insurance requirements compare quotes online.

It is important to make sure that you have the right insurance in place to protect the business that you have built. Every business is different and has its own business insurance needs, which is why we work with some of the UK’s most well-known insurers to ensure that you are getting the right insurance cover for your business.
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