The Dos and Don’ts of Perimeter Security

Perimeter Security is your first line of defense against thieves and intruders. Make sure it’s fortified by following these simple tips!

Whether it’s your house or your office building, the importance of perimeter security can never be understated. These days, most organizations believe that they’re more likely to be harmed by cyber-attacks. As a result, they’ve started focusing solely on cyber-security, which has left them vulnerable to intruders!

Goes without saying, when it comes to security, perimeter and cyber-security are both ESSENTIAL elements. Therefore, organizations need to invest in both areas if they are to fortify their defenses.

While you can always find a competent cyber-security team in Silicon Valley to beef up cyber-security, the issue of perimeter security is much more complicated as most organizations are hopeless as far as the latter is concerned.

Given the fact that a property crime occurs in the United States every 4 seconds, the situation of intrusion is much dire than previously believed! This is why we’ve compiled a short list of dos and don’ts that organizations can follow to improve perimeter security at their buildings, and keep intruders at bay!

DO – Install Fences With Barbed Wire

While you may think chain link fences to be outdated and out of style, they still remain relevant as far as perimeter security is concerned.

There’s a very simple reason why, despite the recent technological advancements, they’re still the go-to choice of most organizations for securing their perimeter; THEY WORK!

Coupled with barbed wire on top, chain link fences provide a much-needed layer of security to office buildings. Not only do they make it difficult for potential intruders to enter your facility, they boldly state that the building is well guarded.

This subliminally deters intruders from entering your property and makes it much safer for you and your employees.

DON’T – Leave Visitors Alone

Commercial and office buildings are bound to have visitors. However, it’s of the utmost importance that you keep a very close eye on every guest that visits your compound. Ensure your visitors remain in check by asking them to check in with reception.

Once they’re there, instruct your receptionist to thoroughly check the records to see if their visit was scheduled. Refrain from entertaining unscheduled guests.

A common mistake that most organizations make is when the receptionist is checking for their appointment, they leave the visitors all by themselves. This is MAJOR FLAW because if you’re leaving them alone to wander, they can easily access restricted areas in your building.

Therefore, it’s wiser to never leave your visitor alone. Ask a member of your security staff to always accompany visitors for the duration of their visit. If possible, give your guests easy-to-spot visitor badges so that the security team can easily identify, and keep an eye on them.

DO – Designate Fixed Entrance and Exit Points

A critical element of perimeter security is setting up designated entrance and exit points at your compound.

Not only does this enable your employees to enter and exit the building’s premises in an orderly fashion, it also fortifies the rest of the compound.

By restricting entrance and exit points, you give yourself a better shot of stopping would be intruders and attackers!

While we’re on the topic of entrance and exit points, it’s also worth mentioning that you should install barriers on them. These barriers ensure that no one can charge into your building.

Furthermore, allow your employees access to the building only after they’ve proven their identity and maintain a constant log of who enters your building and when. This will help you see if any employee is behaving unusually and will put you in a better position to predict and prevent attacks BEFORE they occur!

DON’T – Allow Everyone Unlimited Access

It goes without saying that every building, commercial or otherwise, has its fair share of vulnerabilities.

Therefore, to make sure that everyone in the building remains safe, you need to restrict the access of your employees to sensitive spots. Guard these areas further by either stationing a security guard at these areas or by installing a surveillance camera, or if possible, BOTH!

Make sure that your security team keeps logs of the people who frequently or otherwise approach these areas.

Furthermore, you can go through the security footage at the end of every working day to check if anything out of the ordinary happened around these areas. If you find manage to spot something unusual, contact your security team pronto!

DO – Install Security Cameras

Technological advancements have completely revolutionized security. Nowadays, building owners have a much better chance of spotting and stopping unusual activity than ever before. To detect and deter crime, most people rely heavily on surveillance cameras. This is reflected by the fact that nearly 62 million CCTV cameras were installed in the United States in 2016 alone!

Security cameras have evolved over the years and are now much more efficient at stopping crimes. There are many thermal security cameras that function at a low power level and save up on footage tape by activating and recording only when a person is in their vicinity. Similarly, people can also opt for motion sensing cameras that are able to track movement in 360 degrees and are not confined to their line of sight.

There are endless options for you to explore. Take your time before making your decision. By installing these high-tech security cameras, you enhance the level of security and make the building much safer for your employees.

DON’T – Underpay Your Security Staff

An underfunded security department is an ill-prepared security staff! Make sure that the people tasked with keeping everyone safe have the funds and the tools to do so! Allocate a handsome budget to the security staff and ensure that all their equipment is fully functional.

To ensure that your security staff is always prepared for the worst, you can schedule monthly maintenance to check up on the condition of their walkies-talkies, metal detectors, etc. Devices found lacking should be discarded and replaced as quickly as possible to avoid any technical vulnerability.

DO – Regularly Change The Locks

Building owners should change the locks of their buildings every 6 to 8 months as it significantly reduces chances of intrusion. Unfortunately, most building owners are oblivious of this fact and never change the locks. Furthermore, some people don’t even bother changing the locks when they move into a new house!

This practice has MAJOR ramifications for the security of their building and can leave them exposed to all sorts of attacks! To fortify the defenses of your residential or commercial building, install new locks every now and then.

Moreover, you should also keep a close check on the people who have access to these keys to minimize chances of an intrusion.

If you find yourself in need of new locks and keys, we at New York Locksmith Services would love to help. We have the best security systems in the market and can help install them at your premises for a very reasonable price! We provide 24 hour emergency locksmith in NYC and can easily fortify your defenses.

So what are you waiting for? Give the security at your building a much needed boost by getting in touch with us today!