The best ways to improve workplace security

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

That well-worn adage is courtesy of Ben Franklin––he of flying a kite in an electrical storm fame––who coined it in the 18^th century. While there was no way he could have predicted what was coming down the pike regarding workplace security, he hit the nail on the proverbial head about the power of proactivity.

Potential threats to your workplace security, specifically physical security and data security, loom large everyday. These threats usually manifest in the form of disruptive visitors who seek to come onsite. Possible scenarios that could compromise workplace security include:

• Someone looking for a job without an appointment
• A nefarious competitor planning to pilfer intellectual property
• A stranger with violent tendencies, endangering the physical security of employees

Unfortunately, the possibilities are endless, and you don’t want to be caught without an appropriate plan in place. You want to be positioned in the best way possible to handle any and all contingencies that come your way.

Though daunting at first, there are a multitude of workplace security solutions that one can implement. As the person responsible for making sure that workplace security is, in fact, secure, you’re going to want to know the best option. That’s where this blog post comes in.

Visitor management software: a digital detective

Every business has unique requirements when it comes to workplace security. It depends on a variety of factors, from the type of facility to physical location. Some organizations can still get by with checking visitors in via pen and paper and handwritten stick-on ID badges that say, “Hello, I’m Larry.”

But what about the quality of the overall experience and the implications this has for your workplace security? Today’s offices require efficiency and leaving a positive impression on every person who comes through the door. To adequately rise to meet the needs of the complexities of the modern workplace, you’re going to need a more sophisticated system for dealing with it.

Visitor management software is the easiest and most effective way to keep tabs on the phalanx of folks who visit your site daily. It allows you to keep everyone and all your assets free from harm, starting at the front desk and continuing through the entire visitor registration process.

How workplace security should work

The ideal visitor management software will offer a wide range of features to prevent an even wider range of workplace security snafus. Here’s a breakdown of what to look for.

You’ll want to be able to keep out unwanted visitors by:

• Making sure they’re expected or have an appointment
• Screening them to see if they’re on any block or watch lists
• Scheduling and pre-registering them prior to arrival

In addition to protecting the physical security of your employees, you’ll want to have the ability to safeguard all your intellectual property by:

• Getting signatures on NDAs or waivers at the time of check-in
• Sharing access to your network with only the appropriate visitors

Flexibility is another factor. You should be able to customize the software to complement your in-house apps for another layer of protection. To wit: Aruba, an HP enterprise company, assigns each visitor a unique Wi-Fi code so they know exactly who everyone is and exactly what they’re doing on the network. Anything suspicious or malicious can be tracked down by an audit trail.

Better physical security: from invalid IDs to valid ID badges

If a visitor doesn’t have proper identification, a good system will flag it and the individual will not be allowed to step foot onsite. If anyone does sneak through, unauthorized visitor alerts can be set up to be sent out via email, SMS, and Slack so your team can take the necessary steps to prevent any inappropriate behavior and keep the office on its regularly-scheduled even keel.

Having the power to create ID badges that let you know who’s who ASAP is invaluable. With this function, you’ll be able to:

• Visually prove that guests completed the sign-in process
• Confirm they passed a watch or block test with flying colors
• Note their proper level of access to your building and Wi-Fi network

The more complete the ID badge, the more you’ll bolster workplace security. By opting for an ounce of prevention––and not the dreaded pound of cure––you’ll be putting your workplace in the best possible position to protect against any potential intruders.

Prevention: the secret ingredient for any workplace security strategy

Delve deeper into workplace security by viewing our ebook, "The Workplace Security Report.”