11 office security best practices to protect your people and property

When you’re at home, you make sure to lock your front door, activate your alarm, and maybe even install a security camera. These practices are important to protect the safety of you, your home, and all of the things and people you care about inside. Well, a workplace is no different. In order to keep everyone and everything inside your workplace safe, you need the right technology, policies, and training in place.Workplace security isn’t limited to just the front desk. It includes the employees and visitors coming in and out of the building, digital and physical assets that live inside, and all confidential information that sits within the four walls of your workplace. So it’s important to think holistically about your workplace when you think about securing it. In the following blog post, we’ll walk you through a few key features that support modern workplace security. If physical workplace protection is high on your priority list, then follow along with  this list of top office security best practices.

Office security best practices

One of the most important aspects of office security is the physical workplace. After all, the workplace is where employees spend the good part of their week working. It’s important that security leaders have a pulse on who’s coming in and out of the building and what’s going on inside. Here are a few ways to ensure your workplace is secure:

1. Visitor management system

Your front desk is your front line of defense. So implement a visitor management system that helps your front desk that does security the welcoming way. Your visitor management system will screen visitors, cross-reference them against a blocklist, and send alerts to the necessary point of contact if anything looks suspicious—all automatically and discreetly in the background. Plus, it will keep a record of the comings and goings of each guest so that you’ll know who’s onsite, when, and how often.

2. Access control

Access control is a physical security method that controls or limits access to a space. In other words, it’s a way to make sure everyone who walks through the door is meant to be there. Access control can look like an application on your phone, facial recognition, or a code to punch in. Having access control set up is a sure fire way to make sure you deter any unsavory characters from entering your space.

3. Surveillance cameras

While your workplace probably won’t be a crime scene on Law and Order, it’s still important to install surveillance cameras on the premises. Surveillance cameras can help deter crime and provide valuable evidence if there is a security breach. They’re another easy and invisible tool to help you track who is coming and going in the workplace.

4. Emergency and evacuation plans

Next up, you’ll want to have a plan in place for handling emergency situations. These could be natural disasters like earthquakes and snow storms, or external threats like an intruder. Create a plan with evacuation steps and emergency contact information.

Bonus tip: With employee scheduling software, you’ll be able to know exactly how many employees are onsite. You’ll be able to quickly pull that information as well as visitor check-in data to understand how many folks need to be evacuated from the building. Better yet, with seamless integrations, you can send out an emergency message to everyone recorded onsite that day. Talk about streamlined safety!

Cybersecurity best practices

Now that you know your physical workplace is secure, it’s time to look at your digital security. In today’s digital environment, cybersecurity is a major concern for business. In fact, in 2022, the average cost of a data breach was $9.44 million. Let’s try to avoid that, shall we? Here a few office security best practices when it comes to cybersecurity:

5. Secure passwords

Employees use several platforms and apps to get through their day’s work. Keeping track of all those passwords is not only a headache but also a workplace security concern. Consider investing in a single sign-on tool like Okta that secures all of your login credentials under one main password. This will help keep your employees’ passwords secure in one place and limit the possibility of hacking and breaches.

6. Regular software updates

Keeping all of your software and operating systems up-to-date can prevent vulnerabilities or security breaches. So encourage your employees to regularly update their laptops. Send out an email or Slack reminder and check-in with employees who may need extra help.

7. Employee training on cyber threats

Your employees are the most important pieces of your security task force. So be sure to arm them with helpful tips to stay protected. Host regular training sessions on topics like password protection or email phishing. Schedule them every other month and leave room at the end for questions. Your employees might catch something that you miss.

8. Unique Wi-Fi credentials

Visitors, like contractors or business partners, might need access to your internet while they’re onsite. However, granting every guest Wi-Fi access can open up the potential for security threats. To reduce the risk of cyberattacks, follow the lead of HP enterprise subsidiary Aruba and assign a unique access code to each visitor. Doing so will allow you to safely provide Internet access to your visitors and not worry about any potential risks.

Health and safety best practices

The health and wellbeing of your office employees is another important piece of the office security puzzle. From contagious diseases to dangerous machinery, be sure to consider the onsite factors that can affect your employees’ safety. Here are a few best practices:

9. Health verification

Covid may not be as big of a concern to workplaces as it was two years ago, but it’s still important to prevent the spread of illnesses at the office. Implement a health attestation or vaccine verification tool that will help your screen employees health status before approving them to come onsite. Same for visitors. Plus, you’ll want to train employees on best practices in the workplace if they are feeling sick.

10. Ergonomic workplace

Ergonomic amenities like standing desks or split keyboards not only make working more comfortable but they also help prevent injuries. Office workers can frequently suffer from pain in their shoulder, carpal tunnel, or other injuries common for people working at a desk for extended periods of time. So invest in ergonomic solutions that prevent injuries and foster a healthy work environment.

11. Proper use of equipment

Manufacturing facilities or labs tend to have dangerous equipment or machinery. So train employees on how to properly use any equipment they may need to prevent any accidents. This not only helps keep employees safe, but also prevents your company from liability issues.

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Office security starts at the front desk and carries through to each employee’s workstation and room in your building. From visitor management technology to ergonomics, evacuation plans to vaccine policies,  you have to take it all into consideration to create a safe and healthy work environment. Cultivating a safe and secure workplace isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a need for businesses today. Curious to learn more about how to protect your people and property? Check out our blog post on which visitor management features can improve your workplace security.