Physical and security risks are pressing concerns in various workplaces. Whatever the type of working environment an organization has, it is not free from security threats and risks. Data breaches, criminal intrusions, and theft are not just the only risks that you need to secure your workplace from. Physical risks from natural disasters, accidents, and fires are also that should be considered in making mitigation and management measures to protect employees and corporate property. Corporate risk and security management should be a holistic approach that incorporates the entire business organization and operations to be effective.
Here, we will share some essential tips for corporate security and risk management to help safeguard your business and employees.
Conduct Risk And Vulnerability Assessments
Before you formulate and take measures to mitigate and manage security risks in your organization, you need to first identify what areas, activities, and resources need to be covered. While business owners, managers, and supervisors know the business inside out, security specialists from ESI Risk recommend hiring the services of security professionals to bolster the identification of possible security risks and vulnerabilities. It takes coordination between people who know the intricacies of the business, the establishment, and its resources and people who have training and specialization in providing risk and security management services to identify areas of concern and come up with solutions and measures to manage them.
The primary purpose of risk and security vulnerability assessments is to find and evaluate areas of concern and vulnerability in the workplace. Security risk prevention is a more effective approach than mitigating an emergency because it is more cost-effective and gives a better sense of safety to the employees, clients, and stakeholders. Accounting for all the possible security risks and vulnerabilities can help business managers to take effective countermeasures and mitigation strategies should emergencies happen.
Enact Technical And Asset Risk Control
Digital operations and resources have made business and corporate operations faster, more organized, and more convenient. However, they are not free from security threats and risks, which is why you should not skimp in financing technical security risk control. Now that almost all of the business establishments and corporate entities have adopted digitalization of their operations and resources, owners and managers must take measures on how to implement security controls and protocols to safeguard the digital facilities, resources, and assets of companies. Security management and control for your technological and digital resources is a wise investment, so you need to set aside financial resources that effectively implement protective security measures.
Security agencies can provide their information security specialists or train your company’s IT staff to handle digital asset vulnerabilities and security risks. At the basic level, your IT personnel can provide virtual security controls such as firewalls, encryption protocols, and antivirus. Coordinating with your security service provider or agency can help bolster physical security measures connected with digital resources and assets such as access doors and cards, fences, gates, guards, and CCTV systems around servers and critical departments or offices.
Implement Operational And Physical Security Risk Control
Managing the daily operations of your company involves security measures to go side-by-side with it. There is no space for complacency or laxity in your business as security risks may arise at any moment.
Security personnel visibility in the company premises and at the entrances and exits can help deter malicious individuals and criminals from entering. Enforcing daily identity and security checks on employees and visitors helps develop a culture of security consciousness in the organization and workplace and prevents unauthorized entry of unaffiliated individuals. Strong operational security measures, coupled with strict company-wide security policies and regular employee reminders and education, can help prevent insider threats from emerging.
Operational and physical security measures should be adaptive and flexible to the changing workplace situations and the evolving nature of security threats. They should be reviewed, adjusted, and refined to fit the growing organization, expanding operations, and increasing resources and acquisitions of the company.
Establish Contingency And Continuity Measures
Security and risk management should not only limit its scope to the regular and routine security threats and scenarios. It should also encompass unusual events and worst-case scenarios to make your risk management plan more comprehensive.
Make it a point to have a backup or contingency plan for scenarios like data breach or corruption, facility sabotage, destructive natural calamities, and other situations that can disrupt, hinder, or stop company operations. Have a backup physical or cloud server for storing all your vital company resources and information. Designate a secondary headquarters or base of operations in the event of a company-wide operation stoppage or extensive property damage.
Being prepared for the worst-case scenarios can help your business resume operations immediately and mitigate the damages incurred. Presenting contingency and continuity measures to the employees, stakeholders, and clients will help allay their fears and boost their confidence and trust in your company.
Having a proactive mindset is a key quality that managers must have in planning, drafting, and implementing security and risk management measures. Also, cooperation is a key value
that strengthens security in the workplace, so keep the employees in mind when it comes to matters of security. When employees are involved in matters of corporate security and risk management, you have more people that will help safeguard the company from threats. Make it a point to let your company and its employees grow securely with solid and reliable security.
