Whether you have a small local shop, a healthcare business, or a major international company, you have to remain aware of any potential security threats that your organization might face. Companies need to look at information security and cybersecurity as the largest security issue they face, followed closely by concerns about violence in the workplace. Some of the other issues of concern might include things like political upheavals overseas or localized violence, weather and health hazards, and physical security.
Information Security
The largest challenge for most businesses, including healthcare organizations, regardless of their size, is how to ensure that the company’s proprietary information, and that of its clients, is protected. Healthcare organizations, in particular, might get help from HIPAA Hitech for this. In years gone by, this type of security meant that the information was locked in a safe or a desk drawer, but when it comes to this era of technology, the challenge has extended to securing all of an organization’s information on the computers and all of the related systems in the business. These can be threatened by hackers, competitors, and even foreign espionage efforts that attempt to get corporate or even personal information that’s contained on these devices that may have potential values to other entities. For that reason, cybersecurity must be a critical issue for the security personnel of any organization.
Personnel Security
Whether you’re in the luxury hotel business, or any other industry, the security of your employees must be your utmost concern. The sad fact is that often, employees will need protection from one or more of the other employees rather than from external threats. Violence in the workplace that’s committed by employees is a scary prospect for any business, mainly because it can be difficult to predict in advance, and therefore prevent. There’s also another significant issue that’s tied to the security of personnel. That’s what you need to remain in tune with any potentially perilous developments in the daily lives of your current employees. These issues take both management personnel and human resources exercising discretion and vigilance when dealing with employees.
Physical Security
Another large security risk is the physical security of the business. This includes keeping the facilities of the business safe from theft, maintaining the premises to meet federal, state, and local standards for employee safety, and controlling access to the premises. Protection of the facility might include simpler measures like having a security guard stationed at the front gate, employee badges, and intruder alarms and fire suppression systems. Systems that are more advanced include things like security camera monitors, keypad access, and maybe even the use of biometric devices to manage employee access and identification.
Health Dangers
Depending on the type of work that’s done by an organization and where it’s located, health threats to personnel might become a regular security issue. Concerns such as this are obvious for organizations that handle flammable materials, chemicals, or other hazardous materials. However, even businesses that are involved in fields of work that aren’t hazardous need to protect their employees from potential hazards to their health. These can range from break area and restroom hygiene to preventing injuries from structural dangers, faulty electrical wiring, and falls, and even to cleaning up spills as quickly as possible.
As you can see, there are all sorts of security issues and threats to any type of organization, and believe it or not, we’ve just touched on a few of the most significant ones here today. Businesses need to remain ever vigilant if they want to protect themselves, their employees, and their clients from dangers.
