Business Security Information

Watch this short (less than a minute) video on how simple it is to gain access to a building through a garage door. While there are other methods of breaking into a home or business, this is one that is often overlooked or forgotten even by seasoned security professionals. It is also one that is low-tech and very easy to do.

Garage Door – I Am In!

When trying to protect or secure a lot or other area, most businesses fence in the area and secure any opening to the lot with some type of gate. The fencing is usually of the chain link type which does not provide good perimeter security; however, that is not the focus of this article. Right now, I want to focus on how the gate is secured during business hours. Since open gates are necessary for the smooth functioning of the business, I am referring to padlocks used to secure the gate during non-business hours being left open during business hours. If you look at the pictures included in this article, you will see examples of what I mean. In each picture, regardless of whether it is a chain link gate or a swing arm gate, an open padlock is hanging on the gate.

A security friend of mine recently sent me a link to this video. It is something to be aware of when you are traveling and staying in a hotel room. Although this method of bypassing door security has been around for quite some time and is known well in the locksmith and security community, I am not sure how much the business traveler is aware of it. Watch the video and then read the rest of this article for a couple of comments on what is shown in the video.

Recently, I have been at a couple of businesses that had experienced theft or attempted theft of their outside HVAC units.  It appears from their situations that the thieves were motivated by the copper in the HVAC units.  Over the past couple years, copper theft has been an issue for a variety of contractors, home builders and other related businesses.  Last year, I even discussed copper theft issues with a carnival ride manufacturer because they were experiencing thefts of long electrical leads on machines being stored outside in a lot prior to shipment.  With the high price of metals and the down-turn in the economy, the theft of copper and other metals will continue to be a problem for most businesses in the near future.

If your business uses security cameras, recording is essential.  The recorded security camera feed can be used for a variety of purposes, especially after a business has been burglarized or robbed.  Currently, most businesses use a DVR (digital video recorder) to record their security cameras, but some still use time-lapsed VCR.  No matter which method you use to record your security cameras, what will prevent the criminal from taking the video tape or the DVR’s hard drive when they burglarize or rob your business?  If there is nothing to stop the criminal from taking the recorded security camera video, you should consider the use of lock boxes.

It seems like there are numerous websites on the Internet covering the main aspects of computer security but very few on physical security for a typical business.  On this website I try to cover all types of security on this website, but today I want to focus on physical security.

Physical security is mainly related to the protection of people, buildings, equipment and other physical or tangible assets.  Physical security is often overlooked in this high-tech business world where protecting digital assets of a business is emphasized. Adequately protecting digital assets, though, depends on implementing physical security as well.

A strike plate is a part of a door lock.  It is the metal plate that is attached, usually with screws, to the door jamb (door frame) and has one or more holes that hold the lock bolt when the lock is engaged.  When the door is closed, the lock bolt extends into the hole which then keeps the door closed.  Refer to the picture for a look at a high security strike plate.

This past month I have been working with a business regarding some physical security improvements, and one of those items was a security or intrusion alarm system.  It got me thinking about businesses that I deal with who usually ask me about why a certain element of security they have implemented, such as security systems, is not working.  Most of the time when I look at their particular situation, one or more elements of the security system does not fit their needs.  Usually this is not discovered until the system has been installed and paid for, leaving the business with a system that does not fulfill their needs and sometimes results in the system not being used after a period of time.  This results in wasted time and money for the business owner as well as poor or nonexistent security.

I just got done watching this short video (2 minutes) on installing a security door plate on a residential door with a wood frame.  It showed how this security plate could provide another layer of security against a criminal that tries to break in by kicking down your door.  As you watch, you will see that the door leads to what appears to be the speaker’s home office.  Although many commercial structures have metal doors with metal door frames which do not need security door plates, I have seen numerous offices and other commercial buildings which have exactly the same type of doors with wood frames where security door plates would have helped reduce the risk of someone kicking down the door.  Also, note that the security door plate helps the deadbolt lock resist such an attack (the door entry lock or door handle lock really is not affected by this security measure.)  Along this line, I would recommend that you install deadbolt locks on your exterior doors if you have not already.  Make sure any exterior door locks you use are resistant to lock bumping (read the definition and watch the videos on lock bumping to understand the dangers from this type of attack).

Lock Bumping, or “bumping” as it is sometimes called, has been around for the past fifty years and is a form of lock picking where a specially cut key is used to move the pins in the lock so the lock can be opened.  The key is made by cutting all cuts in the key to their maximum depth and is sometimes called a 999 key because the cuts are made to the maximum depth of 9.  The cuts can be made by using a hand file, but using a key-cutting machine speeds up the process of making a bump key.