Proactive Security Initiatives

Of all security initiatives that a business needs to implement; to not merely stay in business today but to be there tomorrow, there can be little doubt that the proactive approach has proven to be the most successful. The range and type of countermeasures that are required to negate, diminish or mitigate security related threats affecting business today can range from simply changing standard locks to more secure locking systems based around deadlocks, keypads and smart cards right on through to sophisticated alarm systems and high-tech electronic detection, monitoring and notification security systems and countermeasures.

Yet, with all the high-tech gadgetry at our disposal it is still fundamental that we realize that many tried and true strategies of the past still have their place and a role to play in insuring the maximum level of security for financial outlay. Yes; cost-effective unobtrusive preventative measures will generally be the order of the day. However; this does not mean that we should ever overlook the deterrent value of some older practices such as security cameras placed in plain view and manned security stations (particularly at points of entry/exit including emergency exits). Both of these provide a good deterent and many other hidden advantages as well. For instance security stations provide the core safety-net so essential in ensuring the personal safety of customers and staff alike.

Mitigating risk through insurance is another aspect that is all too often overlooked. Many is the time that a small additional expenditure on increasing the scope of one’s insurance coverage is far more economical than implementing the more difficult and time consuming to administer and maintain “over kill” logical security measures. Decisions need to be made on a case by case basis. What is right for Bob may be totally inappropriate and inadequate for Bill.

 It is in the skillful crafting of custom security initiatives that the professional security consultant is most valuable as they will generally be able to design a solution that will scale with your organization and adapt to the specifics and required changes over time far more seamlessly and less painfully than an ad hoc security approach.

One area that is of great concern and uncertainty today are the security issues and implications relating to cloud computing. In short the real issue is that much control is removed from the direct influence of the individual or individual organization. The servicer provider and/or hosting service must assume much of the responsibility for securty (a fact that does not sit well with many). Thus it becomes crucial that for those without the specific expertize in assessing security systems that they contract or otherwise arrange for knowledgable persons to conduct an assessment of any proposed security in these circumstances. After all it is not too hard for even the initiated to become overwhelmed by the volumes of statistics that service hosting providers can throw at you.