Sir – Since 7/7, businesses in the Capital and our other major cities have been warned to update their security in the fight against suicide attacks.

Additional manpower and more CCTV cameras could cost the average business more than £1 million in as short a timescale as six months, but in real terms could contribute very little to the prevention of a physical attack.

Businesses should invest now, that’s true. Otherwise they risk undefined, escalating costs as the impact of added manpower and cameras is felt on already strained budgets. Police advice includes the addition of barriers near the entrance to buildings, more checks on visitors and underground car parks and restricting entry points.

The majority of UK businesses which use the traditional swipe cards for entry are particularly vulnerable, as the technology needed to clone these cards without the cardholder’s knowledge is already freely available. Advanced Chip and PIN solutions are in place in some organisations, but many businesses have yet to upgrade their legacy security systems.

Businesses need to take a far more strategic approach to protecting their assets and people. Rather than opting for more manpower and cameras, they should make an early capital investment in preventative, physical security barriers, with built-in, advanced Chip and PIN technology and automated, random ‘stop and search’ capabilities that reduce the dependence on security officers.

Peter Goodenough, Managing Director, Hi-Sec International (UK)

Source

SMT