BUSINESS SECURITY
How Can I Protect My Business?
Conduct a Threat Assessment
Businesses routinely recognize many necessary aspects
of an overall corporate security program. These elements include an
obligation to provide a safe and secure work environment, the need for
an asset protection program and the essential benefits of a business
continuity plan. Most business managers believe their risk mitigation
programs are well established and working just fine. They allocate often
limited resources without the insights of a professional, independent
security organization. In short, they deny their operations an objective
assessment of their company's true risks and readily implemented opportunities
to avert and prevent threats. Independent assessments consistently shed
light on areas of company-wide vulnerabilities, inconsistencies in priorities,
and gaping holes in well-intentioned programs. A business must start
at the assessment level to fully understand its indigenous, industry,
and ancillary risks. Once this level is achieved, a basis is established
on which to build viable layers of protection of all critical and core-operational
areas. In building this matrix of protection, risk assessment conclusions
are factored together with three vital components: likelihood of occurrence,
impact to business and potential effect on the image, and reputation
of the organization. This assessment matrix then clearly defines the
risk factors and places all covered areas in a hierarchical structure.
Effective, yet non-intrusive recommendations, are then presented and
supplemented with timelines, financial implications and return on investment
calculations.
What's Next?
Exposure to terrorism is obviously a vitally important
assessment. Beyond that criterion there are many variables to consider.
Each assessment is unique to an individual business, industry sector,
geographic location, current situation and corporate culture. However,
general areas of assessment may include the following:
- Crisis Management Plans
- Emergency Evacuation Procedures
- Employee Travel Mandates and Risk Modifiers
- Security Awareness Program
- Bomb Threat Procedures
- Executive Protection Programs
- Access Control & Facility Security Programs
- Employee and Vendor Background Programs
- Guard Operations and Training Requirements
- System Integration
- IT System Security
- Systematic Penetration Audits
* This non-prioritized list represents key areas that companies
should review periodically.
