How to protect your business remotely, wherever you may be

We cannot stress enough about the importance of remotely protecting your business.

The benefits of securing your business remotely, with various security options such as security cameras, will bolster your building security; with remote monitoring features, you can be aware of immediate threats and intruders, even when you are not physically present.

In this article, we will explore ways to protect your business remotely wherever you may be, which would be beneficial for those who go on business trips often, while leaving their business to the care of their employees or security systems.

1. Physical security systems

Apart from CCTV security camera remote monitoring features as basic security options used as part of business premise and building security to secure business, there are still a wide variety of security options that function together in securing your business.

One security option that business owners should keep a keen eye on for secure businesses, is a central monitoring service provided by a security company. This kind of monitoring service acts as a backup for your monitoring efforts for your businesses, and is a component that completes your business security system.

A central monitoring service helps businesses to minimize blind spots and provide alert notifications even during closing hours. The traditional ways of monitoring business premises, through self-monitoring, involves potential risks that include blind-spots and human error.

Central monitoring services are not provided by all security providers. However, SECOM Smart Malaysia is one of the few established security companies to provide such service for business owners. Upon detection of possible intrusion, our central monitoring service will contact you and up to 5 authorized contacts to confirm the situation, prior to taking respective action in minimizing further losses, especially when business owners or all employees are on business trips.

There are also other physical security options, such as motion sensors, that would have been armed beforehand and would send trigger notifications and alerts, when movement is detected to users and administrators. Monitoring services mentioned above also work hand in hand with these sensors in identifying the cause of the alarm trigger, and provision of required emergency support when needed.

2. Security cameras that allow mobile access

Security cameras are also popular physical security devices used to secure business.

Security camera footage that is only viewable through outdated systems, such as DVR and video tapes, are at higher risk of tampering and or erasure of stored surveillance data. Live viewing of sites under surveillance can also be restricted as well.

Going with a security camera system with cloud storage, that allows mobile access to only authorized users, in addition to real time surveillance, can help business owners and managers monitor their business operation and employee work performance remotely, during business trips or outstation events. We provide surveillance at the tip of your finger.

3. Customization of trigger points

Further to the abovementioned physical security systems in providing business and building security services, the security option of customizing and setting up trigger points on your security system, based on your personal preference and priority, will further enhance flexibility and efficiency in your building security.

Take for example, you own a café shop in the Klang Valley district. You would want to be alerted in case of a theft at the cash register, or unattended open fridge that could cause raw produce to go bad. You can add doorway sensors and motion sensors to areas such as a fridge-door, or next to your cash register, and arm the sensors to detect movement when the shop is empty. By selecting the right places to install alarm sensors, with the professional advice of security consultants, your café building’s security will be bolstered around critical areas, such as cash registers and store areas containing raw produce.

You can also make use of certain business insight and analytics features to bolster the use of sensors at selected trigger points, or use them to monitor your business premises, in the absence of critical areas which would contain ideal trigger points. These actionable business insight and analytics features should be provided by advanced security providers through a remote monitoring app, or Security Web Portal, to improve your ability to track individuals moving through or inside your business’ premises.

Actionable Business insight features that can assist business owners in supplementing or otherwise replacing the use of sensors at trigger points may include:

• Crowd Identification functions, which can help business owners track the number of people overcrowding an area in your property. For example, if you own a café, you can identify how many people are over occupying the main dining space, fridge area, kitchen, or cash register, and conduct respective investigations as to why such an occurrence is taking place.
• Real Time Store Occupancy tracking functions, which can help business owners count and track how many people entered their business premises over time. Business owners can set capacity limit at said business premise through their Smart Security app and take respective actions once the capacity has been breached, or vice versa. If you are a café owner, for example, you would ensure that your dining space is not overcrowded and could even maintain a waiting list to preserve order and stability in the café, by ensuring that people waiting outside do not force their way in and cause disorder and distress to the other customers.

For this reason, security cameras on site can work in tandem with these trigger customizations and analytic features in securing your business remotely. You can stay up to date with the current events at your workplace even while away on a business trip.

4. Restrict access to sensitive areas and data

In our article, “Tips to secure your business efficiently”, we have conferred that internal theft is not uncommon in business settings.

Restricting access to sensitive areas and data of your building and business premise to your employees can help reduce technological risks and secure business from unwanted troubles.

Allowing certain trusted employees access to security camera footage and customized trigger alerts can prevent tampering with such sensitive data. The same can be done for certain areas in the business premise. Restricting access to company’s safe or manager rooms by equipping the area with sensors and security camera can further secure business and its private and confidential information.

5. Keep up to date with technology

In addition to securing your business with security cameras, sensors, alarms, and even, monitoring services, it is crucial to keep your installed security systems including security cameras up to date with the latest technology.

As technology continues to be upgraded in today’s world, newer security systems and devices with enhanced features customized for asset and building security are being released year on year. Keeping up to date with the latest technology can further protect and secure your business efficiently while you are away on business trips. Advanced and up-to-date security providers, such as SECOM Smart Malaysia, would provide security hardware with advanced features, such as wireless cameras and highly sensitive but also selective motion sensors. Besides hardware, digital security and advanced software, such as business security tracking features, are additional tools for you to guard your business and livelihood.

The most updated and reliable security providers should provide digital security along with security systems and services. VPN and encrypted servers, including cloud servers, are important key factors for ensuring that hackers do not gain access to and tamper with a business’ security recordings. For example, if you were a bank manager, and burglars attempt to break into your bank by tampering with surveillance camera recordings on said business premises, features such as VPN can ensure that your security recordings are not tampered with and are still stored in a digitally encrypted cloud server.

Business owners should also have access to business security tracking features on top of digital security systems which would work best with surveillance cameras. These tracking features will not only improve productivity in your workplace, but also as an additional tool to monitor your business premises remotely and actively. As mentioned before, actionable business insights that are provided by advanced security providers, such as heat mapping, crowd identification, queue monitoring, and real time store occupancy insight functions, can help business owners take advantage of recorded camera footage to track where customers are in their business premises, and how many customers or employees are entering said premise at a time.

For all the above reasons, relying on a reliable matrix of security services and advanced security technologies, which will allow you to actively monitor your business with additional professional monitoring services as backup, are essential in protecting your business security. SECOM Smart Malaysia can provide all these security options and services to you, and assistance in managing these security options. Your business security is our priority.

6. Purchase respective insurance

Insurance is also a form of investment, which is an added layer of protection to secure business.

In times after damaging incidents, such as fire damage, insurances play a role in compensating business owners, even when business owners were away on business trips.

With central monitoring services, the process of claiming insurance can be faster and smoother. Both central monitoring services and insurance work synergistically to provide business owners the respective compensation post-incident. Because operations may differ from security companies, we recommend a consultation before subscribing to a service.

Typically, businesses would require fire insurance. It is recommended that all businesses purchase and invest in the required fire insurance policies. Without them, many businesses cannot undergo business claims. Avoid incurring further cost by investing in respective insurances for your business and building security.

7. Help from on-site neighbors or employees

When business owners or other employees are away on business trips, and may not be present on site, anxiety runs high during times of emergencies.

A friendly neighbor’s assistance would be advantageous in dealing with such emergencies.

If there are employees on site, a push on the emergency button on site upon receipt of alert notifications from both security cameras and alarm systems in place can call for requested emergency support during such times. However, if there is no one on site, for example, late in the night or when the whole company is away on a business trip, help from neighboring businesses or site, or employees living in the same building would be convenient. For this reason, a business owner could maintain relations with neighboring business owners or other tenants on a frequent basis, to fully secure their business’ premises through a friendly network of neighbors who will notify one another during emergencies.

During such times, another alternative would be the panic button option through mobile app, through which you could seek help even if you are not on site. This security feature is offered by some security providers such as SECOM Smart Malaysia.

What SECOM Smart Malaysia can provide

Overall, the security systems and services that we, SECOM Smart Malaysia, can provide for you are:

1. Central Monitoring Service
2. Security cameras
3. Motion detectors and sensors
4. Remote monitoring for users, including arming and disarming functions via mobile app
5. Customization of user access
6. Customization of trigger points
7. Smart Arming of auto arm and disarm of alarm systems and sensors
8. Layers of protection that covers business perimeter and help users avoid confrontation with any threat or intruders

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many ways and security options available to protect your business remotely wherever you may be.

It is always recommended to have safety measures and security systems in place to secure your business in terms of employee safety and building security objectives.

Contact us today to learn more about what SECOM Smart Malaysia can offer for your business security needs.