A virus, smaller than the eye can see, has changed our world indefinitely as we move tentatively into the future. On this new landscape, business managers, retail owners, security agencies, and national enterprises have had to adjust to new social codes brought about by adjusted emergency health laws on how we live, work, play and interact daily with one another.
As communities and customers social distance, we have seen the demise of the business handshake and warm hugs of greeting; and seen the spike in crime statistics as the financial breakdown in strained economies starts to take effect. Empowered enterprises are being called to use their inherent knowledge to reimagine and transform how they operate public and private enterprises, agencies, and organisations
With a known cure to the virus still out of global reach, governments and industry are on the frontline of protecting nations of people and the critical infrastructure needed to support the populace.
Standing at the frontline of the pandemic with the most urgent need for effective and active security protocols is the healthcare industry, finance and banking institutions, government departments, transport and logistics, retail, construction and gated communities where large groups of residences share communal spaces.
Opportunity for Security Best Practice
Every South African business owner or security manager now has an opportunity to envision a new security plan, one which meets and fits best practise under emergency health protocols and which adapts to the specific needs of your organisation.
During the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a welcome adaption to internet of things (IoT) security which helps protect the systems and data of the employees who are called to work from home. The challenge will remain ongoing as new techniques will be required to counter the increase in attacks of hackers during lockdown being witnessed across the globe.
Whether you have already set your security plan in motion or are still adapting business procedures on a flexible forward-looking plan; it’s essential to keep rethinking protective procedures so people and properties can continue to operate effectively under new levels of lockdown regulations.
Whether you manage a small office, a large distribution company, a shopping centre, a banking facility or a manufacturing plant, the following checklist should be followed to ensure your organisation meets with current safety and security practices.
Basic best practise for physical security and personal safety:
Section off key areas and increase access security for key personnel entering and exiting the site.
Limit access points and reduce foot traffic.
Provide spaces sealed off from public access, where staff may put on protective equipment.
Manage access point controls, preferably with a combination of security staff personnel and applied security technology for identity checking.
Follow physical security protocols, check for weak points and upgrade out-dated security procedures.
Control entrance and exit points more effectively using less manpower on the ground and more eyes in the sky security surveillance.
Manage sizes of groups of people and prevent overcrowding of public spaces.
Tools to boost security solutions
Organisations of all sizes need to control access to their spaces and facilities. While SMME enterprises may not have the budget to invest in costly customised applications such as AI, facial recognition, physical identity management, blockchain and cyber security, fortunately, in 2020, there are a number of out-of-the-box solutions and cloud-based identity management systems that we can recommend that can be seamlessly and quickly implement.
Offering a more affordable physical identity and access management solution, solutions such as Mobi, OnGuard and StayAwake along with off-site surveillance monitoring, they assist organisations in securing systems and facilities by effectively managing access requests based on an individual’s identity and your organisation’s security policies. They remain effective in ensuring that only those individuals who have the right to access a secured area can do so by managing and automating the access process.
Current markets mean enterprises must balance financial outlay with investment into security systems for the disrupted future. A good place to start is by:
Book a free demo with one of our access security professionals to assist you in updating your security plan and your Covid-19 safety status T: 021 701 7777
