6 Signs You Need to Conduct a Security Assessment

What Is Security Assessment Testing?

Apart from cybercrime, businesses can be threatened by theft and vandalism, rogue or unstable staff, security breaches on the premises, and even terrorism. Securing your building, whether commercial or residential, is crucial now more than ever, regardless of whether you own or operate hotels, office buildings, apartment complexes, or retail stores. 

The globe has changed. But vices have also become more prevalent. It’s simple to think that cybercrime is your company’s only issue, given its growth and rising frequency. Owners of businesses frequently disregard the necessity and significance of physical security as an issue from the past. 

A security assessment allows company owners to assess their current security systems. It includes assessing the processes and technology, on-site security systems, physical security checks, and ensuring all systems are functioning. With security assessments, businesses can ensure their data and systems are secure for operations. 

Security assessment has become increasingly popular because instances of data and security breaches have become prevalent. In 2022, there were 1802 reported cases of a data breach in the United States alone because of digital and physical threats. 

Despite its importance, many companies still don’t fully understand the concept of security assessment. Sadly, these companies will ask many questions once it is too late. Some of the most common queries asked on web searches include the following: 

• When to conduct a security assessment? 
• How to conduct a security assessment? 
• When to conduct a security assessment within an organization?   
• When to conduct a security assessment in the workplace? 
• How to conduct a security risk assessment? 
• How to prepare a security risk assessment checklist? Etc.  

Conducting a timely security assessment is the most effective method to ensure your business remains safe. However, many business owners fail to meet these requirements.  

To ensure your Security Assessment process is flawless, knowing when to conduct one matters the most. Therefore, we’ve listed some signs that may inform you that it’s time to check your business security—let’s begin. 

Your Business Is Growing

Business growth is great for you, but it also reels in challenges that can be slightly difficult to resolve. The risks of a physical security compromise may also increase as your business progresses.  

For instance, a bank in a high-crime region will unavoidably need more rigorous security measures than a quiet rural community. Both should take action to prevent crime, but the high-crime region may decide to do so by installing mantrap systems or increasing the visibility of its security personnel. 

Once you get into this situation, it can be costly. The wisest way to avoid these complications is to upgrade your business systems and their physical security as your venture grows.  

You need to ensure security systems such as cameras, alarms, and biometric systems are strong enough to counter unwanted attempts, ensuring your facility remains secure. You can also create a dedicated in-house security system or hire a security team. We also recommend conducting these checks every 2-3 months and running training for regular breaches. 

Compliance Requirements

The compliance requirement for a physical security assessment has become pretty sophisticated. We now have set rules and requirements which can help businesses prevent unwanted access and secure themselves from physical threats. The compliance requirements are clear and can be easily implemented.  

It is a great risk if a business system doesn’t meet these compliance requirements. For instance, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001 provides security management guidelines necessary for your facility’s security. 

We also recommend consulting with a professional physical security assessment service if you are unsure about your business’s current on-site compliance. These professionals can thoroughly assess your security measures and ensure they are up-to-date with industry protocols. 

Former Employees Still Having Access

A former employee accessing your systems is a relatively common threat to your business. Businesses that grant former employees access to their systems are usually at a higher risk than others. The main reason for this is the employee leaking this information publicly.  

It could land you in serious trouble if your former employees still have access to your facility or any system. A single intentional or unintentional mistake by a former employee can risk the stability of your business completely. In cases of theft of sensitive information, former employees can even blackmail the business and get a huge pay out of it. Although these cases are rare, it is best to safeguard yourself.  

You Conduct Financial Transactions

Financial security is one of the most crucial aspects of any business. These business finances are the most valuable asset for any business.  

Many companies now use network-based physical security systems, including high-definition cameras and cloud managed solutions. Like every other computer on a network, these devices have operating systems, communication tools, and password protection.  

Hackers can easily use any unprotected device as an attack surface to penetrate an organization’s infrastructure. A successful intruding attempt can result in profit loss, risk your company’s stability and reputation, and in rare cases may even force you to shut down your company.  

Therefore, it’s crucial you keep your place secure. Financial data and transaction compromises are the most harmful, so plan for them in advance and avoid any issues in the future.  

You have Zero Visibility of Your Network

It’s important to keep a constant check at your workplace. You must not wait for things to get worse before taking physical security seriously.  

Physical security safeguards people, equipment, networks, and data against physical acts and occurrences that could seriously harm a business, government organization, or institution. This covers not only defense against terrorism, burglary, theft, vandalism but also flood, fire, and other natural catastrophes. Even if most of these are insured, physical security prioritizes damage prevention to reduce the loss of time, money, and resources due to these occurrences. 

Access control and surveillance are critical for physical security systems. The degree to which these elements are implemented, enhanced, and maintained can frequently be used to measure the effectiveness of a physical security program for an organization. 

These give you the needed visibility for the network. You can prevent major security concerns by planning for increased network visibility and training your team. 

Something is Off

Regardless of how efficient your security assessment and current systems are—you can still be at risk. Business owners must realize there’s no telling when a safety concern might occur. Even if you have top-notch systems deployed and a team scouting your facilities— you need to be cautious.  

Even the slightest change in your business systems could indicate a security threat. There are a variety of different approaches to resolving hacking attempts as well. However, you can only utilize them if you can identify the breach. Therefore, you must get in touch with reputable companies with dedicated teams (in-house or third-party) to conduct a security assessment if anything seems amiss.  

Bottom Line

Assessing the security of a business plays a vital role in the overall protection and security of its systems, people and facility. Even the slightest error can put your enterprise at risk, so you must ensure you’re ready to tackle these issues head-on. 

We recommend revising your current security assessment approach and finding possible flaws. You can use the compliance requirement guidelines to make a checklist. Contact professionals to assist you or use a testing tool to see the network’s visibility. With a little testing, you’ll improve your business security and streamline the security assessment process. Reach out to AT&I Systems for all your physical security concerns.