Management

Preventing Office and Workplace Theft

Office-TheftAccording to official statistics, there were nearly 10 million crimes against businesses during 2012, and while wholesale and retail businesses were the most commonly affected, offices are also vulnerable due to the expensive equipment they contain and the personal information that is often held in offices

If an office were to be broken into, then there would be a great deal of personal data around that could be useful to anyone wanting to steal identities or use official documents.

The owner of the office would be held at least partially responsible if some of this information was to be stolen, as they have a responsibility to protect sensitive information. Here are some tips for keeping the office secure.

Safe Filing

Filing information away just isn't enough to protect people's personal details so some additional measures should be taken. First of all, make sure the filing cabinet is lockable so it can't be easily opened. If a filing cabinet was not properly locked, and personal data was stolen, this could leave the office or business owner partly liable and if bank details were stolen that belonged to the business, then any losses would not be covered by the bank.

Shredding

Everyone should know about identity theft by now and it is recommended that all personal documents are shredded to avoid personal information such as bank account numbers and sort codes being stolen.

Shredding is particularly important if you hold personal data on behalf of clients. Find a good office supplies store and get a good shredder, if you don't already have one.

Computer Systems

All commuter systems should have an up-to-date anti-virus installed to protect information being stolen while online. Although there are many free versions, it is best to get a paid for anti-virus to ensure that credit card transactions are properly protected. While free anti-virus will offer some basic protection, it won't prevent passwords and credit card numbers being stolen, so invest in some anti-virus - especially if you store customer's card details on your office system.

In addition, install a firewall, which should be included with most anti-viruses, to stop criminals hacking into your system; choose an anti-virus with an anti-spyware program to help avoid any details such a passwords or credit card numbers being stolen.

Security Safe

In addition to the other measures mentioned so far, another important measure for office security is a safe. A safe is an easy way to store spare keys, valuables, a cash float or anything else personal that could be taken during a theft.

Safes should also be fire proof and water proof to protect the items inside should a fire or flood occur.

By taking these measures, the office environment can be a much safer and secure place. All of the items detailed are available from office retailers and they don't cost much so it is worth making the investment for peace of mind.

To find any of the items detailed in this article, simply visit one of the many office supply online retailers such as theofficesuppliessupermarket.com.

If you have any questions, please ask below!