July 23rd, 2014
Whenever you move into offices for rent, it is essential to make sure your premises are secure. However, securing the building is just the start. In addition to guarding against burglars and vandals, in the modern world you also need to put a focus on technology and keep your business-critical data safe. Here is a list of top points to bear in mind which will help to ensure all-round workplace security.
1. Locks and Entry Systems: When moving into a new office rental, you need to check that you have good quality locks, meeting the relevant British standards, and indeed this may well be an insurance requirement. It’s also essential not to leave spare keys outside, however well hidden you might think they are – a thief will know the likely places to look. The best option is to have a secure door entry system, which is one of the security precautions taken by modern business centres.
2. Admission for Visitors: Visitors are important for many types of business, but they shouldn’t be able to wander in and out of your office space at will. Proper admission procedures are essential, with the ideal being to have a manned reception desk. Visitors should also be accompanied all the time they are in your offices.
3. Alarm Systems: Alarms are one of the most effective deterrents to potential intruders, as long as they are properly monitored and maintained. As with car alarms, there are too many incidents where unmonitored alarms go off without anybody taking any notice.
4. CCTV: More and more companies are taking the decision to install CCTV cameras, despite the expense, as they have proved to be an important weapon in the war on crime. This is not just because the footage can help to catch culprits after a break-in, but also because the very sight of a camera is likely to deter criminals. However, it’s important to install the cameras in the right places, and you may need advice on this.
5. Lighting: With most burglaries taking part after dark, unlit corners near your business property are a gift to thieves. Installing security lighting will make burglars feel more concerned about being observed, and could put them off targeting your building. It is also important to light paths and car parks properly, especially during winter, so that staff arriving and leaving during hours of darkness can see where they are going and feel safer.
6. Register Equipment Online: It’s a good idea to register your computers with the free online checking system Immobilise, used by police forces across the UK, which can help them to be returned to you if they are stolen. Valuable small items of equipment should be locked away in drawers when not in use, and it is also worth investing in laptop locks.
7. Shred Old Paperwork: It’s good practice to use a shredder so that you can safely dispose of any documents which you no longer need to keep. Also, keep any important business documents in a locked filing cabinet, so they could not easily be accessed by an intruder.
8. Keep Data Secure: Most modern businesses don’t just store information in filing cabinets, but also in digital form. It’s important to make sure that all computers are password protected, with each user having their own password which is regularly changed. Up-to-date firewalls, anti-virus and malware systems are equally vital, and you need to ensure the security of any cloud services used as back-ups.
9. Keep Up with Changes to IT Security: Data security is a constantly changing field, with new threats often appearing, so it is important to stay on top of this and to get advice from computer experts on how to keep your systems as secure as possible.
Security Features at Basepoint Business Centres
Basepoint offers a great range of security features which take the stress out of keeping your business protected. All our business centres are in prime locations, and we have secure door entry systems as well as CCTV and alarms. Car parks and communal areas are well-lit, helping to keep your staff safe. The team at our reception desk greet all visitors and they will be asked to wait until a member of your staff is able to come and take them through to your office.
Our management teams are there to keep the building secure and will advise you if you need help with any aspect of this. Technical support on-site is available as part of our high-speed broadband service, so if you have any worries about data security they can easily be answered.
If you are looking to move into secure serviced office space, get in touch with Basepoint for more information about our business centres. We have offices for rent across the UK, including centres in Andover, Swindon, Luton and Exeter.
See what our customers say
“I moved into Basepoint Shoreham in April 2012 and have been delighted with the additional services I receive for my private English language training company. The office space accommodates me and my support staff comfortably. The office furniture, telephone equipment and wifi access is included in the price. It’s not only the office equipment and administrative support that I find beneficial. The training rooms for our English language training sessions are comfortable and Basepoint Shoreham is very accessible for my students from the train station. Having an accessible, reliable and consistent venue for our English language training sessions makes marketing the courses very easy and booking the training rooms is hassle free. Basepoint also hosts very valuable networking events, where I meet new businesses who often either require my services or who then recommend them to others. It is very economical to be based at Basepoint Shoreham and my business will continue to go from strength to strength as a result. I would have no hesitation in recommending the venue and the lovely staff who work here to other businesses.”
Sussi Lassen, Improve Your English International LLP (Shoreham)
