General aspects of office security

Our aims in improving security can be summarised in three words: Prevent unauthorised access. In rare cases it is also necessary to protect an office against a possible attack (against bombing, for example).

This brings us to the first general consideration - the vulnerabilities of an office. These serve to increase risk, depending on the threat you are facing. For example, if you are at risk of someone stealing equipment or information, you must remove your vulnerabilities accordingly. A night alarm is of little use if nobody is going to come and check what has happened. On the other hand, if there is a violent break-in in daylight, reinforced railings on the door or alarms won’t be very useful. In short, take measures according to the threats you face and the context you are working in.

The vulnerabilities

of an office

must be assessed

in the light of

the threats you may face.

However, it is important to find a balance between putting appropriate security measures in place and giving outsiders the impression that something is being “hidden” or “guarded”, because this can in itself put you at risk. In office security you often have to choose between keeping a low profile or taking more obvious measures if need be.