Protecting Office Equipment - Solution Finder 015

Why You Need to Secure Office Equipment

Office environments offer rich pickings for criminals which is one of the reasons why they are often targeted. Computers, laptops, printers, overhead projectors and displays are all expensive, essential pieces of equipment that thieves can potentially sell on the black market. The impact of equipment theft on a business or organisation can be huge and very expensive. This is why it’s essential to take adequate precautions to protect and secure your office equipment.

How to Secure Office Equipment

1. Establish and maintain an up to date inventory of all office equipment. Physical asset management to keep track of all equipment, where it is and what condition it is in, is a vital aspect of office management. If you don’t know what you have you are less likely to notice if something goes missing.
2. Physically prevent items from being removed or moved. Physically restraining valuable items such as PCs and monitors against unauthorised removal or relocation is an excellent precaution (and may be a requirement as specified by insurers). Such protective measures will not only act as a theft deterrent, but are also an active aid to asset management as the unauthorised relocation of equipment is also prevented. Unlike some other types of security measures, physical restraint systems are in operation 24 hours a day, all year round - so your equipment is always protected. Physical security options include; Cable type lock down systems or a security enclosure or containment system.
3. Install stand along equipment alarms. Stand alone equipment alarms, triggered if an item is detached from the system, provide valuable protection against both theft and unauthorised equipment movement.
4. Implement an asset labeling and tagging system. Asset labelling and identification systems help ensure that the whereabouts of all equipment is always known. Equipment that is tagged and labelled is far less appealing to criminals.
5. Rigorously secure all mobile and portable equipment. Mobile phones, tablets and laptop computers are portable by design. Their portability and popularity make them tempting targets for criminals. Fixed or portable security cabinets or trolleys offer an excellent security solution enabling these mobile devices to be locked away, out of sight. Most modern Laptop computers (and many other items) now incorporate as standard a "Micro Security Slot" allowing them to be physically secured in virtually any location with a special portable security cable based lock down system. Always ensure that all mobile devices are security labelled and tagged.
6. Ensure all data is thoroughly secured and backed up. Account security along with data encryption helps prevent unauthorised access to data while an effective backup routine should ensure that all data is securely backed up.

Remember that we are here to help. If you have any questions about how to secure your valuable office equipment give us a call on 01273 475500.

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