Every business owner should understand the critical importance of protecting his/her/their business from outside threats or interruptions, whether from a cybersecurity threat (hack or compromised information), or a physical breach of the building itself. Disastrous consequences can occur when a breach of either kind happens. A company’s cybersecurity and its physical security are both important to its overall well-being. A LinkedIn article posted bySecInfos notes, “Cybersecurity and physical security are two sides of the same coin; both are designed to protect a business from external threats.” A company seeking to evaluate or improve upon its current security measures should begin the process, according to an International Security Journal report, by “adopting a security first mindset.’
In evaluating a company’s physical security and its cybersecurity, it’s worth remembering that while these components differ in the ways that they specifically protect a business, they are both essential to the overall well-being and success of the company.
The physical security of a business is what protects its physical assets and its employees, where the cybersecurity plan protects the company’s infrastructure and digital assets.
Times are changing, as is the level of sophistication needed for the best and most reliable protection. Gone are the days when a strong business security system was characterized simply as having sturdy locks and complex passwords. Both are still important, but a company is best protected against threats when its physical security program and its digital security work together.
These two security components – physical and digital – intersect in important ways. Many of the physical security devices that a business employs for protection are connected to the Internet and therefore also dependent on a strong and impenetrable company infrastructure. The business owner must plan carefully to ensure that these two distinct parts of the overall security of a business work in concert with each other and not at cross-purposes. A Business.com article says that an effective security strategy requires a blend of both the physical and the digital working in concert.
55% of respondents are more worried about crime than a year ago.
Source: Facilitiesmanagementadvisor.blr.com
Physical security devices, such as RFID readers, control access points, security cameras, and visitor management systems, are therefore also part of the cybersecurity component of security, which is one key point of intersection.
One major part of physical building security is access control. It regulates movement of people, vehicles and assets within the company. Its objective can be accomplished by requiring bio-metric authentication or access cards, and all backed up by security cameras. Access control can prevent unauthorized entry to critical areas within a company’s infrastructure, such as server rooms and data centers. While there are numerous ways to implement these measures, Cloud-based access management control systems simplify the security needs of a company, regardless of whether it’s for a single door or a multi-location operation.
Another innovation to consider is the OpenEye Cloud Video Surveillance system, which is far less complex to operate than other security systems, allowing a business to manage its entire video surveillance system remotely – accessing footage and receiving alerts instantly.
There are many choices when it comes to selecting tools for a building’s physical security. But remember that the best system is only as good as the infrastructure that backs it up. And that’s where having the right technology partner comes into the equation. Should a hacker breach a company’s infrastructure, it becomes easier for the cyber criminal to gain physical access to a building if that is what their plans include. Because all of the devices that protect a company - whether access control for doors, other access control points throughout the building and on the grounds, security cameras, and visitor management systems – are connected to the Internet and part of the company’s infrastructure, it is therefore important that a company has the right cybersecurity partner to be certain that the systems are coordinated together in an optimal way.
75% of SMBs could not continue operating if they were hit with ransomware. And 46% of all cyber breaches impact businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees.
Source: StrongDM.com
Your cybersecurity partner can help integrate the property cybersecurity measures into physical security systems. This can include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption to protect against cyber threats. And because the overwhelming majority of breaches to a company’s infrastructure can be traced to human error, it is important to conduct regular training for employees on cybersecurity protection best practices – as well, of course, as understanding how the physical security components of the organization work.
There is a lot to consider when it comes to overall security, and how to navigate the intersection of physical security and cybersecurity. Partnering with the right technology provider is the right approach for being sure that your business is both safe and secure. If you would like to learn more, we’re here! Please give us a call or visit our website.
