Often neglected, security could make or break your business. We explore the key features you should be looking for in a security provider to ensure maximum protection.
Unsure what you should be looking for in a security provider? As technology develops so does the number of security providers offering various solutions that all aim to protect your business.
But with all this choice comes the difficulty of deciding which security provider is best for you.
Every industry, business, and project is unique, but generally across all businesses, there are some key features that you should be looking for to ensure success with your security.
Understanding the Importance of Security
For many businesses, security will be treated low on the priority list until faced with an incident and left with the repercussions of repairing, replacing, and recovering from the event.
Understanding the importance of security begins with understanding the consequences of poor security on your business and you.
The Consequences of Poor Security
Depending on the industry and business, the type of consequences you will face relating to poor security is likely to vary, however, universally the following consequences could impact you:
- Data Breaches - Poor cybersecurity can leave sensitive information exposed, leading to large and small-scale data breaches which could lead to severe repercussions including customer information leaks, financial penalties, and poor reputation.
- Financial Loss - In cases of theft, vandalism, and other crime where repairs and recovery will be required, your business can be faced with heavy financial loss resolving this.
- Reputational Damage - With any type of security breach, there is a high risk you will face reputational damage with any customers and clients as it presents a lack of care for safety.
- Customer Loss - Where reputational damage is faced by a business due to a security breach, not only can you lose the customer(s) it impacted but other potential ones also.
- Safety Risks - Inadequate security can increase the risk of violence, accidents, and injuries to both employees and any other individuals present.
- Legal Issues - Depending on the security breach, businesses could face legal consequences if liable for the incident.
- Operational Disruption - When security breaches occur, there is a high chance it could disrupt or suspend your business’ operations.
- Loss of Competitor Disadvantage - Companies shown to prioritize security and safety can help provide them with competitor advantage which causes your business to lose out to this.
- Low Employee Morale - Security breaches can create safety risks that may endanger your employees. This can lead to decreased morale and at worse, for them to leave work.
Overall, not prioritizing the security of your business and any individuals utilizing this can have knock-on effects that worsen overtime if you decide not to address them.
What Are The Benefits of Good Business Security?
Having established the potential consequences, it is important to counter this knowledge. There are several benefits of boosting your business’ security:
- Improves the safety of any visitors and employees
- Increases potential clientele
- Protects goods, reducing any financial loss created by theft
- Prevents against various security risks, both physically and with cybersecurity
- Improves employee morale and retention
- Helps to lower insurance premiums
- Prevents against injuries and reduces the legal risks associated with them
- Boosts business reputation
- Deters crime from your business
The main aim of security is to deter, detect, and protect your business, no matter the industry, in order to ensure you can maintain success and safety.
WCCTV’s Top 8 Features to Look For in a Security Provider
As mentioned, the world of security is ever-growing making it difficult for many businesses to differentiate those which are most effective for their needs.
Having provided security solutions ourselves for over 20-years, WCCTV have worked with various businesses across different industries to enhance their security, continuously developing products to fulfil the ever-growing needs regarding business security.
Taking onboard insights gained from customers and pulling it together with our business’ knowledge, we delve into the 8 key features we recommend you should be looking for in a security provide to ensure maximized protection:
Reliable and Consistent With Uptime
A lapse in surveillance could lead to disaster. Criminals only require a small window of opportunity for them to take advantage of and your business will be left suffering the consequences.
Therefore, ensuring that your service provider can maintain a reliable, consistent service 24/7/365 is vital in protecting your business.
However, most security providers promise this, but how can you trust that you receive this service?
There are some key factors that will help gain insight into a security provider’s success to ensure a reliable, consistent service.
Establishing the power source and internet connection the security provider utilizes is the first step towards understanding if the service is consistent.
For surveillance systems that require you to provide the power source and internet connection for them, the service’s effectiveness will rely on the strength of connection.
This can be unpredictable or non-existent for some businesses, creating a higher risk of security lapses.
To avoid this risk, consider options where the surveillance system offers complete power autonomy and cellular connectivity. By using this service type, the cameras will require no input of power or internet from yourself and will work completely independently.
Additionally, consider how this type of service is monitored and maintained. With all of WCCTV’s products, our fully-managed service includes product maintenance to ensure quality remains at a high-standard.
We also offer our Heartbeat diagnostics service which works to proactively identify any issues which could impact the product’s service including:
- Connection Issues
- Camera Failures
- Hard Disk Failures
- Recording Issues
- Time & Date Inaccuracy
Easy-to-use Viewing Software
For most businesses, trusting a third-party supplier with their security and having no access to live footage can leave you with concerns regarding its effectiveness.
Having a service where access is limited for you or the viewing software is of poor quality can create more harm than help with your business’ security.
It prevents check-ins and capability to assess the effectiveness of the service, which for some businesses is important.
We understand there needs to be balance where businesses have the flexibility to be as hands-on or hands-free as required. Every business is unique, therefore the requirements will depend on this.
Through our product journey, we developed a solution that could manage both. All of our products offer easy-to-use viewing software that you can access in real-time on any device, anywhere in the world.
However, for those who wish to leave security in our hands completely, all products are backed by remote monitoring services. This utilizes security experts who monitor, assess, and respond to threats based on the live footage.
This minimizes the number of false alarms and provides a proactive, reactive response to security.
Good Customer Care and Responsiveness
Simply installing a surveillance system without any support to help maintain it could lead to service issues such as broken equipment, connection issues, or incorrect camera positioning.
The best security systems are backed by customer support that help to maintain the service quality you receive and resolve any matters that may occur.
Without this if your hardware malfunctions, it could be a complex and costly process to resolve.
At WCCTV we provide customer care and technical support as part of our fully-managed security service to ensure you receive timely and prompt action to any issues that arise.
This allows us to maintain a high-quality service to you as a customer, but most importantly your security.
Broad Product Offering
No business is the same, so having a ‘one solution for all’ approach is not necessarily the type of security provider that would suit you. Especially for industries like construction where temporary security is required.
Check the product offering from various security providers as this helps to gauge if there is a suitable option for you.
However, just because a security supplier may have an expensive product offering does not mean the quality of service is greater than one with a smaller array of services.
The best choice should be based on selecting a security solution suited to your needs.
During product development, we wanted to ensure customers had varied options whilst maintaining a refined, high-quality service that can be utilized multi-industry wide.
Cost-Effectiveness
Choosing the cheapest security option is unlikely to produce the expected results with your security, however, choosing the most expensive option does not necessarily guarantee you the best service either.
Although cost-effectiveness should be a factor to consider when selecting a security provider, don’t base it on the lowest and highest price point, but rather on the quality of service vs. cost.
By doing this, you will have a clearer representation of the Return on Investment (ROI) it can provide your business.
At WCCTV, we also aim to provide budget-friendly security solutions without the need to skimp on security.
With reduced installation costs, no upfront purchase necessary, and the ability to phase out expensive security guards, our products offer the highest ROI when it comes to surveillance.
Adaptable
Security risks change and you need a security solution that can adjust to this for you, otherwise you could be left vulnerable to these newly-developed tactics.
When looking for a service provider, keep this in mind and ask yourself the following questions:
- Can you adjust the surveillance cameras?
- Does the movement of cameras cost money?
- Can your surveillance system be moved yourself or does it require an engineer?
Having a flexible, adaptable security service allows you to stay ahead of any security threats and focus on locations where you require enhanced security at your business.
Fixed, traditional surveillance systems cannot be moved easily, if at all and even with some mobile surveillance solutions, relocation can be difficult and require additional assistance.
With our Solar Surveillance Trailers, they offer a flexible, temporary security solution to businesses that can be relocated with ease to other locations by yourself. Simply move the Trailer and contact us to recalibrate it.
NDAA Compliant
Specifically important for businesses under the Government sector, ensuring your security provider is NDAA-Compliant is a legal requirement.
An NDAA-Compliant camera is one that is not manufactured by any of the named Chinese manufacturers prohibited under Section 889.
The purpose of this legislation is to prevent potential security vulnerabilities associated with surveillance equipment and ensure that devices used by federal agencies are as secure as possible.
The National Defense Authorization Act NDAA bans the use of specific technology brands for federal agencies and any entity that receives federal funding.
This could include:
- Federal/State/Local agencies
- National Park Services
- Military
- Law enforcement
- Fire departments
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Jails/Prisons
- Public Utilities
At WCCTV, all of our surveillance cameras are NDAA-Compliant which means that for businesses and industries where this is a legal requirement, we can provide our security services to you.
Drive and Innovation
Working with a security provider that is both driven and innovative is crucial to ensuring your business’ security can combat the new criminal tactics and security risks it could be presented with.
Without this, your products could fall behind in the support they provide you with and leave you at risk of security breaches.
Explore various security providers to find out if there are additional features like thermal imagery and AI video analytics that could enhance your security further.
As a security provider ourselves, we understand first-hand the importance of being driven and innovative with our products as it helps to support our customers better.
We constantly work to improve our services and additional software that can be utilized alongside our products to maximize the security your business receives as best as possible.
It also allows our services to be better catered to your business needs and related security risks.
Take Your Steps Towards Optimal Security with WCCTV
With over 20-years of security expertise in providing best-in-class surveillance solutions, WCCTV offers a selection of high-quality products that can be adapted to support your business’ needs.
Having supported various businesses and projects in boosting their security, we understand the true consequences poor security can cause and our aim is to prevent this from happening to you.
Speak with an expert today to learn more about how WCCTV can support you!
