Protecting assets has costs
Losses from theft and wilful property damage are an inevitable cost of doing business, right?
“Ridiculous,” says Steve Woolrich, a longtime security expert who operates SeCure Consulting Solutions Inc. in Red Deer.
“It comes down to one word: opportunity.
“If you can remove certain opportunities, or at least reduce those opportunities, there is success right there.”
The challenge for many business owners is identifying those opportunities and knowing how to address them.
Bigger organizations can hire a security manager, but many others lack the resources to do so.
Woolrich started SeCure Consulting Solutions with the belief a local security consultant could give businesses the help they need and afford.
Although he’s only been operating since March, Woolrich’s involvement in the security industry extends back 25 years.
He served in administrative support positions with the Calgary police service, was operations supervisor with Loomis in Calgary and worked as a correctional officer with the Alberta Solicitor General.
In 1995, Woolrich became loss prevention co-ordinator with the Rocky Mountain House Co-op, and he joined the Red Deer Co-op as corporate security manager in 2003.
Three years later, he joined Collicutt Energy Services Ltd. as its asset protection manager, a position he held until the company was purchased by Finning International Inc. in January.
When Woolrich is asked to help a business beef up its security, he starts with a full risk assessment.
“That’s where you really get to take a look at the guts of an organization, no matter how large it is,” he said.
He talk to management, but also meets with staff members.
“Employees can tell you a tremendous amount about the level of security within the organization they’re working for.”
For instance, they can shed some light on whether existing policies and procedures are being followed.
Woolrich assesses external threats, but also internal dangers.
“Internal theft is always higher than external,” he pointed out.
Information is a particularly vulnerable asset that can lead to huge losses if breached.
A disgruntled employee, for example, might take important client information with him to a competing company.
“Those are the kind of things you need to be looking at,” said Woolrich, suggesting the use of computer software that limits access to important information, or restrictions on who is allowed into the room where the main server is located.
A threat to a business’s information can also originate outside the building, he said.
“Cyber-crime is huge. Are there proper firewalls in place, are companies password-protecting their systems?”
Ultimately, the security needs of businesses will vary.
“It may be something as simple as just putting in an alarm system, but it could be as complex as setting up proper policies and procedures for an organization that doesn’t have any.
Woolrich can help with implementation, using his knowledge of the available technology and where it can be obtained.
When it comes to surveillance equipment, options include motion-activated cameras and infrared units that can capture images in low light. Digital cameras with hard drive memories allow for expansive data to be recorded and easily accessed when necessary.
GPS units can be installed in laptop computers, allowing them to be tracked if stolen.
“Even better,” said Woolrich, “if there’s really sensitive data on those hard drives, you can fry the drives.”
There’s also a special laminate that can be applied to windows to make them less vulnerable to a break in.
“Right up to bullet-resistant strength,” he said.
The effectiveness of such security systems is ultimately dependent on staff “education and awareness,” said Woolrich.
“The worse thing you can do is just go ahead and implement them without talking to your staff about them.”
And staff education needs to be ongoing, so new employees also buy into a business’s security culture.
Woolrich also stresses the importance of having and enforcing policies and procedures to back up physical security measures.
Ideally, he will remain involved with his clients’ businesses, providing them with support and advice as needed.
“I love the word ‘partnership.’”
SeCure Consulting Solutions can be contacted at 403-392-8088.
Contact Harley Richards at hrichards@reddeeradvocate.com
