The Top Five Essential Components of a Modern Business Security System

Keeping up with trends and technological innovations in the security industry can be a full-time job. With the rapid rate of innovation in business security tech, it can be difficult for even the most tuned-in security teams to know where they should invest to maximize their dollars and security. 

Whether your business is starting from scratch, upgrading its entire system, or supplementing existing security infrastructure, these five components should be at the top of your list.

1. An AI-enabled security camera system

Video surveillance has long been a hallmark of an effective business security system. Even the most bare-bones security setup will often have cameras positioned in high-traffic areas, including the main entry and exit points of a property.

As video surveillance has advanced in the past 10 years, modern innovations have unlocked new frontiers of security features that are rapidly becoming the norm for business security going forward.

First and foremost, modern camera systems have become increasingly high-definition and weather-resistant. In the past, outdoor cameras would be unreliable in inclement weather and would struggle to provide reliable footage even in the best conditions, particularly at night.

As technology has progressed, barriers in cost have come down to a point where businesses can cover all vulnerable points of a property, inside and out, to ensure total coverage. What’s more, many modern surveillance systems offer cloud video storage and remote viewing so off-site teams can more easily monitor properties.

Finally, advances in AI have transformed the capabilities of modern security cameras. By leveraging this cutting-edge technology, security camera systems can better identify actual threats like burglars or trespassers and distinguish them from false alarms like falling objects or weather-related triggers. Quickly identifying a threat enables security teams to intervene directly by either dispatching emergency response teams or triggering an on-site alarm to disperse would-be criminals.

2. Modern access control systems

Controlling who can enter a property is vital to any business security system. And modern advances in the field have completely revolutionized access control.

For years, businesses relied on basic key or key card systems to control access. While effective, lost or stolen keys can leave sites vulnerable in an instant. A slight improvement, keyless access control enables businesses to enable entry with the use of a key code. While more reliable than basic keys, codes have their own vulnerabilities and it can be cumbersome to provision new users and update codes on ancient systems.

Modern access control leverages a number of technologies to maximize both security and convenience. New access control systems can work off of employee biometrics like fingerprints or can be paired with an employee’s smartphone for additional security. What’s more, these systems make it simple to remotely grant and deny access and get reports on who is coming and going.

3. Monitored fire alarms and smoke detectors

Fire alarms and smoke detectors are essential business security measures. When looking at installing a new security system or upgrading an old one, opt for alarms with professional monitoring. 

Having trained personnel that can assess a fire or smoke event and dispatch relevant response teams can save your business quite a bit of money in damages—and potentially lives. Installing a fully monitored system can also give your business other perks like insurance incentives. Talk about a win-win.

4. Remotely monitored burglar alarms and sensors

Alarm systems have come a long way in recent years. What used to be simple door open sensors or motion alarms have expanded into a wide category, including:

• Glass break sensors
• Acoustic sensors that can respond to the slightest disruption
• Motion sensors targeting specific vulnerable zones
• Door and window contact sensors
• Heat, cold, and water sensors that can alert for environmental emergencies like floods or frozen pipes

This new class of alarm sensors are all part of a holistic burglar alarm system. When paired with monitoring, these sensors can ensure your business is always covered in an emergency.

5. Security signs and dummy cameras

Last but not least, if you’re investing in the modern security tools it takes to protect your business, you should let everyone know! While alarm and surveillance components, particularly when professionally monitored, are the best lines of defense to stopping crime, the goal should always be deterring crime from happening in the first place.

Placing security signs on your property will signal criminals that they’re being monitored, preventing an event before it even occurs. Likewise, bolstering your surveillance camera system with low-cost, non-functioning dummy cameras can signal to would-be criminals that a property is fully covered, even if there are some weak points or blind spots. Just remember that anything that happens in the view of those “cameras” won’t be recorded. 

Looking to modernize your security measures? Speaking to an expert, like the team at Bay Alarm, can be a vital first step in protecting your business now and in the future.