Security is an important factor for owners and managers of commercial buildings. Even if you aren’t personally responsible for day-to-day security operations, you should still be aware of the latest security trends so that you can make sound financial and operational decisions concerning the protection of the properties and the people who use them.
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The emerging trends in commercial building security will have a significant impact on property management in 2023. With changing building occupation levels and increasingly complex threats to businesses, it’s essential to prioritise security in the property management portfolio.
Before making any changes to the existing security measures, it’s important to conduct an audit to assess how entrances, landscaping, lighting and other features may provide opportunities for criminals to gain unauthorised access to the building and enter restricted areas to steal data or attack critical infrastructure.
Access control
One of the key commercial property security trends in 2022 was the implementation of smart lock systems for controlling access to specific doors in buildings.
Smart locks are electromechanical systems that enable employees or authorised visitors to lock or unlock doors. Smart locks can be used almost anywhere - at the main entrance to a building, in the car park or at the entrance to secure areas such as data centres, laboratories and conference rooms.
Signals from various Bluetooth-enabled or wireless user devices - like smartphones, key fobs or touchpads - communicate with the smart lock to present credentials that allow or deny access. More sophisticated systems offer access through different forms of identity verification. These include wearables - electronic devices worn by individuals to track, analyse and transmit personal data. These smart Internet of Things devices can track biometric data from heart rate to sleep patterns and more.
In the cloud
More and more building owners and managers are adopting cloud-based security solutions and for a good reason. The physical infrastructure required on the premises by traditional security systems occupies valuable space. As a result, building managers are increasingly encouraging clients to move to the cloud for more efficient use of space, as well as a host of operational benefits for building managers as well as clients.
Managers and security staff can manage and monitor cloud-based systems from any location with an Internet connection. This means security staff no longer have to be on-site to monitor the building for incidents, manage access systems, or support authorised users encountering problems.
Cloud-based systems also provide other important benefits for clients. Because threat data is automatically updated in the cloud, security teams are always aware of the latest risks to the business.
Integrated systems
Energy efficiency and waste reduction are increasingly important aspects of building management and have resulted in extensive building usage data availability. This data enables owners and building managers to understand when and how specific areas of a building are being used. Therefore, it makes sense to tap into this resource and also integrate this data into security systems.
The data available from security systems, such as video surveillance and smart lock systems, can also be integrated into the building management systems. This will give owners and managers greater control over facilities such as heating and lighting and enable them to monitor environmental factors for spaces that may be heavily used or under-utilised.
By automating control processes, owners and building managers can simultaneously minimise energy wastage and maintain a high standard of security in a building.
Hybrid workplaces
The Covid 19 pandemic lockdowns introduced millions of employees and employers to the benefits of working remotely instead of being in traditional workplaces. Although the return-to-the-office trend has certainly started, many businesses have opted to continue with hybrid working models where employees can choose to work at home or in the office.
In 2022, this hybrid workplace model had significant implications for the management of commercial buildings as well as for security. Access control has necessarily become more complex because security staff must manage building access for permanent staff as well as employees who visit the building occasionally.
Joint operation
Building managers and owners are generally more involved with physical security in commercial buildings. However, in the past two years, cyber crimes have become more prevalent, blurring the lines between the traditionally separate physical and information security systems.
With an intimate knowledge of physical security throughout a building, physical security teams can combine effectively with the information security staff to highlight gaps that attackers could exploit to steal data or threaten critical infrastructure.
The importance of sharing knowledge and contributing to the work of the combined team cannot be overemphasised.
Writer : Sarah-Jane Meyer