With crime continually on the rise, businesses are under increasing pressure to invest in security measures to protect their premises. However, the cost of installing surveillance cameras, access control systems, alarms, and other equipment can quickly add up.
To save money, many business owners are now turning to DIY security solutions. While these can offer a more affordable way to deter and prevent crime, if implemented poorly, they may end up doing more harm than good.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the most common DIY security mistakes that could harm your business, and how to avoid them.
Table of Contents
1. Placing Too Much Trust in Fake Cameras
Dummy cameras can be a cost-effective alternative to real surveillance systems, often working well to deter opportunistic criminals. However, if they’re one of your only security measures, their effectiveness can be incredibly limited.
Experienced criminals can usually spot the difference between genuine and fake cameras, making most dummy systems ineffective at protecting your business. Worse still, if an incident does occur, you won’t have any recorded evidence, which makes it much harder to identify or catch the perpetrators.
That’s not to say dummy cameras have no place in your security setup, though. They can still act as useful visual deterrents, but they should never be your sole line of defence. If you’re using them, be sure to support them with at least some real security systems as well.
2. Poor Camera Placement
Even with real CCTV cameras in place, your business isn’t automatically secure. For them to be effective, they must be installed correctly and positioned to cover the right areas. Otherwise, criminals are likely to exploit blind spots and gaps in the coverage.
One common mistake is mounting cameras too high or too low, which can create blind spots that allow intruders to move undetected. Similarly, if your cameras are pointed at irrelevant or low-risk areas, they don’t do much in the way of protecting your business.
If you’re setting up your own surveillance system, focus on covering key locations such as entrances, exits, and any sensitive areas where high-value items, equipment, or information is stored. Strategic placement is just as important as the cameras themselves.
3. Forgetting About Lighting
When it comes to DIY security solutions, the majority of your focus is likely to be on securing the inside and immediate outside of your building, with security measures like cameras, locks, fencing, etc. As a result, there’s an often overlooked, but just as important, part of security — lighting.
Dark areas, like entrances, alleyways, and car parks, can be prime hotspots for all sorts of criminal activity, because they can act without being seen.
To strengthen your security, make sure that you focus on lighting as well as other measures. Try and install motion-activated lights around the perimeter of your premises, if you can, as it makes it harder for criminals to go unnoticed, which ultimately ends up deterring them.
4. Not Securing All Access Points
If the building your business is operating from has multiple access points, security can very quickly become a complicated matter. Most businesses will focus on securing main entrances around the building, which means that side doors, windows, and even fire exits end up forgotten about. This leaves your property vulnerable from multiple angles, making it easier for intruders to gain access.
Make sure that you’re giving the appropriate attention to these often-neglected entry points. Secure windows and skylights with shutters or grilles to prevent forced entry through them. Reinforce doors with modern locks and metal shutters, and make sure they’re alarmed in case someone forces entry in regardless. Whenever possible, you should also aim to set up motion-activated lights and CCTV cameras around these areas for additional security, which helps to ward off most criminals.
5. Relying Solely on Alarms Without Emergency Response
Unfortunately, alarms are only as effective as you let them be. If you install alarms in your premises, but don’t have any procedures in place for when they’re triggered, they may as well be useless.
Whilst the sound of an alarm alone may be enough to scare off some criminals, for many, it just isn’t strong enough of a deterrent. They also have very little effect if there’s no one that knows they’ve gone off, or what to do when they go off.
In order for alarm systems to act as an effective security measure, consider looking for support from a professional monitoring or emergency response service who can alert the authorities or respond themselves as and when the alarms go trigger. These teams help to minimise the damage done to your business and potentially catch the criminals.
6. Forgetting to Train Staff on Security Protocols
Security systems are only half of the equation when it comes to keeping your business and employees safe. If your staff don’t know what general security measures you might have in place, or how to respond in the event of a security threat, then that puts themselves and others at risk.
This is especially important when onboarding new employees. Your employees might leave doors open or forget to arm alarms when closing if they’ve not been told otherwise. They might also panic in the event of an emergency or break-in if you have not guided them through any emergency plans.
Support your staff by providing them with regular training sessions, so they feel confident and equipped in safely handling any emergencies. For additional help, you should also put up any security protocols and emergency plans around staff areas as a reminder of their training.
7. Skipping Regular Maintenance Checks
You can’t expect your security systems to work if you aren’t keeping on top of them with regular maintenance. Criminals can very easily exploit broken or non-functional security systems, leaving your business vulnerable.
It can be easy to forget about maintenance checks if they aren’t a regular occurrence, and even easier to think that they don’t need to be done that often. However, that isn’t the case at all. If you aren’t keeping on top of your security systems, it’s impossible to know if they’re working properly or not.
If possible, try to get into a routine of regularly checking on any existing equipment and security measures in place. Ask yourself if any cameras need repairing, or if any motion-activated lights need batteries replacing. If you keep on top of these defences, criminals will have a much harder time finding weaknesses to exploit in your defences.
How You Can Avoid DIY Security Mistakes
Security can be an incredibly overwhelming part of running your business, especially if you have to do it all yourself. However, by avoiding these DIY security mistakes, you can rest easy knowing that your business is secure, and your staff are kept safer for it. However, if security ever starts getting too much for you to worry about, it may be worth partnering with a trusted security company.
At Region Security Guarding, our security professionals can assess your site and recommend effective solutions, guaranteeing all your vulnerabilities are spotted and secured. Additionally, our services are cost-effective and tailored exactly to your business’s needs, ensuring you get the services you require for full protection, from static guarding and mobile patrols to key holding and alarm response.
Reach out to our team to get started with your no-obligation security quote today.
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