Industries That Require Physical Asset Security

Regardless of what business you are in, physical asset security is very important. Although the protection of digital assets is becoming increasingly relevant in today's world, most companies also have many physical items that need to be protected and accounted for as part of a comprehensive risk management strategy.

Physical Asset Security: A Growing Need

There are many types of equipment that require protection. Here are five industries with a vital need for solutions to asset management.

Hotels

Customer service staff uses tablets for line-busting at many reception areas, reducing waiting times at check-in for customers. Placing tablets in rooms allows guests to choose activities, book spa prices, room service orders, and more. Tablets can even be used for entertainment in the room providing the company with an additional revenue stream.

The hospitality industry is also increasing its priority on the safety of employees. Hotels now need to give panic buttons to hospitality and other personnel in an increasing number of states that may be at risk. Typically on a fob, the buttons use RFID, Bluetooth or beacon software to call in real-time for safety management. The fobs are usually shared among workers and have to be individually accounted for and monitored to ensure that they won't be lost.

Also widely used in hotels are communication devices such as 2-way radios and headset or belt pack systems. They have quick and easy communications between different areas of the facility and make good customer service much easier. The units can be expensive and, if not in service, must be secured.

Retail

Shops, malls and retail centres of all sizes usually use system headsets and belt packs for customer service and other communication purposes. If the units are not cared for and protected, this can turn into a budget drain.

Mobile checkout systems become standard in many stores. These are incredibly useful because they allow workers to use a cell phone or tablet fitted with the appropriate software to make a purchase anywhere in the shop. The opportunity to check out on the fly is welcomed by both customers and employees. The popularity of the devices, however, also means that there is an increased need for safe storage.

Cash drawers must be placed in a fully secure spot. Although safes in the shop are free, they do not provide the option to track the items stored inside. Asset management systems using RFID technology allow management to account for each cash drawer while limiting access to only the certain staff members allowed to remove that drawer.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement and court officials frequently carry weapons. If there is a need to remove the gun from the person of the officer at any time, it must be locked away in a completely secure location that can only be reached by the officer or other authorized people.

Visitors to a police precinct, correction facility or court can bring valuable items that cannot be brought in. Providing an asset management plan where these objects can be conveniently placed with the assurance that they won't disappear makes the environment much more visitor-friendly.

Casinos and Other Gaming Businesses

To function properly, casinos and other gaming facilities should address a wide number of security issues. They have to compete with large crowds, deal with massive cash amounts, comply with strict regulations, and protect all their vast physical assets and properties. Within gaming facilities, significant resources are used to ensure that the building, staff, visitors, and assets are secured and protected. Key control is one of the most important components to reduce casino liabilities and create an effective safety management program.

Below are three key control system improvements that can support your gaming business:

• The instant key release function lets the system know whether users have already removed their licensed keys when they enter their credentials. The secure key cabinet door will automatically open if they haven't, and the system will activate their keys and that only.

• The emergence of larger casinos and business gaming organizations has established the need for a single key management system that is capable of managing very huge user databases. Now more than 20,000 users can be included in a single user database. Such databases do not only require basic functionality for large numbers of users, but they also need to provide ease of management and equivalent protection for smaller systems. Key management system interfaces make it simple to train large numbers of users. They are also easy to monitor and understand. Furthermore, electronic key control systems are easy to scale up as a project expands, making it easy for a growing business to add new cabinets, keys, and users.

• Several different forms of routine audits are required by the various gaming governing bodies to ensure that the casino is fully compliant with regulations. Electronic key fob management systems can easily collect and provide reports for this purpose, including when keys have been signed and by whom, if any unauthorized access is attempted, and when maintenance is performed. Audits can be taken individually and automatically, with reports sent by various channels, including SMS and email, to appropriate staff.

Data Centres

Key control offers data centres with essential physical access control. Since most data centres manage server space for numerous clients, it is important to give access to each unique server space segment to authorized users only. Key management systems require a biometric scan, PIN and/or other credentials to allow access to a database cage key to help implement these restrictions. Hundreds of enterprises could have server space in a single room; therefore, it is vital to ensure that access to the separate cages is regulated.

It is also incredibly important to keep cages safe to prevent cybercrime. Most data centres have several layers of IT protection, but when cybercriminals breach into their physical location and go home with server hardware, they often find themselves in hot water. Cybercriminals are extremely experienced in hacking networked physical security systems, but it is impossible to hack physical keys. By adding an extra layer of security to the server cages, keeping keys controlled can minimize the risk. Key controls can also minimize internal theft by restricting access of database cages to certain team members, such as technicians or other service staff, and by preventing those keys being taken by other facility employees.

It is also possible to customize key management systems to provide specific features to data centres. Dual or triple encryption can be enforced on different keys for cages containing sensitive or confidential information. This requires multiple users to sign and re-enter a key to prevent a single user from easily handing over their key to an unknown individual. The system generates automatic reports that can be programmed for distribution to specific users, such as keeping employees of the data centre or clients aware of who has entered a database cage. Furthermore, notes feature on a key management system can provide a simple way to access and review information on why a key has been used.

Contact Us For A Free Consultation

Whatever industry you're in, you require protection for your mobile devices and other valuables. Tracking technology-based asset management systems help keep these things secure and ready to use when you need them.