What Is A Security Incident?
A security incident is where there is a breach in a company’s security whether that be a physical location, systems, or data. This breach means that the company is compromised as the security measures that were in place to protect it have not worked.
What Is A Physical Security Incident?
Physical security incidents are where the physical building, assets, or staff members are attacked, stolen, or harmed in some way. This could be to deliberately cause damage or would be a loss to the company. Physical security incidents are the opposite of virtual ones that may include hacking a business’ systems.
Types Of Physical Security Incidents?
There are many types of physical security incidents that businesses can experience. The type of incident that they are most likely to experience depends on the type of business and location of their offices, retail outlets, or warehouses.
Access Incidents
There can be issues with unauthorized access to a business property. Most properties will have alarms or access control, some of which will have been installed by a security company that also provides security guards. On occasion, however, someone can bypass these security protocols, gaining access to areas that they should not be able to see.
This can be through tailgating – where an unauthorized person manages to slip through behind someone who has authorized access to the area. While your staff and security will be cautious of this, mistakes can happen, especially during busy times.
Stolen Documentation
A major worry for businesses is stolen documentation as they are likely to have a lot of paperwork, contracts, and payment details stored on site. If these sensitive documents go missing, this can cause a lot of stress and hassle and could end up costing the company money. This could lead to confidential information being published or ending up in the wrong hands.
Theft and Danger to Staff
Last year in England and Wales, it was recorded by the police that there were 1.9 million theft offenses. These high figures will be worrying for any business. If you have a business that employs a number of staff members, intruders coming into the building to try and steal money or goods can pose a real danger to your staff, as well as costing you money.
Vandalism
The destruction of your property or vandalism can lead to costly repair bills and may lead to your business attracting fewer customers while the issues are being rectified. Last year in the UK, there it was reported by the police that 475.2 thousand criminal damage and arson offenses were committed.
How To Write A Security Incident Report?
When thinking of what to include in security incident reporting, it is important to simply stick to the facts and remember the basics. Try not to overcomplicate what you are saying, as the simpler it is, the more effective it will be in reporting a security breach.
Ensure that you are using correct spelling and grammar so that it can be easily read. When completing a security incident reporting form, think of it as telling a basic story, where you want to answer a series of simple questions that will ensure all of the vital details are covered.
What? This is a detailed description of what happened and in what order. It is best to add as much information here as possible as even the smallest things may help improve security or catch those responsible for the incident. Think chronologically when writing this out as this can help build up a more accurate picture.
Who? If you saw any individuals that were involved in the incident, then it is important to write down their names if you know them, or at least accurate descriptions of what they looked like. If you manage to gain contact details for eyewitnesses, it is a great idea to include these in here too. Remember to remain professional when describing a person’s appearance.
When? Try your best to include a time frame for the incident. You may have an exact time from CCTV or a rough time that you know it happened between mobile patrols or from eyewitnesses.
Where? This could include the address of the property, where in the building the incident happened, and any other important information about the location such as whether it was well-lit or any movement between areas by who was involved.
Why? You may not have the answer to this question unless you know the reason behind the security incident but if you do, it is important to include it. Otherwise, leave this out.
What Part Of A Security Incident Should Be Logged?
When it comes to security incident reporting, it is important to log the key details on the incident reporting form. Stick to the facts of what happened, organising them in a clear manner, making them easy to understand.
One great thing to include for logging if you have it is evidence. Any photos, video footage, or eyewitness statements are great pieces of evidence that help develop a full picture of the security breach. This will allow you to also look back over them and find out how to rectify the issue that caused the breach in the first place.
How To Handle Security Incident?
In the event of a security incident, it is important to stay as calm as possible and follow the procedures outlined by your security firm. It is important to start engaging with your security incident reporting system as soon as possible in order to ensure that your memory of the event is accurate. If you are unable to write a full report on the same day, ensure that you write down some basic facts or bullet points that will help you remember the situation when it comes to writing at a later date.
How To Report A Security Incident?
Every security company will have its own security incident reporting system which outlines a process that should be followed for security incident reporting. These protocols are not only there to gain a record of the security breach, but also to learn from the issue, evaluate the existing security in place and make changes to stop a similar incident from happening in the future.
It is vital that security officers follow procedures carefully detailing all the relevant information. In some cases, the security incident form will be a paper copy requiring you to handwrite the report, and in others, it will be an electronic form that has to be typed up.
Many security teams also had incident reporting software that can quickly gather the information you require, storing and organising it in an orderly manner.
To keep up to date with all the latest safety tips and guides where you can find articles about how to create a security risk assessment.
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