It’s no secret that even the smallest flaw in a modern business’ security system can quickly be exploited by criminals, be that through physical theft or cyber-attack, but that doesn’t mean retailers must be resigned to only developing reactive security measures or waiting for breaches to happen.
Recent data suggests retail crimes may be on the rise, with 56% of small businesses reporting shoplifting incidents in the last year and ransomware attacks targeting e-commerce seeing a 264% increase, though retailers can help decrease these statistics by reassessing their security systems.
By taking note of the changing landscape of consumer retail, and investing in modern retail security systems, businesses can begin strengthening their response to attempted crimes of all varieties.
Here’s how enterprise retailers are integrating their cyber and physical security for 2023.
Integrated data via video intercom
All retail locations should have a robust video security network. Not only has the presence of security cameras been proven to deter certain crimes from occurring, but by ensuring that shop floors, entrances, exits and private areas are covered by a camera system, ample evidence can be collected to help catch potential criminals and collate relevant incident records to protect staff from liability.
In 2023, however, standard video security systems can be improved. By combining the benefits of video security and secure access control through the use of a video intercom, many retailers are developing systems in which guest’s identities can be remotely verified before entering the premises.
For private areas that require personalized credentials to gain access, self-service retail stores and secure locations that must be monitored out-of-hours, a video intercom configured for use with cloud-based action control grants admins the ability to visually verify guests remotely via a smart-device.
Enforcing rule and role-based access control
To ensure a retail location is protected from both physical and cyber threats, security teams must decide where to implement rule and role-based access control. Rule-based credentials are well suited to publicly accessible areas, as admins can set controls to accept credentials only at certain times of day, whilst role-based systems only allow predetermined individuals to access private areas.
These systems can also be implemented to protect cyber assets, allowing remote staff such as IT workers to access secure information only when verified by chosen admins, but retailers must decide how to manage who is able to grant these permissions and the criteria they must follow to do so.
A video intercom is the ideal solution for location-based permissions. By using this technology, admins can create a system in which only on-site individuals are able to grant access credentials while also being able to visually validate guests’ identities, with a similar system followed to manage online credentials in which only onsite staff are able to grant permissions to verifiable accounts.
Implementing an integrated security management platform
Whilst developing several different security solutions to better manage a business’ incident response protocols is always beneficial, each system must be integrated as part of a wider network. If security teams are not able to monitor on-site cameras, access points and other related technologies from one centralized platform, exploitable flaws may be exposed due to a lack of overall efficiency.
This issue is only multiplied when dealing with retail chains managing multiple locations, as not only will security systems installed across one site be difficult to monitor simultaneously, but feeds from each location may be overlooked when viewed as part of the business’ wider security network.
By implementing all security solutions into one integrated management platform, admins and security teams are able to view the entire network at once, switching between video feeds, access points and online services to better track ongoing incidents. This monitoring is most effective when operated via a cloud-based network, with admins able to access systems remotely to plan responses backed by data.
Final word
Although retailers may be vulnerable to an increasing number of physical and cyber threats; the development of modern smart security systems is helping to create more effective countermeasures.
The key to utilizing these technologies efficiently is to produce an integrated network, in which admins can monitor multiple data feeds to better plan incident responses. By improving efficiency in this way, intelligent responses are backed by reliable data, helping to strengthen security systems as a whole. ###