Business Security
'Security spend is lower than the coffee bill' - 'Times, Feb 27 2006 '

As world events increase the risks of unexpected attacks, Tony Dawe introduces a special report on UK business security.

Security is on all our minds after terrorist attacks in the United States and Japan in recent years and Madrid this March. For some, the greatest fear is of intruders in the home or an assault on the street, but the precautions we can take are limited to locks and vigilance. For businesses, which can be crippled and even closed down by an attack, the requirements are far greater. Their premises can be targeted by thieves and terrorists. But other intruders can gain access through electronic systems, leaving companies open to innumerable risks.

Money launderers, fraudsters, terrorists and computer hackers all pose an external threat, while internal threats from dishonest employees are just as worrying.
Yet the message is not getting through to many business leaders, who fail to realise that the price of security breaches is high. A company's reputation and brand value can be ruined by security failures.

Intellectual property can be lost through digital theft and counterfeiting, threatening the profitability of a company.

Large companies require a chief security officer on the board and smaller ones must have a director who is responsible for security as part of the job.

"Smaller companies which say, ‘We are not conspicuous and will not be vulnerable', are misleading themselves because they could be hit by someone else's virus or security failure.”

Dame Pauline adds: “Corporate security is not just about looking at the vulnerability of your own organisation but at your suppliers and customers. Businesses must ensure that all relationships with organisations and other third parties are founded on the same security standards.”