SABOTAGE, FRAUD AND THEFT

No company is immune to the threat of violence, sabotage, fraud and theft. It falls upon the owner(s) to ensure the security of their assets (tangible and intangible) and their employees.

The security of your business operations begins on your physical property. There are some physical design features you can employ to deter violence or theft in the workplace. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is an urban planning design process, integrating crime prevention with neighborhood design and community development. For more information, see Section III Recovery and Mitigation.

Local law enforcement may have a CPTED or Neighborhood Watch Program which can assist you in developing a protection strategy to make your physical site a safer place to work and conduct business. Walk the perimeter of the property, walk up and down your halls, look at camera angles, visit with staff, check access controls and badge issuance policies. They are only a small part of your whole physical world. Could an outsider gain access to your facility through the loading dock? Do you use water for fire suppression in the data center?

The previous section, Cyber-Attacks, provides more detailed information on how to protect your intangible assets. The checklists Cyber Security Threat Assessment and Cyber Security Checklist (Checklists 21 and 22 in the Appendix in the Guidebook or on the checklists page of this site) also relate to this topic.

As an employer, you can help minimize your risk of sabotage, fraud and theft by doing the following:.
1. Maintaining strict hiring policies.
2. Establish written workplace anti-violence policies and security procedures with zero tolerance for any instance of violence.
3. List prohibited conduct.
4. Monitor current employees’ behavior.
5. Train managers and supervisors to recognize and resolve problems.
6. Maintain a working environment that is open to communication and respectful to all employees.
7. Balance a violence-free workplace with employee rights.