The Art of Proactive Security: Balancing Life and Protection

Most people struggle staying proactive with their security. As important as protecting your property is, it is still very difficult to find the time to do something about it. So in order to make the process of staying up to date on the safety of your property, you need to know how to keep this seemingly monumental task from overwhelming you.

Getting Started

Due to the multifaceted nature of property protection, getting started can seem overwhelming. But starting anything is always difficult. The trick is making a plan that breaks down the journey into steps. This plan can be conducted as a basic security risk assessment. In order to start this process, just think about the security you have and the threats that your property faces.

Your threats may be from natural disasters such as floods or fires, but they may also be centered around theft or vandalism. Once you know your threats, examine your existing security. When you are starting out, this may only include locks. Maybe you have a fire alarm or some form of video surveillance, but if not, this is not an issue. When you are assessing your security risks, all you need to know is what you have and what you are looking to protect against.

The next step is to look at your current security in terms of how it addresses the vulnerability to a threat you face. For example, if you are concerned about fires, consider what precautions you have taken to prevent a fire from occurring. From there, it is important to think about products such as alarms, sprinklers, fire extinguishers, etc., which will help respond to the issue before severe damage is incurred.

Keeping Up to Date

Once you know what you are looking to protect against, and whether or not your security addresses those risks well enough, it is time to update. This is the research phase of staying active with your security. It is the most time-consuming part of the process, which can seem daunting to balance with everything else in your life. But there are certainly times where this type of assessment can make sense in a work schedule or even during your personal time.

If you are looking to protect a commercial space that influences the operation of your company, then this is a business decision. Think about this process as necessary strategic planning. And making investments in security can certainly help during tax season when the business is looking for "end of the year" expenditures. For personal property or property where those aforementioned balancing tactics don’t work, you can research security during renovation efforts, holidays, vacations, etc. Any point where you have free time and a bit of disposable income to potentially invest in your safety is a good time to research.

So now that you know how to balance the research with your life, you need to know what goes into keeping up to date. Mainly, it comes down to staying on top of the security market, regulations, and new threats. For example, you may want to determine if you should be using a wireless vs. a hardwired alarm. And even if you made the best decision at the moment, the electronics industry is always innovating, so your product choice may be outdated. Your local area may also have special considerations, that are specific to the local legislature, and these could change periodically.

Knowing When to Stop

Because the market is always changing, technology is improving, thieves are always finding new bypasses, laws are in flux, etc., it can be difficult to know when you are done with your security. The main reason why it is so difficult to know is because you are never really done. That is why it is so important to be proactive with balancing your focus on security.

You will have to look out for flaws with your equipment. For example, data loss for cameras will tell you that it is time to replace your device. If a door is hard to close or does not open properly, it may be time to consider getting a new lock, but it could also be time to consider a new door. Feel free to relax on these issues once you have new security measures that are working without a hitch. But any issue you have with your current safety measures should be taken as an indication that it is time to begin reconsidering your security.

Conclusion

It is true that life is hectic enough already without adding one more thing to worry about in a day. But when you get proactive with your security, you actually have less to worry about. Once you are as protected as you can be, the worries melt away. Take the necessary steps to balance your life and property protection. Take it slow and easy to start, and find out what your risks and vulnerabilities are. Do the research, when you can, and never stop learning about better options. Finally, it is alright to ease up on security concerns once you have all the necessary protections, but when things stop working like new, it is time to get proactive again.

Written by Special Guest Writer, Ralph Goodman