SecurityWise: Seven electronic security measures to protect your safe against the increased risk of attack

28 May 2021

Lee Wallace of leading insurance broker TH March warns that attacks on safes are on the rise but says jewellers can take steps to protect themselves.

As the Government relaxes restrictions on businesses, criminals are also ramping up their activities as opportunities begin to reopen to them. The criminal did not disappear entirely through lockdown.

However, some of their usual targets, including the jewellery trade, were locked down or operating in a way that restricted access to valuable assets.

When shops were closed and display windows were cleared most, if not all, jewellery was kept in a safe. These restrictions meant that criminals have, unfortunately, developed increasingly sophisticated methods of attack on jewellery businesses. These often involve targeting safes.

 

Increased attacks on safes

No sooner had business opened again, then criminals struck with safe attacks, window smash and grabs, snatches and other attempts to deprive the jeweller of their stock.

Hole in the wall safe attacks, in particular, have become increasingly frequent with a number suspected of being carried out by organised criminal gangs.

In many cases, criminals have gained access to the safes through walls. This means they can get straight into the rear of the safe without entering the premises. As no entry is made onto the premises, the space and perimeter protection of most alarm systems will not pick up the attack. This leaves criminals free to work at their leisure without detection. Even the very best safes can be breached with enough time and the correct tools.

 

Key security considerations

Good security involves a mix of physical and electronic systems, including the alarm system and CCTV. There are three things you should think about when reviewing and designing the security of your business:

• What property do I need to protect?
• What additional protection might certain staff need?
• And equally importantly, what is my insurance requirement?

This will involve considering the following six security measures.

 

1. Check the space protection fits with changes to your premises

When designing an alarm system, you will need good space and perimeter protection configured in a way that will give a confirmed activation as quickly as possible.

Space protection usually comprises of a combination of Passive Infrared (PIR) and Microwave movement detection. It is important to check that any alterations made to the premises since the alarm was first installed have not compromised the field of vision of these detectors. For example, Covid screens can create blind spots.

 

2. Ensure complete perimeter protection

Perimeter protection is usually a combination of door and window contacts, vibration detectors and acoustic break glass detectors. In the jewellery trade, it is crucial to include safes in the perimeter protection if they are located against an external wall or a party wall with a neighbouring premise. This includes buildings with a basement or floors above ground level.

 

3. Consider alarm vibration detectors

Safes located against external walls are often protected by alarm vibration detectors or Limpets. Jewellers generally put this additional security in place when the safe is clearly vulnerable to attack from outside the premises. However, many overlook the risk when the safe is against a party wall with a neighbouring property.

We have seen walls breached from both occupied and unoccupied neighbouring properties and on all floor levels including basements. No safe is entirely safe, especially when located against a wall - even if the property next door is occupied and alarmed. Do not rely on someone else’s security to protect what is likely to be your single most valuable asset: a full safe.

 

4. Protect staff with radio personal attack buttons

Space and perimeter alarm detection equipment may protect your property but their effectiveness is limited when it comes to protecting people. Personal attack (PA) buttons are often required to protect the items covered by an insurance policy. As the name suggests, however, PA buttons also offer protection to the person by alerting a third party, usually the police, to the individual being under threat. This means the appropriate assistance can be sent.

Most PA buttons are push button devices fixed to walls, cabinets and counters. These are fine when you can get to them but they should be supplemented by portable radio PA buttons. These are carried on the person who can discreetly press them in the event of an attack. Radio PA buttons are essential if just one or two people are responsible for opening and closing the business as this is the most vulnerable time for staff.

 

5. Be aware of the risk of CCTV hackers

CCTV has come a long way in recent years with the introduction of high-definition cameras, digital recording and video analytics, including face recognition systems. While these developments have made CCTV systems more convenient, some innovations have left them vulnerable to new forms of attack.

CCTV systems that are connected to the internet so that they can be remotely viewed from mobile phones or other computer devices are a good example. While being able to view the cameras and even talk to persons on the premises is a security improvement, being connected to the internet leaves the system vulnerable to hacking. Hackers can use online CCTV to hack in and disable the recording. They may also be able to hack into databases, putting ransomware and other computer viruses on systems.

 

6. Wireless cameras: be alert to radio jamming

Another innovation is the wireless camera, which is connected to the premises’ router via Wi-Fi. Easy to install, wireless cameras are a good aesthetic choice as there is no need for wires and cabling. However, they are very vulnerable to simple handheld radio jamming and blocking devices, which can be bought online for less than £200 and used to block all Wi-Fi traffic and some alarm signalling systems. It is therefore recommended that hard-wired systems are still used where possible.

 

7. Ensure you have the right insurance cover

Jewellers often design and install security systems with the advice of alarm providers and security companies who design the installation in accordance with British and European standards and police requirements.

However, your insurer may have additional requirements. That is why it is imperative that, in order not to compromise insurance cover, any change to your security system is approved by your insurers before it is installed. This could prevent expensive alterations after the event.

 

Lee Wallace is Senior Account Manager and Security Lead at TH March and Chairman of the Association of Insurance Surveyors.

Find out more about Insurance for Jewellers at TH March

Source: TH March