Hi-Tech-Blog

“Retail Theft Costs Reach $104B Annually”
Dayton Business Journal (11/13/08)

Theft costs retailers around $104 billion a year, according to the annual Global Retail Theft Barometer. Employee theft is the leading cause of “shrinkage,” or stock lost from crime, in North America. Employees stole $14.6 billion in merchandise in 2008, as well as over $9 billion in stolen cash, coupons, and gift cards. Authorities caught around 5.3 million people stealing between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008. Though 84.6 percent of those were customers, the average employee who was caught stole far more. The most popular products for thieves included cosmetics, alcohol, electronics, and watches. The Global Retail Theft Barometer is based on a survey of 920 large retailers around the world.
(go to web site)

“In the Crosshairs”
Risk Management (11/08) Vol. 55, No. 11, P. 48 ; Gunther, Will

To minimize the impact of workplace shootings, employers should have procedures in place that alert workers as to potential danger and ensure security is aware of a breach. Some employers will develop key phrases or words to alert security and other workers to a potential threat. Employers also will want to move guards away from metal detectors and next to monitors, providing them a safe distance away from entrants so law enforcement can be alerted quickly without disruption. Once alerted, workers should move to the first available room and lock the door, and if the lock does not work, furniture should be used to barricade the door. Lights should be turned off and blinds drawn to limit visibility, and workers should step away from the door. Emergency kits must be made available to workers and should include glow-in-the-dark tape, a grease pencil, a detailed layout of the building, first-aid materials, and a flashlight. These items can help emergency workers to rescue employees and safety apprehend shooters with minimal casualties.
(go to web site)

“Winter Focus on Security Lighting”
Info4Security (U.K.) (10/21/08) ; Hildebrand, Anthony

As winter approaches and the days grow shorter, it is a good time for businesses to consider installing security lighting. Lighting can not only serve as a deterrent to potential intruders but is also necessary for video surveillance equipment to function properly. Marl has developed new high brightness floodlights that use just 30 watts of power. The four efficient LED lights can last for over ten years, providing companies with a long-term, low-maintenance security solution. Marl’s 742 series is designed to provide a wide area of light below the lamps, minimizing light pollution while allowing for maximum flexibility. Axis Communications markets a low-energy consumption lighting system designed to support the company’s network cameras. The company’s white LED lights use just 25 watts, helping businesses reduce consumption at a time when energy prices are rising. Experts recommend that businesses allow a professional to inspect their lighting system, which could result in significant savings and increased security.
(go to web site)

“Sign of the Times? UK Retailers Security Tag Meat”
Reuters (UK) (10/20/08) ; Joseph, John

In Britain, some stores are placing security tags on meat, as shoplifting is expected to rise in the wake of the global financial crisis. “Retailers are preparing for a rapid rise in offenses and are adapting crime prevention methods, for example placing electronic security tags on expensive cuts of meat,” said the director general of the British Retail Consortium. In 2007, shoplifting crimes in Britain dropped by more than 25 percent; however, the BRC worries that the worldwide financial crisis will stop that trend. According to a BRC spokesman, tagging meat products shows that retailers are falling victim to theft and that they are worried about customers being strapped for cash.
(go to web site)

“High-Tech ID Cards Rolling Out at Ports”
Boston Globe (10/06/08) ; Ballou, Brian R.

On Oct. 15, New England’s ports will become the first in the country to implement a new high-tech identification card for port workers. Beginning on that day, workers who do not have a Transportation Worker Identification Credential card will either be barred entry or taken to their destination by an escort. In order to obtain a high-tech identification card, a worker must submit to an extensive background check performed by the Transportation and Security Administration. The cards contain a photograph of the worker, as well as a chip that contains a copy of the cardholder’s fingerprints. Before entering a secure area, workers will undergo a fingerprint scan to confirm their identity. Although the cards will be mandatory in New England in mid-October, the fingerprint scanners are not expected to be operational for several months. Also, as of a week before the compliance date, around 3,000 of New England’s 8,000 port workers had not yet applied for cards. The International Longshoreman’s Association, a union which represents around 45,000 port workers across the country, worked with the Department of Homeland Security to create a fair appeal process for workers who were denied cards and limit the number of years considered during a background check.
(go to web site)

“Richardson: Workplace Policies on Domestic Violence Required”
New Mexico Business Weekly (10/01/08)

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson recently signed an executive order mandating state agencies to introduce workplace policies pertaining to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking so that victims can feel secure at work. The new state policies must be implemented by July 1 of next year. “Domestic violence affects all New Mexicans, and its damage is inflicted not only upon victims, but their children, families, communities and employers,” said Richardson. According to Richardson’s order, agencies can look at the New Mexico Domestic Violence Leadership Commission’s model policy when crafting their own workplace policies. “There is a huge financial cost to employers when victims are distracted and harassed at work, or simply absent,” said Sharon Pino, the state’s domestic violence czar. “By creating supportive and safe work environments, victims are able to maintain employment and are more likely to gain the financial independence necessary to escape a violent relationship.”
(go to web site)

“Employee Fraud Checked With Smarter Devices”
The Australian (Australia) (09/26/08) ; Flandez, Raymund

A number of security vendors have developed new technologies to aid small businesses in protecting against employee theft. One system allows businesses owners to access surveillance video remotely through a Web portal. The security system also sends them a text message or e-mail if there is a problem with the lighting or climate control system. One popular form of employee theft is “skimming,” when cashiers or restaurant servers steal customers’ credit card information and steal their identity. A new wireless device allows customers to swipe their own credit cards and print out their own receipt, even preventing restaurant employees from inflating the tip. Grocery stores are another type of business that is victimized by employee theft. One of the largest problems is cashiers not scanning some items for their friends and family. However, a new system developed by StopLift automatically spots unusual movements by cashiers, such as placing their hand over the bar code so it does not scan. The technology combines surveillance video with advanced software to determine if items were properly scanned and flag any incidents. One store manager who recently began using the technology said that it was also helpful in spotting cashiers making unintentional mistakes.
(go to web site)

“Workplaces Need to Head Off Flashpoints Where Stressed Workers Can Explode”
Kansas City Star (09/24/08) ; Stafford, Diane

Many occurrences of workplace violence or fraud are preventable if supervisors watch for changes in employee behavior, according to Michael Tabman, founder of risk management and asset protection firm Sprint LLC. Problems with job bureaucracy, fears of unemployment, and marital issues do not necessarily cause violence, but failing to address them can. As many supervisors are cautious about being politically incorrect or asking too many personal questions, Tabman says they must be “intuitive” in noticing employees who may be having problems. According to Tabman, unfair or unclear company policies are often found in businesses that experience violence or fraud, as well as neglecting proper background checks for new hires or allowing one worker control over money. For starters, Tabman suggests making sure security systems for company data are established before an incident occurs.
(go to web site)

“Combating Workplace Dishonesty”
SecurityInfoWatch.com (09/13/08) ; Griffin, Joel

Between 40 percent and 50 percent of all company losses can be linked to workplace fraud, according to a new report titled “Connecting Research in Security to Practice” from the ASIS Foundation. An employee’s genetics, socialization, psychology, and attitude could make him or her more inclined to commit fraud, according to Read Hayes, the author of the report. Environmental factors could also lead to employee misconduct, such as collective workplace attitude and how the business treats the worker, as well as easy access to money, secrets, products, keys, and codes. Hayes says companies can better protect themselves by enhancing the pre-employment screening process and making sure that one person does not have complete access to funds or merchandise.
(go to web site)

Here’s what Norm Goldman of bookpleasures.com has to say about BE SAFE:

The title just about sums it all up Be Safe: Everything You Need To Know About Security To Be Safe wherein security expert and author Ed Morawski gives readers a comprehensive snapshot of the world of safety and security in your business and home.

Using his many years of experience as a security expert having been employed in a range of positions from technical support manager for the largest security company in California to starting his own Hi-Tech-Consulting assisting small business customers in securing electronic security systems utilizing the very latest technology, Morawski approaches the subject matter with a passionate desire to teach us how to prevent all types of loss through the best case means or the “Loss Prevention Approach.”  As pointed out, this approach will be a key element in choosing the best security contractor for your business, facility or home and it is designed not only to provide solutions but also to keep your losses to a minimum. Moreover, it is essential that the “Loss Prevention Approach” not only examines past and present threats but also anticipates future ones.

Weighing in at 220 pages and divided into twenty-five sections including a glossary and index, Everything You Need To Know About Security To Be Safe faces a tough challenge of covering a hefty subject matter in a small space. Yet, Morawski pulls its off with his keen perception and deep knowledge as he drills deep into all aspects of electronic security from fire and burglar alarms to sophisticated closed circuit video surveillance (CCTV) and card access systems. One caveat, however, and as the author mentions, electronics cannot solve all your problems and in many cases it will also be necessary to have a physical barrier and human security. 

Just looking at the opening section of the manual may give you some sleepless nights when you consider the multitude of external and internal threats when operating a business. For example, when you are open for business, there are always external risks as: hold-ups, takeover robberies, forgery, fraud, office theft, warehouse theft, executive threats and personal safety, workplace violence, vandalism to company property, vandalism to company vehicles, vandalism of employee vehicles, terrorism, fire, earthquakes and natural disasters. As for internal risks, you have to take into account the possibility of dishonest employees who may be involved in theft of goods and inventory, forgery, fraud, embezzlement, theft of company assets and tools, theft of proprietary information or customer data, time card fraud, increased premiums for worker’s compensation insurance, decreased productivity, and critical functions or processes not operating correctly.

Read the entire review at

http://www.bookpleasures.com/Lore2/idx/0/3875