The last couple of years have driven a significant shift in the way we work—and the way most of us think about security. As we continue to strive forward, organizations are exploring how and when to bring staff back to the office. Many companies are considering long-term remote or hybrid work models that would see staff continue to work from home or only come on-site intermittently. With these new work models gaining traction, workplace security is set for a serious reboot.
Historically, corporate security was largely focused on protecting physical assets: controlling who entered facilities and what they were able to access on-site.
But many organizations are shifting the focus of their security teams to encompass a greater task. Strategy changes during and after the pandemic have changed what security post-pandemic means, both for those tasked with maintaining security and for everyone else at the organization. The “duty of care” for security personnel has been redefined to include protecting the company’s workforce—whether on–or off-site.
The evolution of security platforms
Corporate security teams have traditionally relied on single-function tools for individual tasks. But as the demands on security teams evolve and expand, they are seeking out ways to repurpose existing systems or new solutions designed to perform multiple tasks.
Right now, there is considerable frustration around the fragmentation and complexity of security tasks. Single-function solutions make it challenging to combine the various jobs security teams are now tasked with visitor management, physical access control, and risk management, to name a few.
Security incidents have increased amid the pandemic as bad actors took advantage of many organizations’ lack of preparation for remote or hybrid work models. As the frequency and scope of these incidents rises, companies are focusing more on the impact of these incidents on their operations.
Preparing for this new security paradigm
Today’s security landscape calls for an element of inter-departmental collaboration in combination with organization-wide investments in security solutions.
While companies moving toward reducing their physical footprint may assume this will drive a decrease in security needs, it’s important to recognize that those needs will actually increase when employees are more widely dispersed. Security professionals will need to find ways to monitor where and how staff are working to ensure business continuity while also avoiding an invasion of privacy.
To learn more about how you can support a hybrid work model with our visitor management solutions or space booking integrations, contact us today.
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