November 14, 2008—Security experts and providers are seeing increasing demand from a number of organizations and individuals who may not have needed security services in the past. Roger Ameriks from Crown Security Group in New Zealand is one such witness.
Ameriks and his staff are seeing the world’s financial sector in the security spotlight as stress levels rise.
“Protocols need to be put in place to address all issues of security and personal safety in the business environment. We’re getting a lot of enquiries from people reassessing their security needs,” Ameriks says.
Redundancies are a sad reality of the world’s struggling economy, with tens of thousands of people losing their jobs in recent months. Ameriks says disgruntled employees burdened by financial worries can give rise to a host of security threats for a company.
As economies falls on hard times, the likelihood of rifts between business partners and colleagues also increases. In many years of security at the highest level, Ameriks has seen anger erupt into physical aggression in numerous settings—including the boardroom.
Corporate heads may also face threats to their personal safety in an ailing economy as people vent their anger at losing money, or their jobs.
Employee theft is another aspect to consider as people feel the pinch of a turbulent economy and rising living costs. A security audit can significantly reduce the risk of a company falling victim according to Ameriks.
Ultimately, he says addressing security in a business or organization is not about scaremongering or raising suspicion. “It’s about raising awareness of security issues and putting sound systems in place to keep people and the business safe from the very real threats that are out there these days.”
For more information, see the Crown Security Group Web site.
