When it comes to physical security management, law firms have a choice. They can run their security systems themselves, or they can outsource the duties and responsibilities to an expert security provider.
For most law firms, it’s vital to leave security in the hands of trusted experts to ensure that both their people and their confidential information are protected 24x7. That’s why 79% of the nation’s top 200 law firms depend on Kastle Systems to manage, monitor and maintain their physical security.
Physical security for law firms is focused on ensuring that the access to facilities, files and devices are controlled, monitored, and protected around the clock. Few companies operate on a 9-5 schedule and law firms are no exception, with staff regularly working long and unusual hours. Each office must be secure, yet accessible at all hours. This calls for a security system that is managed 24x7, ensuring it is running seamlessly and effectively all day and all night. Having someone on staff monitor your security systems around the clock can be costly, but if you don’t have someone to monitor your system continuously, you are leaving your firm vulnerable to risk and liability.
And what should your security team be monitoring? Trained security experts should be monitoring alarms such as propped doors, as well as fire, life safety, and critical systems. Environmental conditions in the server room can also be monitored on a 24x7 basis to prevent damage from high temperatures, humidity, flooding, and power outages. Damage to server rooms can result in the loss of crucial data and client files residing on this equipment. Having immediate knowledge of system abnormality can help firms avoid or limit costly damage. As the adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
In addition to continuous monitoring, the best way to protect offices across many locations and ensure there are no gaps in security is to establish consistent standards across you’re your offices. This requires a single person to be responsible for ensuring compliance. The best solution in this case is to simplify: create a single, secure database of security and access profiles that integrates with your existing HR or Active Directory database. This integrated database is always in-sync and facilities easy and immediate system-wide on and off-boarding. Ideally, this database is maintained by an expert who is responsible for all aspects of your security system -managed security at its most effective.
Since many law firms often have multiple offices, and legal professionals frequently travel between them, one credential can be programmed to access multiple offices, which reduces credential distribution and tracking. In most cases, that same credential can also be integrated with each building’s access system. This one-card-access reduces the administrative burden on office managers and HR staff, and decreases costs by saving on the number of credentials that need to be issued.
For law firms that choose to run a security system in-house, it can get complicated and expensive. They must have a redundant, 24x7 operations center for monitoring and business continuity, a team that is knowledgeable about the systems in place, a maintenance partner for equipment repairs, and the ability to create and manage a technological infrastructure to support the systems.
If you would like to learn more about Kastle Systems and Managed Security Services for Law Firms, simply email info@kastle.com. We would be happy to provide you with a complimentary security assessment and system design. Until then, Stay Safe.