Table of Contents Tribal Knowledge and high dependence on a few individuals Limited Visibility into your organization’s operations A reactive approach to incidents Dependent on external vendors and integrators Lack of the proper tools to manage your security operations Overwhelmed with managing your physical security systems? Well, you’re not alone. According to an industry report, a staggering 91% of directors think that physical security incidents will either rise or stay the same in the years to come. With 60% of companies having experienced a physical security breach in the past five years it’s not uncommon for security directors, coordinators and end-users to feel the heat. Coupled with shrinking budgets and limited resources, teams can become overwhelmed pretty quickly. When it comes to managing physical security systems, the most common culprits that are causing headaches are: high dependency on a few individuals, limited visibility into security processes, a reactive approach to incidents, a lack of purpose-built tools to streamline operations, and an excessive reliance on external vendors. Let’s take a look at each of these five areas and explore how a holistic approach that includes a robust physical security management platform can help you overcome these obstacles and drive your security program to the next level. 1. Tribal Knowledge and high dependence on a few individuals Security teams often have limited resources, including budget, personnel, and time, which can make it difficult to effectively manage all aspects of physical security. Many security departments rely on a few individuals to manage the security systems and keep them running. These individuals, over time, develop a very thorough understanding of the system that everyone else on the team relies on. If one of these individuals leaves or becomes unavailable for some reason, the security department is in a tough spot. This over-reliance can lead to an increased risk of errors, burnout, and gaps in coverage. On the other hand, if you rely on a security provider or external service to monitor and manage your security, remember that the security industry’s turnover rates exceed 100% annually. That means the average security vendor has an entirely new workforce every 12 months! How to know if your department has “key person dependency”? Do you have a plan in place to mitigate the impact of losing a key individual? Are there cross-training programs or documentation to ensure that other personnel can step in if needed? Have you standardized the way that your systems are managed and maintained? Does losing a key individual impact your ability to manage your systems? How prepared is your department to handle an emergency or disruption without the assistance of these specific individuals? Digitization limits the impact of losing key individuals Digitization plays a pivotal role in mitigating the impact of losing key individuals within the security department. By automating processes and implementing digital solutions, organizations can ensure that critical tasks are not solely dependent on a handful of staff members. 2. Limited Visibility into your organization’s operations Physical security systems play a crucial role in the overall security posture of any organization. As technology continues to advance, the visibility of these systems has become increasingly crucial in deterring how effective these systems actually perform. Security is only as effective as its performance, and often performance is difficult to measure if you don’t have the tools to see what is going on. For example, due to poor visibility of contract staff performance, work completion, and quality, issues with surveillance cameras and access control readers are often overlooked until a security incident occurs. Solution? Vendor compliance with site-specific physical security system specifications and ensuring all physical security systems are consistently installed, maintained, and monitored. In today’s digital world, you can’t afford the risks that come with low visibility, siloed information, and poor system performance. The average team wastes more than 20 hours per month due to inadequate collaboration and communication. That’s six work weeks per year when teams are not being productive. The problem is severe in the United States, with collaboration and communication silos costing even more: 7 hours per week, totaling more than 350 hours yearly! The good news is that you can take control and get the most out of your security investments with the right systems and tools. SiteOwl delivers visibility by enabling end-users to: Track and manage all your system devices across your infrastructure. Stay on top of ongoing security system deployments and maintenance. Monitor the health and performance of your security systems. Identify and address potential threats before they impact your business. With digital transformation picking up speed, organizations are rapidly shifting to cloud-based platforms to manage the lifecycle of their security systems. 3. A reactive approach to incidents Constantly putting out fires has operational and budgetary costs. Physical security programs should be able to move beyond firefighting to a more strategic and holistic approach to security. But in order to do that, your team needs to be equipped with the tools and resources to address your organization’s unique security needs. Quick steps to Shift From Reactive to Proactive Asses current security measures and identifies potential weak points.By conducting a thorough risk assessment, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of their vulnerabilities and potential threats. This information can then be used to develop targeted security strategies, prioritizing areas that need improvement while eliminating redundant or ineffective measures. Collaborate with stakeholders to foster a more forward-thinking mindset. Digitally transform the delivery and management of your security infrastructure. Security teams can effectively shift from constantly addressing immediate concerns to building comprehensive, long-term security strategies. With SiteOwl, you can quickly get a complete picture of your security posture across your entire infrastructure so that you’ll always know where you stand and what needs to be done next. Identifying, managing, and eliminating vulnerabilities is a fundamental capability for any organization that prioritizes security, and the numbers prove it. For example, high-performing teams are nearly 2.5 times more likely to practice problem management proactively instead of waiting to put out fires. Transform your

Table of Contents Spreadsheets lack visual insights Spreadsheets are not purpose-built for security Spreadsheets don’t scale well Don’t automatically update as the system grows No visual proof = No confidence Physical security happens in real-time Did you know that physical security breaches can be just as devastating to your business as cyber breaches? Based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy, physical attacks on the grid rose 77% in 2022. So if criminals are bold enough to target government infrastructure, how much more vulnerable are private businesses? Here’s the thing: Physical security is the foundation of any cyber defense. Because cyber security is only as good as its weakest link, it’s important to ensure your physical security measures are as strong as your cyber defenses. The challenge with managing physical security systems is that many of the tools you use  are just not designed for the task.  Specifically, many security teams rely on spreadsheets for managing their physical security systems. According to a survey conducted by the SANS Institute, over half of the manufacturers polled (65%) said they use spreadsheets to manage their physical security systems. Don’t get me wrong: We love spreadsheets; they’re practical, easy to use and they’re a go-to tool for countless teams and companies. But are they actually the best tool for designing, managing, and maintaining your physical security systems?   Research indicates that spreadsheet users spend on average 12 hours per month (that’s one-and-a-half eight-hour work days!) updating, revising, consolidating, modifying, and correcting spreadsheets. Is that what you want your security team to be doing?   Here are six pitfalls of using spreadsheets to manage your physical security systems and what to do instead. 1. Spreadsheets lack visual insights Many security teams resort to utilizing spreadsheets, which are inherently lacking in their ability to meet the unique demands of physical security management. Due to their tabular format, spreadsheets fail to offer a comprehensive visual representation of devices on a floor plan. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult to effectively manage and monitor their security infrastructure, highlighting the need for better-suited tools designed specifically for this task. What’s a better tool for managing your security infrastructure? One effective solution for managing your security infrastructure is a dedicated lifecycle management platform that enables you to manage all aspects of your physical security system in a centralized location. SiteOwl is built specifically for physical security management, offering advanced features like map-based visualizations, comprehensive system dashboards, and real-time visibility for increased operational efficiency and overall security effectiveness. 2. Spreadsheets are not purpose-built for security Many security teams continue to depend on spreadsheets for managing their physical security systems, despite their suboptimal nature. This is primarily because spreadsheets are not specifically designed to handle the complex requirements of physical security management.  Consequently, they lack the necessary features and functionality to effectively promote a proactive security stance. By relying on such an inadequate tool, security teams may face significant challenges in maintaining the safety and integrity of their security systems. Consistent security system practices Implementing consistent and scalable security system practices is crucial for organizations looking to adapt to ever-changing security challenges. With SiteOwl, you can establish a standardized framework that caters to your organization’s unique security needs and seamlessly accommodates future growth. 3. Spreadsheets don’t scale well Security teams often start with a spreadsheet to manage their physical security systems. A spreadsheet for video surveillance, a spreadsheet for access control readers, one for badge printers, and the list goes on until they realize what they cannot obtain from a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets are not designed to be the central system of record for enterprise security systems. Even if you’re an Excel wizard, you can only do so much when it comes to managing complex security systems efficiently.  But there’s a better way. Rapidly Capture Asset Information with SiteOwl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHm_3Xgq0Fg&ab_channel=SiteOwl Warranty Dates Part Numbers MAC addresses IP Address 4. Don’t automatically update as the system grows The physical security industry is experiencing a huge digital disruption, and to be successful, you need to understand how to leverage the power of technology. Maintaining the status quo will only increase security risks and expose your organization to greater vulnerabilities. Not to get overly technical, but here’s the challenge with spreadsheets: It comes down to being able to trust the data you’re looking at, and the limited data structure of spreadsheets means that multiple copies of data are inevitable.  Spreadsheets are great for many things, but when it comes to tracking security projects, service, and installation quality, you will quickly see the benefits of a centralized platform that can deliver: Robust real-time reporting to facilitate coordination, commissioning, and programming. Centralized system of record with auditing, warranty, and lifecycle management. Vendor compliance with site-specific requirements for vendor performance. SiteOwl makes it easy to stay up to date… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oupbuBeA3lk&ab_channel=SiteOwl Information is the lifeblood of modern physical security systems, and with accurate data, you can avoid ending up with a lot of wasted time and money.  5. No visual proof = No confidence It’s 9:00 am, and you go over to check on your cameras and notice that the same card readers working yesterday aren’t working today. Additionally, two security cameras are down, which means your security guards can’t see what’s happening in the parking lot. What went wrong? Sequence of events: A security team member identified the access card readers as out of service and reported the issue. Another team member added the note about the cameras being out of position and notified your security integrator. This happened totally by chance and not due to any sort of planned maintenance. Integrator’s turnaround time to get the readers and cameras back up and running was 4 hours. Once onsite. You have to assign someone to escort the integrator to the site of the down devices, pulling the team member away from other important tasks. Integrator begins to work on the cameras, and you proceed to the next item on your list. Then the next day arrives,

According to the latest digital transformation report, 87% of senior business leaders say digitization is a priority and 97% of enterprise decision-makers are involved in a digital transformation initiative.

According to the latest digital transformation report, 87% of senior business leaders say digitization is a priority and 97% of enterprise decision-makers are involved in a digital transformation initiative.