As things start to get back to the “new normal” and we adapt to a different way of living, the importance of not overlooking security becomes much more prominent. Whilst quite rightly prioritising personal health, people shouldn’t forget how important robust security methods are in protecting their homes, belongings and businesses from theft and burglary. In this blog Secured by Design member company Selectamark give an overview of how they can help with these security measures.
Selectamark has a portfolio of asset security brands that can help businesses, those working from home and others returning to work, to protect their assets. Organisations such as the NHS, police and government have been using these solutions throughout the pandemic to protect the public, employees and critical equipment from crime.
Safe as Houses
The SelectaDNA range uses synthetically-manufactured DNA to create a unique identifier that can be carried in substances such as adhesive-like solutions, gels or liquids and brushed onto items such as IT equipment, smartphones, tools and jewellery. The solution contains a unique forensic signature that is permanent and barely visible once it’s dried – it will only appear under an ultraviolet light.
The SelectaDNA kits are a trusted crime prevention solution which has resulted in reductions in household burglaries by up to 83% and is a method often adopted by many police forces in the UK in crime hotspot areas.
Due to the current situation, there has been a huge investment in home office equipment such as laptops and monitors that have allowed people to work from home, exercise machines and technology such as games consoles and iPads. The value of all these new assets emphasise the importance of having good home security measures in place. The SelectaDNA Home kits can mark up to 50 items including desktop PC’s, laptops, smartphones, TV’s and digital cameras. As-well as this, we offer more specialised kits including those for jewellery, art, music and sports equipment; all of which can be found and purchased on the website.
Having these items forensically marked can give you great peace of mind that they are protected when you return to work and they are left at home.
Building Up Protection
Theft of plant equipment and tools from construction sites and even people’s homes has been an issue during lockdown, as much of it has been left unattended for a prolonged period of time.
This sort of theft can lead to significant costs to replace and delays in project completion times which can be incredibly detrimental to a business. SelectaDNA offers both a Tools and Equipment kit and a Plant and Machinery kit which are specially designed to protect this type of equipment. Displaying warning stickers or signage can also have a great effect when deterring theft as it makes thieves aware your property is forensically marked, therefore traceable and far more difficult to sell on.
Keeping Burglars Out of Your Business
For businesses and retail premises, SelectaDNA has developed an Intruder Spray System that helps protect buildings from burglaries and robberies. A canister system, that is triggered by a break-in, is placed above doors and windows. It sprays the offender as they enter, and the solution can remain on their skin, hair and clothes for weeks.
It makes criminals really assess the risk they’re willing to take as our DNA solutions provide a direct link back to a location or crime, guaranteeing a conviction if an offender is apprehended.
The SelectaDNA Spray is now used in over 20 countries and is used by banks, jewellers, petrol stations, supermarkets, restaurants and retail outlets to protect their stocks, assets and employees.
Securing Your Assets
Tools and any household assets including jewellery, antiques, smartphones and electronic equipment can also be registered on Selectamark’s Secure Asset Register, known as SAR, which is now the only Secured by Design approved property register that is free for both the public and police to use.
Items registered on the database have an increased likelihood of being returned if they are stolen and recovered by the police as it provides a direct link between asset and owner.
SAR was developed by Selectamark to meet the growing need for police and insurance approved online property registers. SAR is tested and certified to the Loss Prevention Certification Board’s LPS1224 Issue 3, and it is the only property database to hold this sought-after standard. Selectamark is also certified to ISO27001:2013 for its information security management system. All of these accreditations set SAR apart from any other property register.
Initially, the free registration is set at 10 assets per user. Users can then upgrade to a SelectaDNA Home Kit if they have more than 10 items of property they wish to register and if they want to mark their property and benefit from the deterrent value of the warning stickers supplied with the kit.
Safer Cycling
Another crime trend that has sadly risen since lockdown restrictions have lifted is bike theft. Given the government’s push to have more people start cycling as part of their commute, bike registration and bike marking has become even more important to protect cycles from theft and aid owner recovery in the event they do get stolen.
Selectamark owns and maintains BikeRegister, the national cycle database, which is the only police-recognised, bicycle marking and registration scheme. Registering on BikeRegister is free and means you could be reunited with your bike in the event of it being stolen, but it does not help make it a hard target to thieves. To reduce the chances of you becoming a victim of cycle theft, you need a bike marking kit, of which there are three available to choose from.
Crime really does have a big and long-lasting effect on victims, whether it’s a residential burglary, bike theft, street robbery or a retailer targeted by armed robbers. These crimes are all a big deal, so we are determined to play our part in helping police drive down criminal activity.
As we come out of lockdown, we will continue to offer businesses, homeworkers and those returning to the office tried and tested solutions that can guarantee them peace of mind and an added sense of security as they adapt to their new work environment.
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