If you run a business you are very lucky. This is a fascinating place to live and to do business. When business is booming, things feel good, right? Yet as you might already know, it does not take much for things to go from positive to negative. The world of business is breakneck, and what feels secure today could become vulnerable tomorrow. That goes double for your most prized assets. With that in mind, what do you have in your place of work to keep said assets safe? A safe?
If you don’t have a high-security safe in your business, you could be at risk. Being aware of your security obligations is one of the most prominent tasks a business owner can take on. Buying a high-security safe provides you with a place where you can keep the most precious assets your business has on-site.
Are you interested in upscaling your security by investing in a high-security safe? Then read through this guide which has been prepared by an expert locksmith Doncaster. We’ll help you to understand exactly what you get for your wise investment!
The Trouble With Standard Safes
The best place to start, of course, is what you actually get in comparison. Your old safe is good. Great, even. However, it is not perfect. Standard safe designs have been around since the times of the ancient Egyptian civilisation. Obviously, the safe you have in your storage is going to be a little more advanced than what the Pharaohs of old would have been using, but still!
Ever since safes came onto the market, criminals have found ways to exploit and work around their protections. Until the mid-1830s, in fact, it was still common for safes to be easily outworked by those with the right skills and coordination. Thanks to the Chubb family, namely Charles and Jeremiah, the advent of what we would consider modern safes came to be. Their patented anti-burglar safes became the go-to in the industry, but even those advancements have long since been superseded.
Traditionally, safes in commercial spaces still operate like a traditional safe. They don’t have a dial like you see in the movies; they have a lock and a system. What does your current safe have?
While a lock and key safe remains durable and suitable, there is always the flaw that if the key is lost, then the contents could be much harder to reach. Losing the key means you need to crack the safe, most likely by calling a locksmith to do the deed for you. Then, you need to replace the safe itself. Not great, right? Even a semi-skilled criminal could pick the lock, anyway.
For commercial premises, you need something more – you need a high-security safe, something with more robust protections and far fewer vulnerabilities.
High Security Safes: At A Glance
So, what is a high-security safe? Aren’t all safes ‘high-security’ in their own right? Well, technically.
However, high-security safes are designed with the express purpose of keeping high-value assets in them. From high-end jewellery and your latest product samples to important documentation and even your day’s takings, high-security safes offer something far more comprehensive. They are far more durable in their build quality, too, making them much harder to force open or break through.
Most high-security safes that a locksmith would recommend to you will come with extra regulations and accreditations. Crucially, these high-security safes come with a much larger cash rating than you get with traditional models. Let’s say, for example, that your new high-security safe has a cash rating of £20,000 included. That would mean that if you were robbed and lost, say, £15,000 from the vault, you would be eligible for compensation to the full £15,000 amount.
They also come with extensive security functions that make the barrier to entry much higher. For example, you can use ‘smart security’ protections on a high-security lock. Instead of a rusty old key, you use biometrics, dual-lock mechanisms, two-factor authentication, and digital entry methods.
What Types Of High-Security Safes Are There?
In a word? Many!
High-security locks come in all shapes, sizes, purposes and styles. Some of the most popular models include:
Media Safes
An interesting starting place when looking at high-security safes is media safes. Sometimes known as data safes, these are great for commercial businesses who prize their data. You could keep important documentation and data in here, as well as digital files held on USB flash drives, hard drives, etc.
Sometimes, your most prized asset is your information as opposed to something like jewellery or cash. Like most high-security safes, these have excellent protection against fire, water damage, physical damage, and also digital signal interference.
You can use these safes to store vital data, customer information, payment receipts, invoices, supplier details, plans, or any other valuable data your business deals with. Most media safes are lined with protective materials to block RFID and Wi-Fi signals, limiting the risk of potential interference from an outside source.
Deposit Safes
Perhaps the most common choice in the banking and finance industry, deposit safes allow for easy input but challenging output. Money, for example, could be dropped into the funnel at the top of the safe. Then, the safe can be opened with the correct credentials to collect the money inside. If you are looking for a high-security safe for your weekly takings, this is probably the best place to get started.
Like most high-security safes, these are designed using elite standard materials that keep whatever you place inside nice and safe. Nobody could fit their hand into the slit, either; even if they could, getting anything out the other side would be impossible!
Fireproof/Waterproof Safes
With a standard safe, a fire burning for long enough could melt the poor thing. With a high-security safe with fireproofing, that is not going to happen. Traditionally, fireproof safes are also waterproof. That means in the event of a fire or a flood, your high-security safe and its contents will still be standing at the end of it all!
Many businesses have lost their daily takings or valuable assets in a fire or flood. These safes give you peace of mind that it is not going to happen, whilst also bolstering security metrics. Yes, the safe’s exterior might get damaged, but most high-security safes have interiors so robust that they could survive even major flames. A commercial locksmith could open the safe for you even in the event of exterior damage. They also tend to be physically durable, reducing the risk of brute force entry.
Mounted Safes (Wall Or Floor)
There is always the worry that someone with the right physical strength could just lift your safe off the floor and walk away with it, right? Well, with wall or floor-mounted safes, that is not going to happen. Unless you happen to get robbed by the Incredible Hulk, your mounted safe isn’t going anywhere!
These are designed to be immobile safes that use heavy-duty bolting to keep them stuck to the floor. Not only are they highly durable, but they are also designed to stay in place for years to come. To remove a mounted safe, you would need industrial equipment to get the job done.
Not many criminals are cruising around with these tools, and the attention such equipment would draw makes it an unlikely target. Thanks to their extensive locking methods, you can make unwanted entry almost impossible.
How Do I Lock My High-Security Safe?
Variety is the spice of life, as they say. And in the security industry, variety is vital. Without having numerous ways to manage our security assets, criminals would easily break through the universal choice. As such, you can pick from various methods for managing your high-security safes, such as:
Digital/E-Locks
Probably the best choice overall, electronic locks give you a very modern choice that provides a nice blend between convenience and capability. Electronic locks can be managed using PIN-managed keypads, for example. By giving only the select people who should have access to the PIN code, you limit the risk of the locks being broken into. You can even set parameters where the lock codes can change on a regular basis, making sure only the top of your security team has the code(s).
You can also set failsafes in place, such as a set number of failed attempts before the safe will block further input. Electronic locks are useful as they can track entry numbers, times and dates, etc. – you can then line this up with other security methods, like access control systems, to work out who has tried to access your high-security safe.
Combination Locks
Modernity is great, but sometimes we want a little bit of the old-school. Well, enter combination locks. These are the traditional dials that you see on safes in movies. To open the lock, you need to twist the dial until you hit the correct number combination. These are the best choice when you want something easy to use that you know your staff can get to grips with. Of course, their ease of use also means they are slightly less secure than the more modern, robust electronic locks above.
That being said, combination locks are a great choice. Working out the code through guesswork is not easy at all, and there is also no risk of losing the key. These are the general starting places for most high-security lock owners, but they are middle of the road in terms of overall security.
Biometric Scanners
Of course, you could go down the advanced route of using biometrics. While these cost a lot more to have added to your high-security safes, they are the apex of safe security. Unless someone manages to copy your retina or your thumbprint, these are about as secure as you can get!
Biometric scanners turn the person into the security key, as opposed to relying on a combination code, PIN code, or key. The benefit, of course, is that nobody has to remember any codes; they just need to bring their hands/eyes to work. If you are looking for top-of-the-range security without worrying about cost, then biometrics are the best way to go.
Two-Factor Locking
You can also get high-security safes that come with dual lock systems implemented. This means that you can have more than one lock. For example, you could have to put in a PIN code or combination key, and then a biometric scan. Or, a PIN code and a dial combination.
These are great for anyone who wants to have extra peace of mind that if one security method is breached, another layer exists. Various varieties exist, from PIN and key combinations to biometric and combination lock combos.
Things To Consider When Buying High-Security Safes
If you think your business needs a high-security safe, then you have much to ponder. We recommend speaking with a professional locksmith in the area. Security experts, like those found at local companies like Lock & Key, can give you a professional rundown of what the best choice of safe would be for your needs. Generally, you should ask yourself the following questions:
What Is My Budget?
If you go in expecting a high-security safe to cost you the change in your pocket, think again. While normal safes can cost you around £100 to £200, high-security safes start at – and often exceed – the £1,000 mark. You get what you pay for, though.
Not only do they come with higher cash ratings (see below) to justify the cost, but they are also going to be more secure. A cheap safe could be easily broken through; a high-security safe is far more secure than a normal safe. If you are willing to spend on security, you should be able to get a top-notch safe for your budget. Again, a locksmith can give you a good idea of what you will need to pay.
How Much Cash Rating Do I Need?
We mentioned cash rating before, and it is an essential part of your discussion around buying a safe. You need a high cash rating on your safe. Otherwise, it might not cover the contents inside your safe. You need to have a cash rating that covers the value of the assets inside.
If you are going to be keeping thousands of pounds in cash or in assets in your safe, you need a safe with a matching cash rating. High-security safes are accredited and come with a set cash rating. A locksmith can recommend the best high-security safe for the cash rating you require.
How Much Space Do I Require?
The aim of buying a high-security safe is that it should be part of your business for years to come. Your safe should therefore be large enough to store what you need in future as opposed to what you need to store today. Think about the scalability of your business; if you could already fill a smaller safe with your current assets, you will need a larger safe as your business grows in size, right?
A professional locksmith can give you a good idea of what sizes are available and what would be suitable for the asset(s) you intend to store within the safe.
Who Installs My High-Security Safe?
Let us be frank and say that DIY installation is a fool’s errand. If you want to get maximum value from your purchase, hire a professional. Expert locksmiths should be your go to as they can give you a rundown of all the basics you need. From supplying the safe to installing it for you, they can deal with everything to make sure you get the full protection and capability you were looking for.
Locksmiths are security professionals; they deal with far more than changing the locks on your door. Instead of having to use multiple service providers, a locksmith can provide the consultation and the installation of your new high-security locks. Why make things harder than they need to be?
What High-Security Safe Is Best For My Business?
Unfortunately, we could not say for certain without actually being present to look at your place of work. However, for the most part, having a floor or wall-mounted high-security safe is the best place to start. You can pick from a wide range of security features to find the opening/closing style you are happy with. You can also ensure it is fireproof/waterproof, etc.
Wall-mounted safes tend to be quite low-profile, too, making them easy to hide and obscure. If you worry about a safe standing out too much and attracting the gaze of criminals, wall/floor-mounted safes are the best bet. You might want to plan where to have your safe installed. Most will choose to have it installed in senior management offices or in the security room of the building.
Every business is different, so consult with your security team, and they should be able to advise you on the best place(s) for your safe to be installed. A locksmith can do the same; give them a tour of the building, and they can recommend the most effective places for high-security safe installation.
Take the time to review your options with a professional. You should be much more likely to get the results you were hoping for. There is no sense in taking the time to invest in a high-security safe only to install or secure the safe incorrectly. With the help of an expert locksmith, you can get the advice you need to make an informed decision that will pay off in the weeks, months and years to come.
With as many as 70% of commercial burglaries going unsolved, don’t leave yourself at needless risk. Take action today, secure your assets, and make sure you can sleep a little easier at night. Work with an expert, resolve your security flaws, and get the best high-security safe fitted for your business. Trust us, the peace of mind alone makes this completely worthwhile!
