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At their core, robust security systems are about peace of mind. Businesses use security systems to ensure no assets, trade secrets, or company equipment get stolen. Events use them to make sure attendants are safe and authorized for admission. The list goes on.

However, there is one area where “peace of mind” takes on an even more significant meaning: schools. Parents want to know that their kids are safe—whether those kids are daycare attendants, elementary students, high school teens, or fully grown university goers. It is the role and responsibility of schools to protect this most vulnerable, precious class of people.

And one of the best ways to protect them is with a visitor management system. The best visitor management solutions combine reliable hardware like time-sensitive badges and access control readers with cutting-edge software. Crucially, they allow only authorized individuals to be on the premises while recording a detailed log of visitor records.

In this post, Avon Security Products explores the manifold roles of a great visitor management system in keeping our schools safe.

Controlled Access: Reducing Intruder Risks and Elevating Student Safety

Perhaps the most significant role of a visitor management system is gatekeeping. It is a foolproof way to keep unwanted people, including intruders, out of schools.

These systems instantaneously sort authorized individuals from unauthorized individuals by scanning either expiring or non-expiring badges. As such, they head off any potential threats before they have an opportunity to get through the door.

Custodial Responsibility: Authorizing Pick-Ups and Drop-Offs

Expiring badges (that is, badges only authorized for set periods of time) are a fantastic way to manage custodial responsibility.

Naturally, parents do not want unauthorized people picking up their children and taking them away. Yet, every day, parents send custodians to retrieve kids from school—grandparents, older siblings, family friends, etc. To manage who can pick up and drop off kids, a visitor management system with expiring ID cards for schools grants temporary authority to individuals expressly authorized by parents.

Visitor Records: Reference and Investigation Data

Let’s say a kid decides to play hooky (a tale as old as time). Or, more concerningly, let’s say there was an incident at the school. In these unfortunate cases, parents and administrators (and occasionally law enforcement) would want to access in/out logs for reference and investigation.

Sophisticated visitor management systems allow these authorities to track the traffic at the door, thereby establishing timelines that aid in both internal and official investigations.

Attendance Logs in Case of Drills and Emergencies

In/out logs also play a critical role during drills and emergencies. They can inform school administrators who entered vs. who left the building to help them account for every student. This is especially relevant in higher education settings where the students themselves carry badges.

Pre-Approvals for Seamless Safety

Lastly, visitor management systems pre-authorize individuals for a seamless system of granting access. No more lengthy sign-in processes or manual logs stacked away in towering file cabinets. This turnkey approach to visitor management frees up administrators to focus on their core competencies, including managing student safety in other ways.

Curious about implementing a visitor management system in your school? Visit the Avon Security Products main page to buy security products in Canada, or contact us for more information. Together, we can make schools a safe, seamless place to nurture young minds.

The leading motivator for theft and many other violent crimes is money. As such, banks have always had a proverbial target on their backs; as storehouses for large sums of money, they attract an outsized number of intrusion and theft attempts.

As the saying goes, the best offence is a good defence. Improving your bank branch security goes a long way toward deterring crime, as most criminals will not target places with precise and rigorous security measures in place.

Below, your security experts at Avon Security Products discuss five winning strategies for keeping employees, clients, and reserves safe.

Train Employees in Security Protocols

While the right tools and systems can elevate security, ultimately, it is the employees who will determine the overall safety of your bank branch. After all, the employees set, monitor, update and use these security systems.

As such, the first strategy is to formalize training programs, like emergency response and suspicious behaviour recognition; this can be accomplished internally or through third-party certification. Either way, security should be a significant portion of your onboarding process. Next, execute regular drills and updates to training materials to keep safety top-of-mind for employees.

Implement Proximity Cards for Employees

If you own or manage a bank branch, you should strongly consider proximity cards for employees. Essentially, proximity cards are access control systems that use contactless cards/fobs to a) authorize entry into various rooms, vaults, and restricted-access areas and b) track the various comings and goings in these areas for posterity.

Each card is uniquely coded, making it nearly impossible to duplicate, and the systems can be scaled to accommodate multiple employees (across branches, if necessary). Importantly, you can integrate them with other security measures like surveillance cameras, alarm systems, and time and attendance tracking to achieve a holistic overview of your branch’s safety.

Install Advanced Surveillance Systems

Surveillance systems are one of the linchpins of bank security. However, too often, banks allow their surveillance systems to become outdated before replacement, leaving glaring vulnerabilities in your security.

Consider modern technologies like HD cameras and facial recognition for enhanced peace of mind. Ensure that continuous monitoring/recording is built into your security protocols. And brush up on industry best practices for camera placement and coverage (something the parent corporation should provide), including limiting blind corners and strengthening visibility with dusk-to-dawn lighting.

Strengthen Physical Barriers and Access Points

Robust doors, windows, and vaults are a must in any bank branch, as are tamper-proof locks. Update these access points along with a thorough proximity card system to ensure reliably restricted access across sensitive branch areas.

Conduct Regular Security Risk Assessments

Recently, we wrote a think piece on why businesses should conduct security risk assessments regularly. (The full article is available to read at the link.) In it, we highlight the immense importance of routine—routine checks, routine maintenance, routine updating, etc.

These remain evergreen pieces of advice, especially for banks. As you’ve done with protocols in the first section, systematize these assessments according to a consistent schedule so you never fall behind.

To summarize, banks need to be especially vigilant in the fight against crime. To improve branch security, consider elevating your access control systems, surveillance, training, assessments and physical access points.

There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a large festival or parade. When thousands converge on the same place for the same reason, there’s a type of hum in the air so palpable people can feel it. Whether the event is a Santa Claus Parade or Jazz Fest, it attracts like-minded people which produces a real buzz.

If you’re putting on the event, you have certain responsibilities towards staff and attendees and can’t just sit back and enjoy the show. When it comes to security for high-profile events like festivals or parades, the organizers need to be mindful and attentive. Avon Security Products can help make your next event seamlessly secure.

Let’s check out how proximity cards and ID badge holders can help protect attendees and the festival organizers.

Proximity Cards for Staff

Festival and parade staff can access sensitive areas other people can’t be. It’s crucial to put up a barrier to enforce access. Otherwise, trespassers can steal sensitive information or harm staff, attendees, or the festival’s hired acts.

Proximity cards and ID badge holders are excellent ways for people to prove they have permission to access specific spaces. With one tap, they can get into any space they’re designated to be.

VIP sections and Backstage Access

Some festivals and parades need more granular control over who can go where. There could be a VIP section restricted for people who pay a premium or a backstage area reserved just for the hired acts and certain friends and relatives.

Security doesn’t end once people are granted entry into the event. Out best security products make it easy for event organizers to control access, ensuring VIPs and those close the talent are free to roam as they please without subjecting themselves to a lengthy inspection at the door or worrying that unauthorized people will be in a restricted space.

Compatibility Isn’t an Issue

Festival organizers need to identify and prevent any potential problems from occurring wherever possible. Crowd control can be an issue if the gathering is truly large.

If employees, artists, and even the crowd themselves carry our ID cards or proximity cards, you know they’ll be compatible with any standard or HID proximity card reader.

We can customize your cards, so they reflect your unique facility code and match your required card format’s reader, whether 26-bit or 172-bit. The embedded metallic antenna coil technology ensures constant access and alignment between the cards people hold and the reader itself, so all employees, artists, and guests can enjoy a safe and seamless experience.

Putting on a wonderful event like a festival or parade is complicated enough as it is. There are many moving pieces to sort out, from basic logistics to complicated questions like trying to book the right talent. Avon Security is happy to simplify all your security concerns, so people can feel effortlessly safe. The rest of the festival is up to you, but we have your back when it comes to security.

Every business understands the importance of advertising its products. The public, especially specific demographics, need to know what it has for sale. However, branding transcends this practical need.

Companies that brand themselves successfully implant in people’s minds a certain high ideal about that business’s personality, dynamic, and status. Branding is about cementing in people’s thoughts what the company is like, not what it currently has for sale.

Avon Security takes designing eye-catching ID cards seriously, helping companies brand themselves by customizing a very visible, physical thing employees wear every day. Let’s take a closer look at how our custom ID cards work and how they can help your business.

Employee Morale

Savvy companies understand that branding begins internally. When your own employees and personnel believe in the company’s vision, other people will, too. There’s a pressing need to cement the company brand in their employee’s minds.

Avon Security’s customized security products protect your business while adding a crucial element of company flair. Employees need to carry their lanyards and ID cards with them throughout the day, which gives these things a very large and prominent presence.

Think of custom proximity and ID cards like mini billboards employees bring with them wherever they go, Monday-Friday. The high saturation of company imagery helps solidify the importance of the business’ ideals and logos.

Proximity and ID Cards for Security

Of course, enhanced security with proximity card technology is the main reason companies use our products, but this is also connected to corporate branding. That your company image will be plastered on the very things that give employees an effortless sense of security helps plant deeper roots for your company brand.

On an unconscious or subliminal level, it can only be a positive thing that employees and executives feel in innate connection between their security and the company values. For this to work, the proximity cards need to deliver genuine security, and thankfully, they do.

Avon Security Products designs custom-printed proximity cards compatible with many access reader formats, like 26-bit, 35-bit, and 172-bit. We also offer clients a wide selection of cards and accessories to choose from, like HID proximity cards, clamshell cards, wristbands, key fobs, and more.

Our proximity and ID cards use embedded metallic antenna coils to store encoded data. The unique sequence of numbers on each card is read by an HID proximity card reader, and when there’s a match between the card’s numbers and the company database, the doors unlock.

We’ll ensure that your cards and card readers are all compatible so employees and executives enjoy effortless security at a single tap of their cards.

Marketing campaigns have changed over the years, but instilling company values among employees and customers is a more fundamental underlying goal. Companies need to ensure their workplace is safe, so if you’re looking to keep secure in a way that also improves your branding and promotes a sense of identity, connect with Avon Security Products today.

Canada Day is a fun day for people to get together with family and friends and enjoy some festivities. Guest and attendees may reflect on what Canada Day means to them, or perhaps they just want to have some fun.

They might not be thinking about security, but that’s where we come in. Let’s look at 5 essential security measures every Canada Day event needs.

1. Screening Guests

Depending on where the event is held, there’s almost always a need to ensure that guests aren’t carrying restricted items, which means they need to be screened. Small, local parties in a public park are one thing. But any larger event requires ensuring guests aren’t bringing anything dangerous that can be used as a weapon.

Be mindful to give yourself additional time before the event, as you may need to pass through a metal detector or be searched by security.

2. Communication

Security will be much easier and faster if there are proper communication channels established in the first place. In other words, people should know in advance what not to bring so the security lines are shorter.

Ideally, you have some type of contact or way of reaching your audience before the event. Let them know about all the fun things to expect the day of and what not to bring.

3. Proximity Cards

Companies or institutions holding a professional event may need to screen security personnel beforehand or have a way of ensuring that all guests are company employees. When it’s a work function, security measures for summer events may require a proximity card or corporate ID.

The nature of the event will dictate who is supposed to attend. If it’s a looser event where employees bring family and friends, you may prefer lanyards for ID cards instead of a card employees must carry on the job.

4. Water and Washrooms

All large events need to be planned to provide the fundamentals to a large number of people. Nothing is more basic than having water to keep them hydrated and somewhere to go when nature calls.

It can even become a security issue if the lines for these things get too long, as it creates bottlenecks that could be a fire hazard. It’s easier to focus on delivering shiny gimmicks or tech tricks, but no event can afford to ignore people’s basic needs.

5. Dress for the Weather

Nobody wants to get sick at any festivities or events. If it’s raining, bring a jacket or umbrella so you don’t catch a cold or stay uncomfortable all day.

Bring sunblock and a wide hat if it’s blue skies and sunny out. You don’t want to get sunstroke. In other words, no matter what the weather is, check the forecast and dress appropriately.

Canada Day can be a joyous time to relax with friends and family and have some fun. Some reflect on everything it means to be a Canadian. However you choose to spend it, connect with the best place to buy security products first to enjoy yourself and stay safe.

Is there a more classic, fun way for kids to spend a summer day than the theme park? Between the rides, games, the food, and the carnivalesque atmosphere, there are few things kids enjoy more.

However, a security breach can halt the fun in its tracks. Theme parks hold multiple different kinds of events, from games and rollercoasters for kids in the day to concerts and other adult events at night. Avon Security is proud to support organizations in many different sectors by providing them with streamlined security solutions.

Let’s check out how our products can help keep theme parks secure.

Securing Security

Theme parks are bustling places, with big crowds in different directions, potentially day and night. How can a theme park ensure that only authorized people can access certain spaces? Before they need to let in guests and visitors, they need to control how their own staff access authorized areas.

Proximity cards are perfect here because they’re secure and contactless. There’s no quicker way to usher people through a space than have them tap the card reader. Security and other personnel won’t get stuck in bottlenecks on their way to keep guests secure.

Avon Security offers all the best proximity and access cards on the market, and we can ensure your cards and card readers are totally compatible, so it operates seamlessly.

Between ID cards for your employees and proximity cards to let them into their workspaces, your employees won’t have bottlenecks on the way to letting in park visitors.

Safe and Relaxed for Guests

When guests visit a theme park, they’re there to have a fun time. Nobody wants to be frisked or searched heavily on the way in, but they do want to feel safe.

As a security product supplier that outfits companies across sectors, you can be confident that we have what you need to make all your entrances and exits safe and orderly. From lanyards, ID cards, fobs, and more, Avon Security provides every type of identification system, so park guests with a pass can enter quickly and safely.

Theme parks can decide what type of passes or admission system works best for them, and we can provide the equipment for whatever you need.

Crowd Management

Any time thousands of people assemble in one place, there needs to be some type of mechanism for control in place in case there’s an emergency. A sudden rush can be dangerous.

Most theme parks divide the crowds into smaller groups, as there are sections for rides, food, games, and more. Diverting guests into where they want to be will make their day more enjoyable and keep the crowds easier to control.

Theme parks know how to welcome guests inside and ensure they have a fun, unforgettable day, as they’ve been doing it for a long time. Avon Security is here to supply any equipment they need to help identify employees and guests with passes and keep everybody safe.

Tech companies are some of today’s most exciting businesses for how quickly they grow and the dazzling products they give society. Our growing technology has become the 21^st-century’s signature.

It’s commonplace today for people to video chat with somebody in another country or instantly get global headlines on their phones. Technology does amazing things, but it also helps protect high-tech businesses.

Let’s learn more about Avon Security’s proximity cards and how we keep tech companies protected.

Background

Avon Security is proud to be the lead Canadian security product provider of proximity cards and other popular forms of controlling access. First, some quick background info. A proximity card is like a contactless hotel keycard roughly the size of a credit card.

While they’ve existed for decades, modern ones are far more secure and have considerably more sophisticated technology. The latest encoding technologies help to keep companies, organizations, and institutions across Canada safe.

Compatibility

Our proximity cards are compatible with any reader system, and they include a wide range of counterfeiting prevention measures from watermarks to holographics, as misalignment here or lacking the newest safety tricks are some of the most common security mistakes. Whatever kind of reader you have, we make proximity cards that will work with it perfectly.

We supply proximity cards from various companies, from RBH, Paradox, Kantech, Honeywell, Allegion, and more. Think of Avon Security as a bridge connecting your proximity cards and readers, whatever type they are.

Proximity cards are a slick, seamless, and secure way for tech companies to grant and restrict employee access. We’re proud to be the top proximity card suppliers for a range of Canadian institutions, and it’s fitting that tech companies entrust their security to such a high-tech tool.

Branding Opportunities

Employees bring proximity cards with them all day, wearing them around their neck on a lanyard or carrying them everywhere they go. In other words, the cards are often visible in public, so they represent a good opportunity to display corporate logos.

Avon Security offers customized company branding for proximity cards, so you’re not just getting a security tool but something that helps cement and promote your company culture.

ID Card Printers

Tech companies want the tools to be secure and independent. They usually have a rugged entrepreneurial spirit and expect full control to operate however they want.

Avon Security supplies all the best ID card printers so tech companies can take matters into their own hands and issue the cards in-house. ID card printers come in a range of styles, and some are heavier-duty than others.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information about what type of ID card printer suits you best.

Tech companies are very keen to appreciate digital threats like hacking, phishing, and malware. However, they also need to safeguard themselves from non-digital threats, and high-tech ways of keeping safe, like proximity cards, are a perfect fit.

Workplaces that don’t have a firm grip on their security introduce various risks that threaten productivity. Distracted workers don’t get as much accomplished during the work day.

Security risks can directly undermine a company’s financial growth, corporate culture, and other direct financial metrics and intangibles. Let’s check out three reasons why identity verification using Avon Security Products is essential in every workplace.

1. Safety for Workers

Workplaces or office environments need to control who comes in and out of the premises to keep their employees safe. An intruder could be up to no good, while some sectors attract certain types of mischief or even espionage.

We are living in politically charged times, and activists or extremists drawn to certain causes could potentially enter a workspace to make a demonstration or cause some type of violence. Employers owe it to the people driving their business to ensure everybody in the workplace is authorized to be there.

2. Workplace Security

Some industries produce sensitive, confidential trade secrets business rivals underhandedly try to obtain to get a leg up on competitors. Such threats put the company’s financial success in the crosshairs rather than the people working there.

Even if a company isn’t secretly working on a new patent that will disrupt their industry, they all have private financial documents, contact information for clients and customers, and other data that could be weaponized against the business for blackmail.

For example, if a rival spy obtains sensitive, confidential data in a breach, they could threaten to make it public to embarrass the business, make them seem weak, and undermine their customers’ feelings of security. They could also share trade secrets with a rival business.

It’s essential to have ID cards for new hires and identifying materials for the whole team to keep out troublemakers and prevent corporate espionage.

3. Control Access

Companies also need firm control over which employees can go where, but this shouldn’t be heavy-handed. Businesses don’t want to reinforce the idea of a hierarchy to employees, yet some spaces or environments are sensitive, and not everyone is authorized to be there.

Avon Security ID card printers make it simple for employees to identify themselves, but they also have embedded technology that seamlessly, slickly opens every door they’re authorized to access while limiting them from the ones they’re not.

Everybody’s card will look the same to the naked eye, but more senior employee cards will give them total access. Nobody has to walk around with a key of rings, wondering which key works for which door.

Our keycards and fobs are more secure than traditional keys, providing a smoother form of access that gives managers and executives total control over who can go where.

Businesses expect to have total control of every aspect of their business to avoid needless risks and devastating consequences. Use Avon Security’s fobs and keycards to keep your employees and business safe.

Everything wears down over time, even if it’s built of the highest-grade materials. This is as true for electronics as it is for physical things that get daily wear and tear, like furniture.

Companies might take all the right steps to protect their business, but they need to check in every once in a while to ensure that the measures are still as effective as they were the day they were implemented. Otherwise, the systems could have vulnerabilities and may not be as secure as you think.

Businesses need real security, not the illusion or appearance of security. Let’s look at why conducting regular security assessments is so important and how Avon Security Products can keep you safe.

Outdated Cameras

Not every CCTV camera works well enough to be effective. Maybe the footage it captures is too grainy to reliably identify a suspect, or the camera conks out from time to time. You buy a camera to protect your business, not just to claim it’s there.

Check the footage it records to ensure the quality is sufficient and that the equipment works reliably. Otherwise, you could learn this vital information only when it’s too late.

Social Engineering Attacks

Training your employees about malware, phishing, baiting, scareware, and other attacks is essential. Employees are a common vector for security risks when bad actors trick them into overturning confidential, proprietary information about the company.

Part of a company’s effort towards regular security risk assessment must include briefing them about various cyber risks and how best to respond.

Bad Processes for Checking in Visitors

Unaccounted visitors pose a major security risk for companies. If there’s a type of incident or security breach at your company, it’s essential to know who was in your office and when. Otherwise, you can’t narrow down the suspects to determine who did it.

Avon Security makes professional ID card systems that prevent exactly this type of vulnerability. Our proximity cards and proximity card readers work with multiple systems, so they will be compatible with yours.

Proximity cards are a great tool to stop unaccounted visitors, but some regular assessment is a good idea. It’s possible for proximity cards to get demagnetized if they are near a strong magnet for an extended period. Knowing that everybody’s card works properly will help ensure your business runs smoothly and securely. It’s virtually impossible for this to happen to visitors because their proximity card will be new.

If an employee’s proximity card does get demagnetized, a rare occurrence, it just means you’ll have to order a new one, which is simple, quick, and inexpensive. This may be a little hiccup, but demagnetized strips pose no security risk because they temporarily remove access from authorized people, rather than opening it up to unauthorized people.

Company leaders need to be aware of any security risks for businesses, which means staying on top of their systems by regularly assessing existing protocols and equipment. Cybersecurity threats are real and growing, but they’re not the only dangers. Use Avon Security products and remember the above tips to secure your business.

Businesses have locks on the doors and alarm systems for reasons everybody understands. Companies need to protect their assets and their facilities, and employees need to feel safe at work.

While cybersecurity is often in the spotlight, physical security can lead to major breaches. Let’s review a few of the common security mistakes that businesses make, so you can steer clear of them and keep your company safe.

Employee Theft

Sometimes, companies across sectors are susceptible to theft from their own employees. This may look very different depending on the industry, but the underlying dynamic is similar. Retail employees may take inventory or cash on hand, while corporate employees may take products or valuables from inside their offices.

Proximity cards are one of the most common security solutions because they help solve these problems on multiple levels. First, they prevent unauthorized employees from accessing the rooms in a workplace where sensitive proprietary information is stored.

They also do it quietly, without implying that employees are suspected of theft. All the company needs to do is give each employee a prox card, and they can enjoy free access to everywhere in the workplace they’re meant to be.

Stay fully secure without casting awkward aspersions on employees that could lower morale.

Corporate Espionage

Sometimes, sensitive information can be more valuable than an entire product line. Competitors want an inside edge and plans containing future business models, data on customers or employees, or whatever else can be lucrative if pilfered.

Restricting access to rooms storing top-secret information is essential for every business. By the time you spot the warning signs, you don’t want it to be too late. Corporate espionage can be devastating in the short and long term, as it leaves a business open to blackmail, sabotage, and other major risks.

Maybe a rival company can undercut a bid by learning what you’re offering. Perhaps they can leak your sensitive data, causing an avalanche of fines and negative publicity. Our proximity cards, key fobs, and identity cards can be a major tool in combatting corporate espionage.

Our line of security products for visitor management simplifies letting in authorized guests while acting as a major filter to keep the wrong people out.

Not Enough CCTV Cameras

If someone breaks into your workplace, they could get away with it unless they’re caught on camera. Burglars tend to thrive in the shadows, and bright spaces with CCTV cameras focused on them are a major deterrent.

Ideally, the cameras prevent the break-in from happening. At the very least, they play a pivotal role in identifying the perpetrator. But it only works if you have enough of them pointed in strategic places near key entrances.

You also need to ensure that the equipment is up to date so the cameras can actually record footage which is of high enough quality to properly identify people on the tape.

Securing a business from every threat means addressing different types of risks. The focus is often on threats like malware or phishing scams because cybersecurity is a major vulnerability. But it isn’t the only one. If you remember the above tips and use Avon Security Products, your business will stay safe and secure.