The term “locksmith” refers to an individual who is well aware of the magic of unlocking all the damaged locks that have become a source of bother for you. The service that professional locksmiths provide is undoubtedly one that requires a lot of skill as well as training. Locksmiths must be very adept at the art of dealing with locks and keys with absolute knowledge as well as care. When you summon a professional locksmith over for guaranteeing or verifying all your safety measures that are in place, it is vital for you to be aware of all things you have got to consider.  (more…)

The internet provides a quick and easy way to shop, especially in the lead up to Christmas. It’s a simple case of choosing your products online, then entering your credit or debit card details to complete your purchase. But are these details safe when used online?

Worryingly, cyber attacks rose significantly in the first half of 2016. This is in some ways inevitable and the prevalence of online shopping continues to grow. More online sales means more opportunities for people to steal details. There have recently been some very high profile instances of data theft, often within large organisations.

There are some simple steps you can take to help prevent your details being stolen online:

• Use different passwords. Weak password make it easy for criminals to access your account, especially if you also have weak security questions set up.
• Make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date. This will prevent malware getting onto your computer that could compromise your security.
• Change your passwords on a regular basis. Do not store them within websites, especially if you share a computer.
• Pay online or use a well-known money transfer service.Do not send money directly to someone’s account, unless you know them personally.
• If you pay online, use a credit card as this will give you the highest level of protection.
• Use secure, reputable websites when making payments. If something doesn’t look quite right, stop immediately.
  • Look out for the lock symbol in the browser window frame.
  • Use an https:// website when making payments.
  • Check the website’s security and privacy policy.

Following these pointers will help you to stay safe and secure online. If you are vigilant at all times, you are far less likely to encounter fraud. If you notice anything suspicious on your account, contact your bank immediately. Keep receipts and records of your transactions just in case you do experience any security difficulties online.

There are a number of things that you should do when using a mobile phone in order to stay safe.It’s important to protect yourself from everyday crime, as well as from cyber security threats. Here are some of our top tips to stay safe and secure when using a mobile phone:

• Don’t save your password in your mobile phone internet browsers. If you phone gets stolen, the thief could access all of your person details.
• Don’t stay logged into apps that contain sensitive information. Many, like banking apps, will automatically log you out after a set period of time, but it never hurts to double check.
• Be vigilant when using your mobile phone in busy public places. This is where thefts often happen, as it’s very easy for a thief to snatch a phone out of someone’s hand.
• Be wary of text scams. If you receive text messages asking for personal details, especially bank details, ignore and delete them. If a legitimate organisation really wants to get hold of you, they will not send you a text.

A retail security officer’s main overall aim is to ensure the safety and security of a retail environment. This involves the security officer carrying out a number of tasks which, when performed together, help to achieve this aim. Here are some of the most important duties a retail security officer might expect to find in their job description:

• Surveillance. One of the most important tasks is to watch and observe, keeping a close eye on any potentially volatile situations. This may involve monitoring via CCTV, and simply observing in person on a retail premises. This will allow for swift action and intervention when required.
• Crowd control. Retail environments tend to be busy, and if this is not properly managed, they could become unsafe. Security officers may be required to observe busy areas where people could cause trouble, as well as enforce queuing systems and ensure that overcrowding doesn’t occur.
• Theft prevention. This is a common crime in a retail environment, and a good security officer will be able to significantly reduce the number of thefts occurring without the need to involve the police. This takes the pressure off other security forces, with the guard acting as a deterrent to potential criminals.
• Out-of-hours guarding. Retail premises can also be affected by vandalism and theft outside of the hours of operation. Security guards might be required to ensure that the premises stay safe and secure overnight, preventing antisocial behaviour from occurring, keeping building contents safe and ensuring that the exterior is not defaced in any way.

In the modern world that we live in, technology is playing an ever-greater role in everything we do. The security industry is of course no different, and whilst nothing can beat security services provided in person rather than by machines, technology certainly helps the people in the industry to do their jobs.

CCTV and camera technology is incredibly important in identification and helping security guards to keep premises secure. These systems will help people to monitor premises as well as view activities that took place in retrospect.

Security guards also rely on increasingly complex systems for controlling entrance to buildings. Many office blocks, headquarters and other corporate premises will have identification systems upon entering the building. People may also have to sign in and out so that there is a clear record of who is inside for safety and security purposes.

Guards working at night time will also rely on alarm systems to alert them to intrusions. These can be incredibly sophisticated, and can cover very specific areas to make sure nowhere is left vulnerable to an attack. Many security guards will also rely on additional technological services within their own fields.

The internet has made many things easier for us, and finding a good bargain on a holiday is one of them. There are so many sites available where you will be able to search through various holidays and find much cheaper options than you would by booking through a travel agent. However, you will need to ensure that you stay safe when booking and don’t fall for a scam. Here are some tips:

1. Look for reviews. There are lots of review sites available where you will be able to read about other people’s experiences. Companies that have lots of negative reviews are probably not trustworthy.
2. Find sites yourself and don’t rely on marketing emails. It is very easy for people to send spam via email that will lure you in and take you through to a fake website.
3. Speak to someone in person. If you aren’t sure about the legitimacy of a site, call them on the relevant number. A lack of contact details is probably a warning sign.
4. Check that the holidays have all of the correct accreditations. The main ones to look out for are ABTA and ATOL.
5. Ask people for websites that they recommend. By taking recommendations, you know that the site you’re using has been used by others is legitimate.
6. Check the property details elsewhere. Search for the address, look it up on a map and make sure that everything looks correct.
7. Don’t make any payments unless you feel completely comfortable. If you’re ever unsure, do some more research or speak to someone beforehand.

Businesses of all sizes can be vulnerable to security breaches and cyber attacks. One of the biggest problems is often that the staff they employ don’t have a full understanding of what the dangers are and what they could be doing to help prevent attacks. All staff should be fully aware of all security processes and should be involved in keeping the company protected.

The first thing any company should do is make staff aware of their responsibilities. If they are exposed to sensitive company data, they should have a full understanding of what their duties are to keep this data safe and secure. This should also cover the way in which they conduct themselves on social media and how this might affect the company.

Provide regular training for your staff so that they understand what a security breach or scam might look like. Give them details of previous attempts and teach them how they should react in a situation they find suspicious. You might also want to make them aware of the most common types of phishing emails, what they tend to look like and what should be done if they receive them.

Make sure that your staff all have personal passwords set up on their individual machines. This will make sure that only they can access their accounts. Store passwords safely and securely, so that only a network administrator would be able to find them.

Your inbox often becomes so full of junk mail that it’s easy to become confused about what is dangerous and what is not. Which emails are useful? Which emails are legitimate? Which emails should you absolutely not open under any circumstances? Here is a quick summary of the different types of spam email and how to spot them:

• Advertising. You might sign up for advertising from brands that you know and like, which is perfectly legitimate. However, a number of other adverts might come through for all kinds of bizarre products. If it’s not something you recognise, don’t open it.
• Documents containing viruses. If you open the attachments with emails of this kind, you risk installing malware onto your computer. These can often look very convincing and it could be easy to mistake them for a real document. The safest thing to do is to not open documents which you aren’t expecting from unknown senders.
• Scams or phishing emails. These are people using false identities to try and scam you out of money. They might be posing as an individual or a company. Never send money to an unknown individual, even if they say it is for a good cause. Emails from fake companies can often look quite realistic, however they will usually give themselves away by asking for credit card details or payments. If you’re ever unsure, call the company and ask them directly. Use a number from their website or from a letter to you rather than one from the suspicious email, or you may just be ringing the fake company directly.

You can connect up a range of devices to the internet using a wireless connection. These can include mobile phones, computers, tablets and even items like televisions and household appliances. WiFi is incredibly useful but it can also pose some security risks if hackers are able to access it. However, there are some easy steps you can take to prevent this happening.

If you’re out and about and are ever unsure of a wireless network, do not connect to it. Often there will be lots of locations which have perfectly safe WiFi, such as bars and coffee shops. However, if you’re not sure who the network belongs to it’s safer not to connect to it.

For your home WiFi, it’s important that you choose a strong password. This will prevent other people being able to access it in your locality, and will make it much more difficult for hackers to gain access. It’s also a good idea to change the default name of the network so that people can’t work out its manufacturer and interfere with its settings.

You should use encryption to obscure messages being sent by your WiFi. This is a simple process and all you have to do is enable encryption on the security settings page for your router. Whilst you’re altering the settings, you might also want to hide the network ID so that it’s not shown to anyone who is in range.

We have previously looked at the importance of passwords for keeping details secure, so to delve into this topic further, we’re exploring the importance of using a variety of passwords to optimise your online security.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of being more mindful about physical security than of online security. Leaving you house or car unlocked, or choosing not to set a code to enter your office building seem like poor security choices to make and we would never decide to take these actions. However, you must bear in mind that many of your most important details are accessible online – people might even be able to get into your bank account.

The safest way to operate online is to have a different password for every site that you use. If you begin to duplicate passwords and somebody is able to find yours out via a low-security site, then they’ll also be able to gain access to the higher security ones. Ensure that you generate strong passwords for each online account that you have, and be wary of allowing you browser to remember them. It’s easy to reveal stored passwords by going into the settings, so no matter how many different passwords you have, it’s easy for anybody who uses your computer to find all of them out through the click of a button.