Abstract
Different locations experience security issues in the course of carrying out the day-to-day operations. Great care needs to be observed in order to avoid losses that result due to neglect or failure to take the necessary preventive measures. Theft is a serious problem of security that needs to be taken care of by employing experienced security guards and using videos in areas where business is carried out to ensure the movement of customers are monitored so that those who commit a crime can be noticed easily. The three locations discussed below include; grocery store, Bank of America, and Wal-Mart all of which are affected by various security issues that need to be taken care of for all the activities to run smoothly without encountering losses arising due to lack of adequate security measures.
Grocery store
Grocery stores put effort to be successful in a competitive industry by minimizing losses and maximizing their profits. These stores are affected by employees stealing goods and shoplifting by customers. The loss that may be incurred can be kept under control by using brand names on the products so that cases of loss due to theft can be easily identified. Technology such as an electronic system for controlling costs is also important in areas where sales are made.
Videos are used to monitor the movement of goods and how customers carry out their shopping so that any goods were taken from the store pass through the cashier for payment to be made immediately. If any case of cheating is noticed through the video, it should be dealt with on the spot so that the customers may not go out of the grocery store without paying for the goods and explaining why they decided to disappear without settling their bills. The person who is assigned to monitor the movement of goods through the video should have enough experience of the area he is assigned to take care of so that he does not take a lot of time before tracing where theft has been detected.
There are places where criminal activities are detected most of the time; remote guards should be in a position to communicate with other employees to ensure that all the criminals are caught and dealt with accordingly. All the customers who visit the grocery should use a shopping cart or basket in order to prevent the people who go to the store only to browse and make a comparison of prices without purchasing anything. Those who guard the grocery store are supposed to have stun guns to arm themselves to ensure that all the activities carried in the store are properly guarded and no intruder should get in without permission. (Kenyon, 2002 pp24-25)
Bank of America
(Jay, 2002 pp34-35) found that, Bank of America experience cases of bank robberies that require police to be employed. The police should be experienced in detecting cases of robbery if there is suspicion that there is planned robbery. Internet alerts are important so that the entire bank can be aware of security issues that affect operations of the bank and be prepared in advance to deal with them or stop them before their occurrence.
If theft or fraud is detected, there must be adequate protection using improved technology from casinos such as video networks, facial scans, and sophisticated databases for visitors who come without the knowledge of the bank. Once the bank detects theft, care should be taken in informing the public about it so that customers may not lose confidence in the bank because identity fraud may make customers doubt the security of finance in the bank.
Bank of America requires combating schemes for laundering money due to cheating using false identities. Technology for putting signature is established so that no one can be in a position to forge a signature and use it to withdraw cash from the bank. This will help to take care of fraud mechanisms that are complex and help to manage risks in the bank using fraud strategies. The use of fake identity cards should be handled through analyzing identity cards using networks so that the right identity card is used by customers of the bank when transacting.
Wal-Mart
(Jay, 2002 pp36-39) Argues that, Wal-Mart encounters a breach of data at the point where sales are made especially in the store. Security is enhanced by giving retailers payment cards once they make their purchases. If the payment system is not installed properly, the company is exposed to loss due to the risk of compromising data that is used in making follow-ups of all the sales made and their payments. The store malicious software resulting in data loss and critical files need to be monitored all the time and if the unauthorized change has been made, the appropriate personnel should be notified immediately because, and data of the consumer may be affected resulting in loss of confidence by the consumers about the company.
Protection of data is very important and integrity of files for the Wal-Mart to be able to carry out effective analysis of all the activities that are carried out and identify issues that are difficult to notice which ensure data is well protected and accessible to only the people who have the right to access it. The method of collecting data about Wall-mart need to be protected and in good operation so that corporate network do not hang off at the point of data collection and printers should be put everywhere in the enterprise systems.
The containers used to transport goods are scanned to ensure that they are not smuggled by terrorists because once the ships leave the port they can be tampered with due to lack of security where a ship is hijacked and bribed so that extra content can be loaded into it. The person held responsible for transit should ensure that the goods loaded into the ship are taken to their various destinations without being interfered with on the way.
Analyzing the similarities
Grocery stores, Bank of America, and Wal-Mart have similar security issues where all of them are at risk of theft by employees. This can be solved by ensuring there is a security guard employed to detect all the planned theft and report immediately to the higher authority. Theft is also carried out by outsiders who visit with the intention of benefiting either by stealing cash or taking away commodities. Quality security personnel can be employed from companies so that once the theft is detected, an alarm is used so that armed security can take control of the situation and arrest the criminals.
Security of information is very necessary for the three locations where confidential information should not be availed to the outsiders about the operations and how money is generated. This ensures there is no risk of publicizing confidential information about the success of the companies to its competitors that may result in a lack of growth and progress due to high competition. Finance departments should not disclose the financial position so that the security of the money is maintained without losing it to people who are aware of where it is kept before storing it in safe custody. (Wylder, 2004 pp16)
Analyzing the Differences
Grocery store
Most of the time, goods are prone to theft where customers go unnoticed and steal the goods and fail to pay for them. This requires frequent stock-taking to establish whether such cases are occurring before they reach advanced stages that result in greater loss. Every employee can be assigned a particular section to take care of and monitor the movement of customers which may be very easy to note customers who put goods in their bags without paying for them. The goods dealt with in grocery stores can be easily discovered if the inspection is done to suspected customers because they have the trademark of the grocery store and valuable evidence about the theft can be easily established. (Kenyon, 2002 pp26-27)
Bank of America
Money stolen from the bank may be difficult to identify unless a person is caught on the spot trying to steal. Inspection may not help because; money is denominated in similar notes and coins. Tight security is very important and idlers should not be allowed to access the bank and all the customers should have their identity cards before they enter into the bank to show that they are customers to the bank without any other intention. The technology required by the bank should be high so that everybody can be monitored as he enters the bank even if it is congested, the proper arrangement is put in place so that everybody can be seen and his movement is properly monitored. (Wylder, 2004 pp14-15)
Wal-Mart
The number of days taken when goods are in transit should be taken care of to ensure that no unnecessary delay is caused on the way so that the goods may not be interfered with or stolen before they get to the customers. Delaying shipment should be stopped through having good timing of the appropriate time to park goods and ensure they are ready. Wal-Mart is entitled to scan its containers using an x-ray machine that individuals and businesses park. Loss of money from sales should be prevented by ensuring that, the salesperson does not understate the money generated from sales where he is required to have a stamped receipt book for all the money generated from sales. (Tipton, 2005 pp24-27)
Recommendations for any additional security needed and justifications
The grocery store should have all the items with print labels and properly arrange them on shelves. Data for all the sales made should be viewed and compared with data for the inventory to ensure there is no loss at the end of the day. When making the final report, the history of all the sales needs to be given in detail for effective reporting. All the account receivables should be properly managed to ensure there are no cases of theft.
Bank of America should change the password regularly to ensure there is safety. This can be done using internet banking where after a certain period of time, the bank requests a change in the password that may not be accessed by unauthorized users. The password should be a mixture of numbers and alphabetical letters with six characters so that it can not be used by any other person. Internet banking should be logged out to make it inactive immediately after use and ensure accessed pages are cleared.
Wal-Mart needs to have advanced software for making cost-benefit analysis so that the cost of goods produced is always lower than the revenue generated from the sales made so that all the money generated by salespeople can be accounted for without stealing some of the money secretly. If any of the buildings are threatened with a bomb attack, they should be vacated before the actual bombing occurs to avoid a loss that may accrue to the Company and ensure employees are safe as they work in the company. (Wylder, 2004 pp12-13)
References
Tipton H. (2005): Information security management, Amazon: CRC press, pp2. 2-26.
Wylder J. (2004): Strategic security information: Oxford University Press, pp. 12-16.
Jay R. (2002): Designing security Solutions: John Wiley and Sons, pp. 34-39.
Kenyon T. (2002): Security and optimizing performance, Amazon: Digital Press, pp. 24-27.