75% of employees have stolen from their employer. They cause 90% of all significant theft losses and cost businesses up to $50 billion every year.
Even if you trust them to remain honest, they could accidentally let another criminal in. When you give them a key, they can make copies for everyone they know and give them access to your building without you ever knowing.
Read on to learn how a commercial locksmith can help you prevent this and improve your security.
How to Tell if a Key Was Copied
Determining if a key has been copied is almost impossible on your own. The changes are too subtle for the untrained eye to pick up on.
You won’t get that type of experience from a retail store. They don’t have a full catalog of locks and keys or enough specialized technology and won’t install them for you.
If you need to tell if a key was copied, hire a professional locksmith. They can look into the:
- Key cutting
- Keyway profile
- Codes
- Materials
- Tool marks
They’ll also check for identifying materials exchanged during the duplication such as residue, hair, or fingerprints. This can help identify not only whether the key was copied but who did it.
How a Commercial Locksmith Helps
Once a locksmith notices a duplicated key, they can get rid of them and give new ones to anyone who needs one. They can also create new locks for you if needed.
Locksmiths can also provide great product recommendations. They know the best brands and will lead you to special, secure products with keys that can’t be duplicated.
Maedeco’s keys are duplication-resistant, and their High-Security Locks are tested to resist forced entry, lockpicking, and drilling. Maedeco also has a line of KeyMark locks that are produced specifically to prevent key duplication.
Other Ways to Improve Business Security
The most important part of any security service is tight storage. Look for a key cabinet that stores and distributes them to improve efficiency and sends out an alarm when they’re not returned on time to improve security.
Placing serial numbers on your keys holds everyone accountable. Regular key audits help spot copied keys and determine where they are.
The best key control policy is patented key control. It ensures that only authorized individuals whose signatures are on file with a locksmith or manufacturer can duplicate the keys.
Maintaining this level of business security also requires the right management software. It automates the process and gives you an electronic overview of every key to every door in your facility. Most can work along with your other access control systems with no rewiring.
Where to Find a Commercial Locksmith
Trusting your employees with a key to your business is an important step but also presents a danger. They can create copies to let criminals into your building.
A commercial locksmith can determine if a key has been copied. They can also get you locks with keys that can’t be duplicated. Taking their advice and implementing systems such as patented key control will make sure your building stays safe.
Sure-Fit Security has decades of experience keeping buildings secure. Contact us today.