That’s a compelling line from Ed Tittel’s article at SearchSecurity.com.

For Datacenter, server, and other sensitive information technology, it seems as if the security focus has sometimes missed the actual servers themselves. As Tittel says in the piece, “…just about any Windows NT, 2000 or XP laptop, booting this software (NT Locksmith) from a floppy permits a knowledgeable Windows person to take over the machine and reset the administrator password in 5-10 minutes.”

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The National Crime Insurance Bureau estimates that over $1 billion of construction tools and equipment is stolen every year. Of course, if you’ve ever run a construction or renovation site, a large maintenance concern, a tool crib, or other industrial job site where plenty of valuable tools are there for the taking, that won’t surprise you in the slightest.

Everyone from Airline maintenance mechanics to assembly and maintenance techs face the problem. The loss of equipment & tools, the productivity dumps, and the climate of dishonesty they create are all drains on efficiency and profitability for just about every commercial operation. we’ve always said that half the security battle is in the storage methods; security begins with the way things are stored. It cannot be an afterthought…

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In 2006, Information Technology Magazine called the IT industry out, saying that physical security was the most overlooked aspect of technology security. I suspect little has changed since then, but found Sarah Scalet’s recent article in CSO Magazine instructive. Protecting data is not just a job for ­technologists. It also takes physical security, an often-overlooked element in the information technology world…

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We have uploaded the (free!) PDF of our latest paper, “10 Ways to use Material Handling to Increase Security.” It’s a quick, 4-page read with an additional page on identification systems that can help you quickly sort out the nature of what is being conveyed for a higher level of security and efficiency. It’s free, printable, and worth your time. You might ask why a material handling company is concerned with security. I might ask why one wouldn’t be concerned with security. Sure, Cisco-Eagle doesn’t sell cameras or alarm systems. We don’t consult on personnel or security systems, but what we do is inseparable from  security, because the way you store and handle valuable items is impossible to separate from the way you secure them…

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We’re preparing to release the latest Cisco-Eagle publication: “10 Ways to use Material Handling to Increase Security.” It’s common sense that the way you store, handle, segment, and track inventory has a great deal to do with security. Material handling is important because it’s a persistent, passive enhancement to regular security procedures and equipment. Material handling certainly doesn’t replace guards, careful hiring, a culture of honesty, and camera systems, but it can make all of them better.

1. Store the most valuable, highest risk inventory & tools in secure areas
2. Secure palletized loads, even when stored in racks
3. Tightly control dock door access
4. Secure valuable inventory as early as possible after receiving it, and prior to shipment
5. Enhance security with automated material handling systems
6. Lay out your plant with security considerations in mind
7. Utilize cycle counts, irregular monitoring to detect & deter pilferage
8. Separate staging areas from loading & shipping docks
9. Secure inventory “where it sits” during receiving
10. Erect a barrier between shipping and receiving doors

Sadly, most industrial operations suffer more from employee-based pilferage, since they don’t face shoplifters or other intruders. There is a fully developed industrial security area relating to material handling on our website, with articles, products, specifications, links and more information. Check it out. If you want to receive a copy of the upcoming paper, sign up for Material Handling Tips & Info, our award-winning newsletter. All subscribers will receive a link to the digital version when it publishes.