Business owners don’t have to create a desire to protect their assets. It’s at the core of who they are as the primary investor in a company. As such, nearly every business has some form of security, whether as robust as a monitored and surveilled security system or as basic as locking doors.
However, when it comes to certain elements of security, owners may have questions. One of those is how often they should rekey their business. That’s the topic of today’s post.
Understanding Rekeying
Wait, rekeying? Is that even important? Before we get into the ideal frequency, you should first be aware of what rekeying entails. Basically, it involves the altering of internal components of a lock so that it can only be operated by a new key. This is different from replacing the entire lock mechanism and allows you to maintain existing hardware while upping your security level.
Factors Influencing Rekeying Frequency
Each business situation is different, with factors like location and employee turnover having a big impact on the ideal rekeying frequency. Here are a few of the most common factors that you should consider when it comes to rekeying frequency:
- Employee turnover: does your business have an unusually high turnover rate? Many fast-food restaurants and retail establishments fall into this category. If employees come and go frequently at your business, you need to maintain control over who has access to your premises. Rekeying after a certain number of employees have moved on will ensure they can’t gain unauthorized entry to their former place of employment.
- Lost or stolen keys: if an employee loses their key or if a key is stolen, this is another time when it’s ideal to rekey, as it poses a significant security risk. Even if the key is recovered, there’s no way to guarantee that it hasn’t been duplicated during the time it was missing.
- Security breaches: having a location in an area of town with higher crime rates is another reason to rekey more consistently. This is especially true if your business has had security breaches in the past. It’s important to reassess your security measures regularly and rekey often in these cases.
- Routine maintenance: you might also notice the need for rekeying during regular maintenance inspections. Even if you don’t have high employee turnover, lost keys or security breaches, there should still be a consistent schedule for rekeying.
Recommended Rekeying Schedule
While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should rekey your business, a proactive approach to security is vital. Consider performing an annual assessment of your security protocols and include proactive measures for whenever there are employee changes or security incidents. As a rule of thumb, we recommend you rekey your business at least once or twice a year to prevent unwanted security issues.
Again, the frequency of rekeying your business depends on varying factors such as employee turnover, security incidents and routine maintenance. But if you stay proactive and vigilant, you can ensure that your business remains secure and protected. If you’re ready to have us assess your security situation or need for rekeying, contact A-1 Locksmith today.
