Media Release
3 December, 2012 Sydney, Australia: A research report into Australian SMEs from leading national security patrol network, Southern Cross Protection (SXP), has revealed low levels of knowledge and confidence around choosing a business security solution, putting many at risk of theft of physical assets, and intellectual property, and vandalism.
The 2012 Southern Cross Security Confidence Index, carried out by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), reveals that nearly two thirds (65.9 per cent) of SMEs shun professional advice before purchasing a security solution. The Index also found that a further 8.9 per cent of respondents indicated they simply guessed when it came to deciding on the best security options for their business.
Patrick Bourke, Managing Director of Southern Cross Protection, said: “The results of the 2012 Security Confidence Index clearly show that Australian SMEs have alack of understanding of security needs for their business. The statistics also highlight that SMEs lack the confidence to determine the most suitable security solution for their business.”
More than three quarters of respondents (77.1 per cent) said their business sees an annual turnover of less than $5 million, and a large majority indicated spending up to $5,000 annually in business security to protect against theft of assets and intellectual property, as well as damage to physical property and vandalism.
Despite indicating investment in security solutions, more than half of the survey respondents said they do not measure a return on such investment (55.9 per cent), and in not doing so miss out on realising potential cost reductions for their business.
“I encourage SMEs to measure return on investment for security spend or conduct a cost benefit analysis, as it could mean easing costs elsewhere such as a reduced insurance premium,” Mr Bourke said.
On a more positive note, the Index found that 80.4 per cent of SMEs invested in basicmeasures, such as locks, to deny unauthorised access to their premises. Similarly, almost three quarters (71.0 per cent) said they had invested in an alarm to deter potential intruders.
“The results of the Index highlight that small business owners are at risk of security breaches as many are simply just guessing when deciding on the most appropriate security solution for their business.”
“Action needs to be taken by the security industry in order to help SMEs develop greater awareness and better understanding of the measures they can take to ensure better protection for their business, employees, and business partners,” said Mr Bourke.
Peter Anderson, ACCI CEO, sees the findings of the Index as valuable for Australian SMEs: “The 2012 Index focuses on assessing whether small-to-medium business owners are confident that their security investment is delivering value for money and maximum risk reduction, at the right price.”
“Insights revealed in this year’s Index clearly indicate security service providers need to work with SMEs to improve the value they receive from their investment in security, as well as educating them about possible benefits of measuring a return on this investment,” Mr Anderson finished.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
The research was conducted as part of the quarterly ACCI Survey of Investor Confidence, undertaken through the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s member associations. Small business was defined as a business with 1 to 19 employees and medium business defined as a business with 20 to 99 employees.
ABOUT SOUTHERN CROSS PROTECTION
Protecting Australians since its inception in the 1930s, Southern Cross Protection is one of Australia’s largest national security patrol networks. With a deep commitment to providing adequate levels of security provision to SMEs in Australia, Southern Cross Protection will continue to offer intelligent and comprehensive security solutions to hundreds of businesses and communities, while at the same timeworking closely with Government, Business Chambers and the wider industry to improve education, awareness and security provision for SMEs. With a countrywide reach, Southern Cross Protection is Australian owned and managed. www.sxprotection.com.au
