According to a 2016 article found in Cannabis Business Executive, 64% of cannabis businesses have one or more security infractions. Even minor deviations from security compliance can incur high costs.
It is important to begin every new marijuana venture with a great cannabis security plan. In a fresh industry with ever-changing rules, maintaining optimal security is much. A strong security plan decreases inventory errors and online hacks in a big way. This is why many in the industry compile comprehensive security lists when considering their business plan.
Security for Dispensary
Though your business type may vary, here is a list of things to think about when building an all-inclusive security plan:
- Security Guards: While some dispensaries opt for tough security guards, installing cameras may be more cost-effective. With advances in video monitoring, keeping an eye on cannabis dispensary security can now be done remotely. Through cameras, an outsourced IT team can closely watch your products for little cost, even after business hours.
- Transport: Marijuana is a big target for retail crime and getting it from grower to store can be a chore. Using GPS and a streaming video system to track routes can greatly decrease the chances of an incident. A remote IT team can monitor your products from A-B and notify you quickly if worse comes to worst.
- Stopping Theft: A majority of product losses come from employee theft. While employee background checks can decrease the chance of incidents, this is not a foolproof measure. By having a cloud network for inventory and Point of Sale (POS) monitoring, you can keep a close eye on your product count. Monitoring systems can show you which employees make changes were thereby giving you more insight into company affairs.
- Online Safety: A single hacker or mass DDoS attack can topple your company in a moment, no matter its scale. Therefore, it’s important to invest in cloud storage, firewall, and malware prevention early on. Taking any precaution to keep both your and customers’ info safe will keep you in the business long term.
Cyber Security Specialists
One trend you may have noticed in our security for dispensary outline is the need for a strong IT team. While some businesses opt to hire in-house teams, savvy companies know that outsourcing is more beneficial. In fact, a great IT provider is the best partner to have when making a full-coverage security plan.
Some of the other benefits of outsourcing for cannabis security include:
- Low Cost: Having an in-house IT team requires office space, paying salaries, and keeping records. An IT provider with cloud software and office space does not require added resources. Your IT team can provide remote monitoring and storage services remotely, saving your bandwidth.
- Expertise: IT providers only hire those capable of performing IT duties. Their business is IT security and they only hire the best. By outsourcing to an IT provider, you can rest knowing you have the strongest IT people on your side.
- Scaling: IT providers improve security along with business growth. Most of their cloud updates are installed automatically into your system. This keeps it up to date at all times. A good IT specialist will often meet with you to discuss the latest security threats and prevention strategies as well. IT providers don’t play catch-up, they change their services as your business grows.
The Right Security Provider
At GeekTek, we value innovation and business safety. The cannabis business is now in full swing and the space has become quite complex. Our dedicated team of IT specialists have made it their job to be up-to-date with the industry and its needs.
Our services include 24/7 monitoring, cloud support, firewall protection, and much more. Don’t risk becoming another cannabis failure, contact us today to discuss your business security needs.
dispensary security plan