Management & Work

The Hard Tradeoffs of Office Security, According to Safety Experts

Proper security requires multiple layers — and still offers no guarantees.

New York Police Department (NYPD) officers secure the scene of a shooting from Monday in New York on July 29.

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg
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In recent days, I’ve spoken to almost a dozen corporate security professionals about the tragic shooting inside a midtown Manhattan office building that left CEOs in tears and employees on edge. What I heard from several of them was the importance of having “layers” of protection: concrete barriers and cameras on the perimeter, guards and turnstiles in the lobby, access-controlled elevators on the way up, and keycard entry into offices.