Store Security, Safe Teleworking in the Time of COVID-19

on product, or push to try on higher-value goods.

JSA says retailers should have a code word that alerts all employees to the presence of a suspicious person in the store.

For stores that are closed or plan to do so, the biggest threat is, obviously, burglary, and Kennedy said there is one standing JSA recommendation they need to heed.

“It’s even more important now to make sure that if you’re going to close, you put everything away,” even the less expensive merchandise, he said. “Merchandise left in showcases is a magnet for criminals.”

Jewelers should otherwise follow JSA’s standard recommendations when it comes to preventing or mitigating the impact of burglaries, which include:

-- Having adequate line security for the alarm system and testing the system from time to time;
-- Responding to all alarm signals promptly;
-- When arriving to the scene of a possible break-in, examining not only the ground-floor windows and doors but also the roof, sidewalls and all other possible points of entry;
-- Not positioning safes on outside walls or walls that abut other stores or offices, as it gives burglars the chance to access the safe through the walls of neighboring businesses; and
-- Having a safe that’s UL-rated TRTL 30x6.

Kennedy said for businesses that have transitioned largely, or entirely, to telework, they need to be on alert for cybercrime, particularly involving employees’ home computers that don’t have the same protections as work computer servers.

All jewelry businesses need to make sure their computer networks have robust, up-to-date firewalls, malware protection and email spam filters.

If they don’t have these, they need to install them.

In addition, employers should emphasize the need for staff members to be “extraordinarily careful” about phishing attempts, Kennedy said.

Phishing refers to attempts to gain access to an individual’s or business’ passwords and/or accounts via an email made to look like it comes from a known sender—a company, like Netflix, or a person with whom the recipient regularly does business.

These emails ask the recipient to click on a link or provide sensitive information, like a password.

Often, there are little clues that tip off the receiver to the fact that it’s a scam. The sender’s address might be one letter off, or the body copy of the email can seem stilted, awkward or otherwise a little off.

The Federal Trade Commission has a guide to recognizing and avoiding phishing scams.

“You should be very, very careful about the [sender’s] address and the message that’s coming in before you open it or click on,” Kennedy said. “Anytime you have doubts, just delete it.”

Kennedy will join National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff for a webinar on store security in the times of COVID-19 on Friday, March 20 at 2 p.m. EDT. Register here.