Did you know that US workers account for 45% of the global coworking market?
Coworking is dominating the business sphere right now and helping companies cut costs on office resources.
However, coworking space can present a risk to your security strategy. Are you doing enough to create a safe working environment in your coworking startup space?
Keep reading as we explore why coworking is so hot right now, why it presents a security risk and the top tools to help you create a safe working environment for your coworking strategy.
Why Is Coworking So Popular?
Coworking is where two or more businesses share office space. The coworking trend emerged following the pandemic when many companies began exploring remote and hybrid work options. In a hybrid work environment, investing in office space full-time doesn’t make sense. It would never reach full capacity, and your company would be wasting money in the long run.
Let’s discuss some of the other advantages of coworking for the modern business:
- Flexibility – Companies can use the space as and when it suits them. There’s a lessened commitment, which is highly advantageous to freelance businesses, startups, and remote workers.
- Cost-efficiency – You can save significantly by only using your office space part-time.
- Networking – If you have different professionals, entrepreneurs, and companies all working from one space, your networking opportunities will improve drastically. The more connected you are, the better equipped you will be to grow your business.
- Professional amenities – By investing in a coworking space, you’ll gain amenities tailored to suit the needs of a fast-paced and ever-growing business. There will be high-speed internet, meeting rooms, and administrative services at your disposal.
- Community and Collaboration – Remote working presents complications for employees’ feelings of inclusion within the company. You can ensure they don’t feel isolated by providing them with a collaborative and communal workspace.
- Work-life balance – Coworking offers you an excellent work-life balance. You can use the space as much or as little as you need while maintaining more distinction between your work and home lives.
Now that you know why coworking is worth the investment, let’s consider the security implications.
What Are The Top Security Risks In Coworking Spaces?
Security should be your top concern when investing in a coworking space. This is for a few reasons:
- Data breach risks – if your Wi-Fi network isn’t secure, or you’re using shared printers and devices, you need to be highly protective of your sensitive data to maintain GDPR compliance.
- Physical security risks – You need to know that only authorized members of the coworking space will be entering. You need to know that your belongings will be secure when left unattended within the area.
- Eavesdropping – You need to be more conscious of the information you share verbally in a coworking space. Otherwise, you risk leaking sensitive information to your competitors or breaching confidentiality agreements.
Top Tips For Securing Your Coworking Space
With the risks of coworking spaces in mind, let’s discuss the top tips for providing a secure and safe coworking space for your startup employees.
Access Control
Access control is the heart of physical security, ensuring intruders can’t gain access to the premises. Members of your coworking space should have keycards, fobs, or mobile credentials that grant them access to the area via the digital door locks.
Your coworking space may even use advanced biometric technologies, such as voice, retina, fingerprint, or facial recognition – ensuring complete identity verification for members before they can enter.
Mobile credentials are quickly becoming the top-recommended access control solution for coworking spaces because they provide the following:
- Touchless entry – Users can enter via Bluetooth communication without touching anything. They simply wave their hand, triggering remote communication with their device while still in their pocket or bag. This creates a faster and more hygienic entry for coworking spaces when using a commercial keyless door entry system.
- Easy onboarding – When new users join the coworking space, they won’t need to wait for a new keycard or fob to be made. They can simply download access credentials to their mobile devices, allowing them to access the building immediately upon joining the space – without pushing a buzzer and waiting for assistance.
Video Security
Cloud-based video security is a must-have for coworking spaces. It allows users to monitor the space and their belongings from anywhere using their mobile devices. This way, they can quickly check up on their valuable items if left unattended. Creating more visibility improves peace of mind for employees within a coworking space.
Video security will help deter theft or property damage incidents within a coworking facility, as members will be easily identifiable. The presence of security cameras serves to ward them off and discourage theft.
However, if a theft occurs on-site, there will be plenty of video evidence to back up a member’s claim or investigation.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity protection is essential for any shared network. Consider implementing the following cybersecurity measures to keep your data safe:
- Employee training – Teach your employees how to set strong passwords, as neglect and human error cause many security breaches. You should also instruct your employees to update their software, ensuring it is always at its most current and strongest version.
- Encryption – You should encrypt your data, ensuring that nobody else on the network will be able to read it. Encrypted data is unreadable on any device that does not have the required cipher, rendering any data harvesting attempt useless.
Acoustics
Look for sound management panels within the space to create a quieter, more pleasant working atmosphere while preventing the occurrence of eavesdropping. There are plenty of attractive acoustic panels that appear like modern art and will not interfere too much with the visual aesthetic of the facility.
Summary
Coworking spaces present an unmissable opportunity for startups and freelance professionals to use office space part-time. If you’re considering using a coworking space, don’t forget to consider the security implications. By choosing a facility with the above-recommended solutions, you can ensure your coworking space does not compromise your data or personal belongings while you work.