After contracting with and working for private investigators in California and Arizona for 13 years, Bernier was licensed as an Arizona private investigator in 2000. She retains one employee in the Glendale office to answer the phones, to complete Internet/database research and fulfill other duties.

Hiring employees who are not only right for the job but who are also truthful is only one part of securing a business, however. The well-protected business is also physically and electronically secure: The premises and business tools, from plans and documents to computers, are safe, and the digital information is secure from hackers and spies.

“I actually assure most of the clients I begin to work with that they are, in fact, not secure, that they are easy to moderately easy potential victims of intrusion,” says Lee Roberts, president and founder of Orange County-based Roberts Protection & Investigations, which he founded in 1982. ”The threat of internal and external theft is paramount, and the state of the economy is often a barometer as to how desperate people will become.” With 70 employees, the company maintains both an investigative and a security division and has or has had contracts with Xerox, Sprint PCS, Boeing, Kraft Foods, Toshiba, Dick Clark Productions, Fireman’s Fund, Farmers, Allstate, Los Angeles Rapid Transit District and the Orange County Water District.

In addition, RPI has conducted law enforcement investigations with city, state and federal agencies. “When I founded RPI, I wanted to create a full-service, professional security and investigative organization which could offer my clients a total-service package, covering all areas of security and investigations.”

Employ all protection
For pre-employment screening, Bernier’s firm will verify education and degrees; previous employers; criminal history; MVD records; bankruptcies; tax liens; judgments; and litigation history. “Depending on the level of the position, a client may request that we discreetly interview associates and neighbors, even former colleagues,” Bernier notes.

Her company may also be asked to take an economic snapshot of a prospective employee, that is, to see if he or she is financially sound or, conversely, so deeply in debt as to affect job performance. “The worse the economic situation, the more widespread become the situations in which individuals, as well as businesses, are more likely to commit fraudulent activities,” she says. “Thus, the more imperative it becomes that a company do its homework prior to taking a step that may end up being costly later.”

A medical-supply company retained Bernier recently, having hired a vice-president without pre-employment screening. “Certain red flags caused them to begin questioning their decision,” Bernier notes. “Our research revealed that while working for previous medical supply companies, this individual had also been receiving income as an independent distributor of the same medical equipment his company sold.” That kind of midnighting might affect the health of any company.

Bernier also consults with forensic accounts and certified fraud examiners on embezzlement cases. “This is a problem that costs businesses a great deal of money each year,” she explains. “Often the employee leaves the firm and ‘disappears,’ in which case we must determine if there are any assets that can be recovered.” In addition, she contracts for pre-litigation asset analysis—to see if it’s worthwhile for a company to sue someone for damages—and researches cases involving violation of noncompete agreements.

Let’s get physical
Protecting the physical environment of a business is paramount. Theft is often by opportunity: If you build temptation, people will come. “Remember,” Roberts tells his clients, “eliminate the opportunity and ‘harden the target,’ and you can eliminate 75 percent of your theft.” Many businesses, 60 percent or more, don’t have security systems, Roberts explains. “Owners either don’t think they need them, aren’t thinking of security or don’t think they can afford them. Then again, there are those who just aren’t thinking, or maybe they’re only thinking of their bottom line.”

Their short-term bottom line, that is. Theft costs money, too, including information business owners don’t want anyone else to see.

Secure and safe
Here’s what the experts recommend:
• Install deadbolt and window locks
• Key control and changing locks after employees separate employment will stop many losses
• An alarm system is almost mandatory, limiting who has the codes and removing old codes when employees leave is a must. Roberts believes that alarm monitoring by a central station is absolutely necessary: “Most of us have been so saturated with car, home and business alarms sounding that we tend to ignore them.” (Relatedly, false alarms are 97 percent user error, and many law enforcement agencies assess fines for repeated false alarms.)
• Cameras on premises are recommended and must record 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a tape library must be maintained for 30 days. “These not only deter internal theft but record workers’ compensation injuries and other acts of abuse or criminal activity,” he says. But, placement of the camera must be done by a professional installing first-grade components: “Using poor-quality cameras and cheap equipment results in poor-quality images.”

A court-qualified expert in fire cause and origin, arson investigation, fraud, fingerprint comparison, narcotics, investigative techniques, security, alarms and other fields, Roberts also suggests, for deeper protection, items such as access control for all entry doors and other sensitive areas—these can be controlled by push button, key card or even retinal and fingerprint scans. In addition, if need arises, an employer can match fingerprints against fingerprints taken at hire. Roberts adds that qualified uniformed security, although traditional, is also effective if allied with a set of rigorous standards and quality supervision.

Digital safety
Your business computer system can always be under attack—from within and without. For one, ensure all computers are password protected and that password issuance is tightly controlled. Roberts explains that some computers have fingerprint controls, particularly laptops, which are often lost or stolen. Locking mechanisms secure computers and printers to the desktop. In addition, laptop alarms connect the computer and a corresponding piece on the user or in a briefcase. “If the alarmed laptop is moved more than three feet from the briefcase, the alarm sounds,” he explains. Internal computer security is another challenge. A shredder is a must: This allows you to permanently delete a file and Internet activity. Other programs stop snoops such as spyware (which leeches on your business computer and watches and records what you’re doing); adware (which leeches on to sell you merchandise and services); viruses; phishing (masquerading as a trustworthy source to obtain sensitive information or money); and other spam. Retailers sell this software, you can acquire them online, or your service provider may offer them as part of its service. If you’re buying, mid-line products are acceptable for most businesses, he says. Buy what you can afford, but buy what you must have.

Good security saves money, saves, heartache, saves time, Bernier explains. “By not hiring questionable individuals, or lending money or entering into contracts with individuals and businesses with a high risk of nonpayment, a business is in a better position to make money—and not lose it.” Roberts adds: “The most important point to remember—locks and security controls are primarily designed to keep your friends and employees honest. Many people would view that as a harsh statement—unless they’ve spent 36 years investigating thefts.”