Expert Comment · London · 8 September 2026
UK businesses continue to repeat a small number of avoidable security failures, according to a review of corporate site assessments published by VIP Protection Services.
“We rarely find businesses that have bought the wrong equipment. We routinely find businesses that have never tested a procedure, never audited access, and never assessed the exposure of their own executives.” — spokesperson, VIP Protection Services
Mistake 1: unmanaged contractor and visitor access
Tailgating, unbadged contractors and visitor logs that nobody checks remain the most common physical vulnerability in UK offices.
The fix is procedural and cheap: escorted access, verified appointments, badge discipline enforced by reception, and an annual audit of who holds credentials.
Mistake 2: offboarding failures
Departing staff frequently retain physical access credentials, keys and alarm codes long after their last day.
Offboarding checklists should include physical access revocation as a signed-off item, with periodic reconciliation of issued credentials.
Mistake 3: procedures that have never been tested
Evacuation, lockdown and invacuation procedures are frequently written, filed and never walked through. Under the UK's Martyn's Law duties, documented and briefed procedures are increasingly a compliance matter as well as good practice.
A single annual walkthrough exposes more problems than a rewrite of the document ever will.
Mistake 4: ignoring executive exposure
Organisations invest in premises security while leaving named executives' residential and travel exposure entirely unassessed — despite that being where modern threat now concentrates.
A short executive exposure review closes the largest gap in most corporate security programmes.
- • Audit contractor and visitor access annually
- • Include physical credential revocation in offboarding
- • Walk emergency procedures at least once a year
- • Assess executive residential and travel exposure
- • Review lone-worker and late-shift arrangements
- • Record and review near misses, not just incidents
Mistake 5: buying hardware instead of assessment
Cameras that nobody monitors and access systems that are routinely propped open create the appearance of security while adding cost.
Assessment first, procedure second, hardware third — in that order — consistently produces better outcomes per pound spent.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most common corporate security failure?
Unmanaged contractor and visitor access, closely followed by offboarding failures where departing staff retain physical credentials.
How often should security procedures be tested?
At least annually, and after any material change to premises, staffing or assessed threat.
Do UK businesses need documented terrorism procedures?
Qualifying premises and events carry duties under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, including documented and briefed procedures.
Should security spending prioritise people or technology?
Assessment and procedure first, then people where justified, then technology. Hardware bought without assessment frequently adds cost without reducing risk.
What is an executive exposure review?
A short assessment of a named executive's residential, travel and digital exposure, which is typically the largest unaddressed gap in corporate security programmes.
Notes to editors
VIP Protection Services is an SIA-licensed close protection and private security company headquartered in London and operating nationwide. All operational officers hold valid Security Industry Authority licences and are screened to BS 7858.
020 3488 5714
enquiries.vip.protection.service@mail.com
This release may be reproduced with attribution to VIP Protection Services and a link to the original release.