Physical security rarely makes headlines until something goes wrong. Yet the financial and reputational damage caused by incidents at reception areas, service counters, data centres, and other critical facilities is rising sharply.
Security incidents are becoming increasingly costly. The most recent World Security Report found that physical security incidents are costing organisations $1 trillion annually, and that publicly listed companies experiencing major security incidents saw their share price fall by nearly 30% on average. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 calculated the global average cost of a breach at $4.88m (£3.9m), with many of these beginning with physical access.
Despite this, organisations continue to invest heavily in cybersecurity while leaving front-line physical barriers dangerously thin. This needs to change.
A physical breach is rarely a contained event. Gaps at exposed service counters, reception desks, or poorly controlled entrances create points of entry that can quickly escalate into wider operational failures. Once attackers bypass physical barriers, whether through inadequate security doors or unprotected transfer units at cash-handling positions, they may gain access to on-site systems, making digital defences irrelevant.
The business disruption compounds quickly. Facilities close for investigation, customer appointments are cancelled, and staff require time off. Healthcare providers, financial services, and public sector organisations face particular vulnerability, with their high volumes of face-to-face interactions and sensitive data handling. Unions and employee representatives often highlight trauma suffered by staff who face threats or violence in unprotected roles, leading to lawsuits.
The stakes become even higher for critical infrastructure. Data centres, utilities, and telecommunications facilities represent the backbone of modern business operations. A single physical breach can compromise thousands of clients’ information and operations simultaneously.
Consider the cascade effect when physical security fails at infrastructure sites. A breach at a data centre housing financial services systems could trigger regulatory investigations across multiple jurisdictions, compensation claims from affected businesses, and complete loss of client trust. Utilities face similar multiplier effects, where physical intrusions can disrupt essential services to entire communities.
For these facilities, specialist solutions, including bullet and blast-resistant screens, reinforced security walling, and controlled access systems, provide the robust protection required. The investment in high-specification physical barriers for critical infrastructure is minimal compared to the potential for catastrophic business interruption and regulatory penalties that follow a breach.
UK employers have a statutory duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Where physical security is demonstrably inadequate, the HSE can issue improvement notices or prohibition notices and, in severe cases, pursue prosecution. The penalties for breaches are unlimited, with court guidelines linking fines to company turnover.
Employment tribunals are also reflecting a tougher stance. While injury-to-feelings awards (the “Vento bands”) are capped at around £60,700 for claims from April 2025, claims for psychiatric injury, including PTSD, can reach six figures. For employers with multiple staff members affected, these costs multiply rapidly.
Data protection law is another dimension. The Information Commissioner’s Office treats personal data lost due to physical access failures in the same manner as cyber incidents. Breaches of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can result in fines of up to 4% of global annual turnover, even where the initial weakness was a poorly secured reception area or inadequate security walling in sensitive zones.
Unlike cyber breaches, physical incidents unfold in public. Violence at a counter, or an intruder bypassing reception security, almost always involves emergency services, witnesses, and social media. Coverage is immediate and often damaging.
The World Security Report found that one in four listed companies suffered valuation drops after major incidents, with investors estimating an average 29% decline in share price. Customer behaviour shifts immediately after publicised incidents, with affected locations experiencing significant drops in foot traffic that can persist for months.
Staffing becomes another hidden cost. Employees who feel unsafe at work often seek employment elsewhere, making recruitment more challenging as candidates research a company’s safety records. Safetell clients consistently report improved retention where employees know certified security measures are in place.
Taken together, the costs of a single incident can far outweigh the investment required to prevent it. Consider the areas affected:
Installing the right physical barriers addresses these risks before they escalate. Physical safety solutions – from protective counters in customer service environments, to manual attack-resistant screens in public offices, to bullet and blast-resistant glazing in high-risk sites – are designed to meet the specific threats organisations face. Entrance control systems, security doors, transfer units for secure transactions, and fire-resistant security walling extend protection across entire facilities.
These measures provide visible assurance to staff, customers, regulators, and insurers that risks are being taken seriously. In many cases, they also support compliance with both health and safety law and data protection regulation.
Too often, organisations wait until after an incident to invest. By then, the damage – financial, reputational, and human – is already entrenched. Whether protecting customer-facing staff, securing critical infrastructure, or safeguarding sensitive data centres, the principle remains the same. Robust physical security measures protect more than property – they safeguard operations, reputation, and the wellbeing of the people and systems that keep businesses running.
Safetell works with businesses across the UK to implement protective screens, counters, entrance control systems, and comprehensive security solutions that stop incidents at the point of contact. From retail banks to data centres, from council offices to utility providers, the right physical security transforms vulnerability into resilience.