Could your office plants be compromising your company’s security? When we consider security threats plants aren’t the first thing to spring to mind. Post Cold-War we don’t imagine them fitted with hidden cameras or listening devices. But plants can be a chink in an organisation’s protective armour. Many species of indoor plant need professional maintenance by external contractors – exposing your business to confidentiality breaches or contamination.
Plant Maintenance – The Risks
Ordinary office plants need regular attention to keep looking good. Few businesses are blessed with green-fingered staff with time to spare. Which means you need to outsource your plant care to a third party.
Unscreened Plant Specialists
Some companies will assign your business a dedicated individual/team whom you can screen and instruct before granting clearances. But what if your plant specialists are assigned randomly? What happens when new people fill in for on-leave colleagues? How do you know to whom you are entrusting open access to the most sensitive parts of your firm? Keeping track can be a time-consuming business.
No-Limits Plants Access
Plants can be located all over your building, often in areas that are off-limits to all but the most senior people. Maintaining these plants means granting access-all-areas privileges to outside contractors. Trust between client and supplier must be absolute for this to work.
Your Plants have Ears
Passwords can protect computer files and locked cabinets can hide sensitive papers but it is very difficult to guard against spoken-word leaks. Conversations do not stop when maintenance people are present, meaning confidential information can be overheard. Are you comfortable leaving it to the discretion of non-employees to keep company secrets to themselves?
External Agents
Illnesses tend to spread quickly through highly-populated buildings. They rarely start from within; more often than not they are carried in from outside. The more external agents you employ in managing your facilities the higher your exposure to bugs. A plant specialist who diligently does a shift despite feeling under the weather can unintentionally wreak havoc. Decimated workforces or out-of-bounds hospital wards are the last thing any manager needs.
The Secure Alternative – Mummie Plants
Mummie Plants are a new generation of businessplants, specially preserved to eliminate the headaches associated with ordinary plants. Mummie Plants need no light, water, food, pruning or spraying. They are completely self-sufficient, negating your need to employ external maintenance contractors. Zero-maintenance means zero security risks.
Preserved plants make sense for any business that wants to safeguard sensitive information. The Netherlands’ Law Courts are already replacing regular plants with maintenance-free Mummie Plants so no outside personnel need building access. Are your current office plants an Achilles Heel? Call Mummie Plants 01 296 4540 to discuss enhancing your security.
