SUN ACTIONS IN THE EVENT OF CUSTOMER THEFT

1.  Over the last 12 months there has been a marked increase in the number of thefts/burglaries at Sun customer sites during which Sun systems have been stolen.

2.   To improve the service provided to our customers during this traumatic time they should be advised to liase with Sun Security who will be able to provide the following services:

a.  The logging of whole stolen systems on the service database.  The serial number(s) of the systems will be required to perform this function.  This will facilitate easy identification of the system should it re-appear.  It will also be used to identify systems being offered for sale on the greymarket.  The ultimate aim being to recover the customer’s property.

b.    Sun Security will liase with the police Force charged with investigating the loss.  This will enable the passage of information/intelligence collated from other incidents of a similar nature throughout the UK and mainland Europe so the Police can work together with their colleagues in other parts of the UK and Europe to identify the perpetrators.

c.   Advise customers on security measures and organisations from which advice may be sought.  Advice will include current trends being used by the criminals to gain access to sites so that customers can guard against it in their future security strategy.

3.	Any of the following Sun Security personnel can be contacted:

Barry Hugh-Jones EMEA Security Manager
E-Mail: william.hughes-ones@u.k.sun.com
Tel: 01252 421684

Jim Gill EMEA Asset Protection/Investigations Manager
E-Mail:  jim.gill@uk.sun.com
Tel: 01252 421670

Dave Witherspoon EMEA Corporate Investigator
E-Mail:  dave.witherspoon@uk.sun.com
Tel: 01252 523480

SUN SECURITY HINTS

There have been a number of incidents recently where SUN product users and distributors have become the victims of criminal attacks and theft.  This follows a similar series of events in the Benelux towards the end of 1999.

A number of UK police forces are now investigating these events and a national level liaison has been established with the Netherlands

It is possible that other Sun customers may also attract the attention of criminals in the future.  It may, therefore, be useful to highlight some of the more obvious measures that customers might like to consider, to reduce the risk to their property.

•	Access Control
“Only admit people you want to let in”
A common feature of recent thefts has been that offenders have forced entry to premises.  Once they are in, it is very difficult to recover the situation, so controlling entry effectively is of paramount importance.  This means having an effective access control process and good visitor control.  Limit access to your warehouse area to those who have a business to be there.  Do not let drivers and passers-by drop in to use the loo.

•	Physical security measures
“Remember the value of your Computer equipment and protect it accordingly”
A companies IT equipment is probably its biggest single investment and as such needs protection to a sensible degree.  Imagine that your computers are gold bullion bars and protect them accordingly.

•	Commercial Information Protection
“Adopt a “need to know” policy”
Such information as Customer lists, Shipping date and destinations, Product descriptions, etc., should be limited to those that really have an operational need to know.  Such information should also be protected with the office environment by securing hard copy documents and password protecting computer screens.  Consider the information stored on Laptops and the damage, which might be sustained if they were stolen.

•	Good Housekeeping
“Untidiness and clutter is the enemy of good security”
Keep stores tidy and dispose of waste packaging securely.  Packaging left beside the skip outside a loading bay is a tell tale for recent deliveries.

•	Have a good inventory
“Good stock records are essential for good business practice and incidentally for good security as well”
If you are unfortunate enough to be the subject of a theft, you will have to prove you had the item in the first place.  An accurate stock record with serial numbers is the best way to do this.  This, coupled with a Proof of Receipt and Shipping, will support any insurance claim and aid the Police with their investigations.

•	Staff trustworthiness
“Are your staff reliable and trustworthy?”
A sad feature of many crimes is that the criminals have used information from employees to plan their activities.  In areas where high value stock is held, employee integrity is very important.  Therefore, consider the wisdom of using short-term casual labour in such places.  Carrying out background pre-employment checks of staff is a wise investment.  This does not need to be exhaustive and can be limited in the first instance to establishing true identity and taking up previous employment references.  You might consider going further with key staff members.

•	Emergency response
“If the unthinkable happens....”
Consider how you could summons assistance if the worst happens.  Reception and warehouse staff could be equipped personal “panic buttons”.  If you have an alarm monitoring service, ensure that the response is appropriate.

•	Advice is available from your Police Crime Prevention officer
If you care to approach your local police station for advice, the Crime prevention Officer will review your current protection measures and offer advice.  Sun Security would be happy to put him in touch with officer’s investigation recent events elsewhere in order to appraise him of the possible threat level.