An Essential Guide for HR and Procurement
Ahead of Ramadan, work rhythms in many companies change. Operating hours are adjusted, procurement activities increase, and the movement of vendors and couriers becomes more intense. Under these conditions, security risks often arise not from major attacks, but from small lapses that are considered normal.
The increased volume of activity opens more entry points for risk, while employees’ focus is often divided. This is why security awareness becomes critical—so companies can prevent incidents rather than merely react after they occur.
What Is Security Awareness and Why Do HR & Procurement Play a Key Role?
Security awareness refers to employees’ understanding and behavior in recognizing risks and carrying out daily security prevention measures, both physically and operationally.
HR plays a vital role because it is directly related to:
Internal communication and employee training
Compliance with SOPs and workplace policies
Access arrangements due to changes in working hours, shifts, or WFH policies
Meanwhile, Procurement serves as the gateway for interaction with external parties:
Vendors, contractors, and delivery couriers
Management of POs, invoices, and transaction documents
Last-minute requests ahead of Ramadan that are vulnerable to fraud
Security ahead of Ramadan is not solely the responsibility of security officers or CCTV systems. Without internal awareness, technology and physical guarding can be undermined by procedural negligence.
Common Security Risks Ahead of Ramadan
The following risks often appear “normal” but can have serious consequences if ignored:
Social Engineering: Perpetrators exploit politeness and busy situations by posing as vendors or internal staff, requesting access without proper verification.
Tailgating and Piggybacking: Unauthorized individuals follow others into restricted areas, especially in lobbies, warehouses, and office spaces.
Surge in Vendors and Couriers: Deliveries of food, hampers, and event needs can loosen visitor management controls.
Procurement Fraud: Common schemes include fake invoices, changes to payment account details, and urgent approval requests.
Data Leakage: Procurement documents and employee data are shared through fast channels without proper access control.
Unoccupied Areas Due to Changed Working Hours: Less-monitored areas become opportunities for asset theft or unauthorized access.
Security Awareness Checklist Ahead of Ramadan
To make it easy to implement, here is a practical checklist for HR and Procurement.
HR Checklist
Send security awareness reminders 7–14 days before Ramadan
Update guest, vendor, and courier access policies
Conduct short briefings on anti-tailgating and social engineering
Assign a PIC per area for quick escalation
Procurement Checklist
Ensure vendors are verified and have official PICs
Implement two-step verification for bank account changes
Regulate urgent approval processes with complete supporting evidence
Define delivery drop points and goods receipt logs
Joint Operational Checklist
Adjust door access hours during Ramadan
Audit access cards for contract and temporary employees
Strengthen monitoring of high-risk areas
Provide fast reporting channels with clear SLAs
Short SOP: Verify Before Granting Access
Use simple rules to make them easy to remember:
Ask for identity and purpose
Check supporting evidence and documents
Confirm with the internal PIC or Procurement
If any step is not fulfilled, access should be delayed until validation is complete.
The Role of Technology in Supporting Security Awareness
Technology does not replace employees—it strengthens vigilance:
CCTV and AI analytics to detect tailgating and abnormal activities
Access control and visitor management systems
Incident dashboards for escalation and documentation
The key principle remains the same: technology provides alerts, humans verify and act.
Simple KPIs to Measure Effectiveness
To ensure the program is more than just an internal campaign, companies can measure:
Employee participation rates in briefings
Number of near-miss reports
Reduction in tailgating incidents
Vendor compliance with SOPs
Security report response times
Conclusion
Ahead of Ramadan, security risks often emerge from activities that seem routine: quick access, increased vendor traffic, and urgent transactions. With security awareness that actively involves HR and Procurement, companies can close gaps before incidents occur.
Nawakara is ready to support the development of a measurable security awareness program—from risk assessment and SOP development to data-driven monitoring enhancements.
