Insurance covers most losses. However, most cargo theft and break-ins are internal, not external, Brandman points out. In fact, the majority of break-ins, truck thefts and hijackings investigated by his company have been committed or set up by current or former employees, vendors or contractors. This means that internal thieves can steal for months or years without being detected. Insiders know first-hand a company's security weaknesses, and are able to exploit them.
Companies often deny the possibility of internal theft, even when faced with hard evidence.
Ruling out these possibilities may take another three to six months, resulting in additional loss. For example, a delivery driver making his regular pick-up may be given three extra cases of product to put on his truck. This type of theft is very difficult for security guards to spot. Closed circuit TV is not used effectively. However, most companies that install closed circuit television security systems don't use them effectively, if at all.