Physical Security

 

This Topic is intended to broaden one’s view beyond just a lock on the entrance door or an ID badge. Please remember that each facility presents its own challenges however, we endeavor to present the broadest selection of common items to explore. The Topic is segregated into three basic components:

 

 

 

Site Security

 

Physical site security looks at all external factors that may have such a negative impact that you are denied use of your facility. They can be caused by malicious acts of vandalism, acts of general terrorism, accidents, and acts of nature. There are a number of occurrences that can result in officials uninhabitable and forcing your facility to be shut down. Sometimes there is a potential for casualties and/or injuries before this action is taken

 

  1. Air borne contaminates: Is your facility air tight enough and is your fresh air intakes positioned correctly with protective dampers in case of an emergency such as a foreign substance being introduced into your air intakes? What about a cloud of chlorine passing over your facility?

 

  1. Water borne contaminates: Contaminated potable water from municipal water systems through drinking fountains is not uncommon and can be troublesome. It is not to your advantage to turn off the water supply because of all of the other functions that it provides. Do you have the policies and procedures in place to deal with this? How do you communicate to your staff in an emergency situation? Do you have pre-made signs warning your staff and others against washing hands? Have you identified sources of bottled water and can get it to the facility in a reasonable time period?

 

  1. Protection against direct physical violence to personnel entering and leaving the facility: Parking lots and building entrances can be a major issue for the protection of the personnel and guests. Are you giving these staff, vendors, and visitors the best protection against violence that you can? Do you have sufficient lighting levels to deter crime? How about external security cameras? Think about your weekend 3rd shift leaving work.

 

  1. Protection against unauthorized delivery area access: Shipping and receiving areas and truck docks are one of the least secure areas versus other areas of a facility and require much more thought and planning to make secure. Do you have specific routes and procedures that shippers must go through so that they are thoroughly reviewed by Security? How about the contents of the delivered packages? Do you have a designated area where the contents can be checked that provides the maximum protection for the facility? How do you handle medium to large unexpected delivery items? Do you have procedures prepared and in-place for suspected packages or contents? Do allow your delivery entrance to be used for employee entrance or egress use? Or, for a smoking area?

 

  1. Protection against direct building destruction: Protecting against explosive devices and long range targeting is not always practical to look at in depth in most cases but the protection against runaway or maliciously attempted destruction from vehicles should be considered. Do you have bollards or other traffic stopping devises in place to stop vehicles or up blast concrete protectors if needed?

 

  1. Protection of incoming utilities: Are your incoming utility connections as secure as they should be? This is an area that must be looked at in cooperation with the utility companies that provide the facility with gas, electricity, sewer, water and communications services.

 

  1. Protection of externally mounted mechanical and electrical equipment: Are the external portions of your mechanical and electrical equipment vital to your operation in a controlled environment (heavy duty fencing, etc)?

 

  1. Protection from access from facilities roof: Is your roof is to access? Is your facility in a shred building with other tenants and do you receive notice from the landlord when the roof is going to be accessed for other tenants’ issues? Are all of the openings from the roof secure and monitored? Do you have visual surveillance of roof access and possibly the roof itself?

 

  1. Limited number of normal use entrance and egress points to your facility: The number of entrance and egress (non-emergency) doors to your facility should be reviewed on a regular basis and should always be kept at the minimum number that is feasible.

 

 

 

 

Interior Building Security:

 

  1. Well designed and controlled building entrances: This can vary to a large degree on the type of operation the facility serves. General entrances where there is a large number of the public is involve must be looked at in a much different way than one where most of the people entering are working in secure areas. Do you have good remote CCTV surveillance that is monitored during all hours of operation and backing up other security devices at all times? Do you maintain a well trained and security conscientious human at the facility main entrance and the delivery entrance? Does the security area in the main entrance facility have a clear and panoramic view of the walkways and driveways leading to the main entrance? Where is your designated smoking area located and does it have added security such as enclosed fencing?

 

  1. Building perimeter protection: Are there any hiding places next to your building? Do you have appropriate perimeter CCTV surveillance? Are all openings to the building controlled by competent security equipment? Are all windows protected by sensors for breakage or cutting? Do you have adequate levels of lighting around the facilities perimeter?

 

  1. Shipping, Receiving and loading dock areas:  Are these areas properly isolated? Do they have good CCTV coverage? Is all incoming material properly scanned to protect your facility and personnel? Do you have controlled routing for all incoming and outgoing material?

 

  1. Protection of Security and Building Control systems: Is your Security Operations Center isolated so that it is very difficult to access by unauthorized personnel? Is your fire detection systems main equipment in a secure and monitored area? Is your facility’s automated control system in a secure area? Are all of these areas monitored by your CCTV system? Are they such that all personnel seeking entrance are verified before access?

 

  1. Controlled access to critical building functions: Are the facility’s mechanical, electrical and communication rooms/areas secure from unauthorized access? Are they monitored by your CCTV system?

 

  1. Isolation of Data Center and other critical areas: Is your facility zoned so that access to critical areas is difficult for unauthorized personnel? Do you have ‘Personnel Trap’ areas at the entrances to critical areas?

 

  1. Security System Sophistication: Is your present security system equipped with all of the various levels of sophistication that is required to adequately protect all areas? Can it provide sufficient history to permit analysis of an event?

 

 

Personnel and Portable Hardware Security:

 

  1. Personnel Identity and Control System: Do you have a general badge system in operation? Are you using picture identification badges with color coding? Does it allow you to limit personnel access to only areas they need to be in to perform their duties and no more? Is it integrated with your HR system so that you get instant updates as to an employee’s current status? Is it capable of identifying all portable hardware that the employee is permitted take out of the facility? Do you have good control of vendors and contractors that perform work in your facility?

 

  1. Identity and tracking of portable hardware: Do you have your portable hardware properly identified and protected against unauthorized removal from the facility? Is your portable equipment inventory connected to your personnel badge system so that it can be associated with a particular individual?

 

  1. Correct levels of interior security: Is your security system capable of providing you all of the various levels of security you need for your public, secure, highly secure, and ultra secure areas? Is it integrated with your CCTV system so that you can instantly track a problem? Does the system provide you all of the information you need and is it able to tie to HR personnel systems as needed? Are you storing these images for a time period sufficient to retrace activities at various points?

 

  1. Shipping and delivery security: Do you have good control on all of the delivery people as well as in-house personnel? Do you have control of all outgoing shipments? Do you permit employees to exit the facility via your shipping and delivery areas?

 

  1. CCTV system: Is your CCTV system adequate to meet all of your needs. Do you have proper coverage? Are you providing adequate image storage of CCTV data for most reviews that you may require (usually found to be insufficient after an event)?

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