These days, nearly every type of advanced security system has at least some roots in tech. This can lead to confusion on old-fashioned concepts that have been strongly influenced by technology.
Physical security, as defined by the actions you take to protect against in-person intrusion, theft or vandalism, is among these. In this article, we will go beyond the basics to look at physical security measures that require much more than traditional locks and keys. Let’s begin by looking at what we are up against.
Common Physical Security Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Risks
Outsider Intrusion
Beginning with the physical security threat most people recognise first, outsider intrusion refers to the malcontent who enters your facility with bad intentions. They could be an opportunistic burglar who is ready to steal anything of value, or they could be targeting specific assets. Whatever the reason, they may simply be there to cause as much damage as possible, whether they profit from it or not. They may even be psychologically disturbed individuals who will harm your employees.
Insider Threats
We’d love to trust all our colleagues and workmates, but there are people who won’t mind harming the organisation they work for in exchange for a real or perceived reward. For some, it may be accessing physical, data, or intellectual assets for profit. For others, it could be a simple matter of “revenge” for what they see as unfair treatment at work.
Natural Disasters
There’s no way to lock a natural disaster out of your offices or manufacturing plants. However, a natural disaster can present a very real physical security threat. For example, equipment could be destroyed in a fire or flood, leaving your organisation unable to function.
Importance of Physical Security
Obviously, you want to avert harm to your people and assets. But physical security is also important for the psychological wellbeing of your employees. Just as you get peace of mind from knowing that your home is secure against intrusion, employees want to feel safe when they are at work.
For example, high-profile news stories tell chilling stories about assaults on health workers and the WHO reports that over half of health workers have experienced or witnessed such events. Bank employees experience similar concerns with the added fear of being kidnapped or held hostage during robberies. Neither of these organisations can simply exclude members of the public from their facilities, but physical security measures should provide a high level of protection and rapid responses in the event of an attack.
Physical Security Examples: Measures and Methods
Beginning with the most commonly recognised form of physical security measures, we’ll also look at some approaches that may be less apparent. Our list includes:
Access Control Systems
Ensuring that only authorised individuals can gain access to buildings, infrastructure, or sensitive areas, access control systems range from simple keys and locks to pass codes and high-tech biometric authentication.
Security Guards
Simply putting a guard at a “gate” may be the oldest physical security measure still in use today. In modern times, however, tech can handle the “guarding” function, with security personnel being alerted when there is a need for their intervention. This reduces the need for people to guard every important access point and ensures that they are deployed where they are needed most.
Physical Barriers
As old as time itself, physical barriers have always helped to separate people from danger. The wooden palisade may have given way to the security fence, but the basic principle remains the same. Today, we still use physical barriers as the most basic component of security systems: the locked door, the secured perimeter, or the blank wall still work to keep intruders out.
Intrusion Detection Systems
If you translated this to “burglar alarms” you aren’t far off the mark. However, intrusion detection has progressed beyond alarms to include surveillance systems, sensors, activity analysis, and the ability to broadcast real-time warnings. A strong intrusion detection system can act, not only as a means to alert security personnel and law-enforcement, but also as a strong deterrent. If malcontents gain entry, intrusion detection systems can frighten them off before they’re able to do any harm.
Surveillance Technologies
Criminals don’t want to get caught. While there are ways to mask their identities from surveillance cameras, surveillance tech has progressed far beyond simply recording events as they occur. The latest surveillance technologies can sound the alarm whenever something unusual occurs.
They can form part of a wider intrusion detection system, triggering alarms even when traditional alarm sensors have not detected anything out of the ordinary. In sensitive areas, they can guard against insider attacks by recording who gained access to restricted areas and when they did so. And, if authorised personnel appear to be accessing facilities at unusual times, or appear to behave strangely when they do so, alerts inform security personnel of the anomaly.
Biometrics
From fingerprints to facial recognition, biometrics confirm that a person accessing an area is authorised to do so. However, there are additional factors to consider. For example, an employee can be under duress. Advanced surveillance cameras can spot signs that something untoward may be occurring and add an extra layer of security to biometric access control.
Information Technology Backup Systems
Whether a physical or virtual intruder invaded your organisation’s IT systems or a natural disaster wreaked havoc on your facility, businesses run on electronic information. Your backups help you to resume normal activities quickly, saving your organisation untold costs in lost business or loss of critical information.
How to Develop a Physical Security Policy
Risk Assessment
Knowing what risks you face is the first step in developing a physical security policy. Risk assessment is a specialised area, and it can be hard to spot vulnerabilities from an insider perspective. Consider appointing professionals to assess physical security risks.
Risk Elimination or Reduction
With the physical security risk exposure defined, you’ll search for ways to eliminate risks. However, in many instances, it’s impossible to achieve a zero risk scenario. Your mission will be to reduce physical security risks as much as you possibly can.
For example, in healthcare, you can’t altogether exclude members of the public from facilities, but you need to reduce the risks that go with allowing unknown persons into your hospital or clinic. Your risk reduction strategy may include a visitor management system, surveillance, and access control systems.
Policy Documentation and Training
Once you’ve found ways to reduce or eliminate risk, your personnel need to understand your policies and be able to follow them. Apart from documenting physical security measures and policies, training programmes help your employees to implement your physical security measures effectively.
Record-Keeping and Reviews
How effective are your physical security policies? Your records should not only include information on successful physical security breaches, but attempts to breach your security and how close they came to succeeding. During reviews, you can consider ways to strengthen physical security measures and enhance your security measures.
The Role of Technology in Physical Security
As noted in our introduction, technology affects almost every activity and strategy, including physical security measures. Apart from using technology to defend your business from invasion, you should be aware that malcontents can use technology to bypass your physical security systems.
Although this may bring scenes of cat burglars from movies to mind, the reality is rather more mundane – but your tech can still foil attempts at breaching your security. Remember: keys can be stolen or copied, access codes can be hacked or stolen, but top-tier security measures can overcome these risks.
Invest in advanced access control systems and IP cameras from Advantex and get round-the-cock support. From cybersecurity to physical security, we’re trusted by government organisations, schools, and private enterprises. Whatever the threat, we have the technologies you need to combat it. Protecting your people and property requires cutting-edge technology, so call us for a free consultation today.
