Having a clear physical security strategy is crucial for any corporation in today’s environment. Threats from a range of bad actors endanger modern businesses. By being physical security-compliant, companies can minimize risk and bolster success.
In a new piece for SecurityInfowatch.com, two industry leaders — Cathal J. Walsh, VP and CSO at Guidepost Solutions, and John Bekisz, associate VP of physical security at Guidepost Solutions — outline best practices for how companies can mitigate physical security risks in their corporate spaces, like branch offices and headquarters. The two security executives point out that “security lapses in regulated industries can have severe consequences.” If security isn’t shored up, it can radiate out to impact the company and its clients and customers at large. This means robust security practices must be embraced from the executive level all the way down to staff on the ground.
“Amidst the myriad tools available to evaluate threats and risks, it's empowering to know that contemporary security risk management practices have evolved. These practices now emphasize proactive measures, including coordinating with internal and external parties to ensure a compliant risk-based solution is deployed and regularly maintained,” they write. "This enhanced approach to risk management bolsters our ability to stay ahead of potential threats, giving us a sense of control in an otherwise unpredictable environment.”
Walsh and Bekisz explain that security systems have to be centralized. Large-scale video surveillance camera systems need to be centrally connected, which means that remote access and cloud computing systems should be put in place. Disconnected, scattered technologies that fail to have any cohesion can result in major vulnerabilities and blind spots.
A major component of a unified approach involves staff training. At all levels of a given corporation, proper security protocols have to be hammered home. Staff at one facility can’t be familiar with one element of a corporation’s security approach that varies from the expertise of staff at another location.
“Although there is no prescriptive solution to mitigate all forms of physical security risks in the corporate environment, a security program can be deployed in alignment with the organization’s risk appetite with adequate planning. A layered approach starting at the perimeter and moving inward, incorporating a defense-in-depth strategy with various detection zones, aids the organization in its risk reduction efforts,” Bekisz and Walsh conclude. “Referencing industry-accepted frameworks anchored in asset protection principles, including operational, technology, and physical security elements, guides the practitioner to ensure a comprehensive program is incorporated into the design.”
Read the full article — which includes use case examples — here.