Changing Behavior
Plan for the future rather than react to events
- By Barry Willingham
- Apr 01, 2013
All things in life change over time. As
it relates to the world of security, the
acceleration of change began with
the unforgettable terrorist attacks on
our domestic soil in 2001, with multiple
other events that followed. Most
recently, places of large gatherings
like schools and theaters have been the center of attention,
driving the priority of changing the way security
is viewed to protect unsuspecting, innocent children or
patrons of a business.
The challenge security professionals encounter, as
it relates to these situations, is more behavioral than
educational. They are subjected to a reactionary environment
that seems to be numb to the most obvious
of concerns, and only awakens with commitment to act
when violated.
For Every Action, Reaction
For example, few people assume an accountable posture
with regards to retirement, achieving a comfortable financial
position with less than median income to draw upon
from their years of saving. Does this sound similar to the
behavior of parties charged with an even greater responsibility—
to care for the security of our nation’s critical assets,
not to mention the people that occupy them? For
example, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma
City was destroyed by a vehicle bomb blast in 1995,
so now bollards creating stand-off from similar buildings
are now required on most federal facilities—a reactionary
security measure.
Someone attempts to blow up an airplane with bottled
chemicals, so now we have to display items through airport
security in multiple smaller containers—another reactionary
measure.
The “tennis shoe” bomber fails to destroy a plane in
flight and now we all have to take off our shoes in the
security line—reactionary.
Innocent children are slaughtered in a school, and now
placing armed guards and arming the faculty is a proposed
remedy—reactionary.
The examples are endless. What is not so easy to cite
are the people and businesses that are taking a proactive
approach to mitigating these situations with reasonable,
well-thought-out solutions. Few industry professionals
take the approach to leverage available financial resources,
technology advancements and a clear understanding
of the collateral damage and risk a given situation bears
when an event occurs.
You might be asking yourself, “What does this have
to do with perimeter security?” The answer is everything.
For anyone to say that a facility requiring additional security
measures needs taller, heavier, crash-rated fences
laden with IDS systems tied to surveillance cameras enabled
with video analytics is a little bit tenuous. That same
facility—governed by armed security guards housed in a
ballistic-rated guard station, protected by active vehicle
barriers, backed by blast-rated glazing in the building façade
with a sally port entry armed with biometric access,
all as a starting point to mitigate your threat concerns—is
as inconvenient as having to take off your shoes to pass
through an airport security checkpoint.
Although all these technology measures are appropriate
when placed in a suitable application, the greater concern
is that perimeter security has become boring to many
people. It’s a little bit like saving for the future, but doing it
later in life. Security should be a first thought.
It is important to look at the specifics of perimeter
security and how they are being addressed. This segment
of the business has moved from being perceived
as minimally necessary to overkill. Perimeter security
is more important than ever, especially when you consider
a current posture is being rationalized away due
to unplanned or over-budgeted requirements that lead
to non-performing, window-dressing solutions to satisfy
a board of directors or a momentary public outcry for
more visible security measures.
All of this is, once again, reactionary. Although a chosen
few have taken a path of responsible and logical action to
mitigate the risks in their particular situation, leveraging
some of the recently developed standards and skilled professionals
in this arena, the majority continues down the
path of avoidance, and that is not risk avoidance.
With the endless pool of performance-driven, costeffective
and sustainable technology available today, a
pragmatic approach to addressing the security concerns
of a facility can, in most cases, be implemented without
breaking the bank and could be executed over time.
The key ingredient is a proactive attitude with the
commitment to complete the objectives determined, then
selecting the correct technology products after leveraging
trustworthy expertise of security professionals supporting
risk assessment, site systems design, and effective integration/
installation.
There are many features and benefits of advancements
in various technologies used in perimeter security,
such as anti-ram or anti-climb fencing; broad-spectrum
radar tied to video analytics; improvements in performance
and durability of vehicle barriers; and even the
integration of electronic technology into ballistic-rated
guard shelters, acting as the command and control center
for an access control point (ACP). Technology is not the
key to effective security. Logical and effective use of the
technology is.
Reports are not available that demonstrate the number
of facilities that are mostly unprepared. This is not because
of a lack of need, but more about an undisciplined behavior.
Perimeter security has become a tiresome subject that
many people have chosen to ignore, hoping to avoid necessity.
The amount of available security information is
limitless, with thousands of industry professionals ready
to help the decision-making process. Stakeholders are
counting on you to not leave them exposed because you
don’t have the budget and nothing has happened—yet.
This article originally appeared in the April 2013 issue of Security Today.