The past few years have seen myriad changes in the field of physical security. Along with new introductions and product enhancements, one of the most significant changes is the way physical security is being utilized. With increasing frequency, new physical security solutions encompass data-driven knowledge to help anticipate future incidents. In this respect, physical security is moving from a protective discipline to a more preventive discipline.

First and Foremost Protection

The history of physical security is one of protection. A wide variety of solutions exist for this, including security guards, access control, video surveillance, key control, fences, alarms, crisis communication plans, and more. With a combination of these measures in place, facility managers, and security directors have the means to protect people, assets, and facilities. However, the unknown factor is the individual who is determined to rob a store, perpetrate an insurance scam through a slip and fall, or commit another crime. State-of-the-art physical security technology performs well in its role but there is a distinct difference between reacting to incidents and preventing them from happening in the first place. In order to address these types of issues, many organizations have started using data provided by their security solutions to develop strategies or take action that is geared more toward prevention.

Changing Up the Strategy

This move toward a more prevention-oriented security strategy has been accelerated with continuing advancements in incident management software. The software collects and analyzes information from a range of sources, and the insights gained give a better understanding of risks and losses. This data can also help to identify trends and necessary actions to resolve issues and prevent them from reoccurring.

When data is managed in this way, it becomes valuable intelligence that can be used to address risk prevention and protection. Statistics that could take days or weeks to prepare using conventional database queries are available quickly, as all the formulas and queries are built into the software. From this information, indicators can be identified that may suggest problems with a security program. Root causes of incidents can be identified and prevented before they occur rather than simply identifying the symptoms as would be the case with a singular protection solution. The faster information is available, the faster measures can be taken to address risks and minimize incidents.

For instance, analysis of key metrics generated by the incident management software might show that laptop thefts have been rising at one corporate site but not others. Without analysis, a simple count of laptop thefts across the corporation usually will not suggest any particular countermeasure. In fact, total corporate laptop thefts could be down even though thefts at one site increased. Once the analysis pinpoints the specific trend that thefts are up at only one particular site, security management can intelligently choose the right steps to address the problem, such as investigation, employee security awareness briefings, or improved locking methods. The software can even go further to identify specific areas of the location or times of day that can be correlated with other data such as which employees were in that specific area of the facility during those times.

Because incident management software can capture, sort, and harmonize details easily, it is typically more efficient than manual or home-grown IT solutions. Once collected and organized, the data can be looked at as raw intelligence and the software can analyze using pattern analysis, link analysis, and timeline charting. As an example, incident management software used by a major department store could detect an increase in the number of insurance claims. Pattern analysis might then determine that many of the incidents occurred early in the day on the first Monday of the week. Through link analysis and timeline charting, it could be discovered that the floors in the store’s entry vestibules are washed first thing on Monday mornings, increasing the number of slip and falls and subsequent insurance claims that occur. With this information in hand, changes could be implemented to the building maintenance schedule to help prevent further incidents.

Today’s physical security systems are state-of-the-art technology. Through informed decision making made possible by incident management and analytic software, even the most advanced physical security systems can be made more accountable and valuable.