Today, businesses face growing threats to the security of their employees, physical facilities, and executive leadership — including terrorism, workplace violence, sabotage, and crime. But many firms do not have the expertise or the experience they need to address these critical challenges. Although law enforcement agencies are charged with providing protection for life and property, they alone cannot be held responsible. The issue of security has become a vital component of every organization's strategic planning process.
Physical security provides for the protection of personnel, property, facilities, operating systems, and materials against unauthorized entry, trespass, damage, sabotage, or other illegal or criminal acts. Senior executives are asking what they need to do for each threat condition level of the Homeland Security Advisory System.
Businesses owe it to their employees, families, visitors, and shareholders to be prepared for risks associated with physical security. Executives and managers must determine if they have the plans in place to assess, mitigate, respond to, and recover from an event such as a terrorist action.
What Will You Say When They Ask What Happened?
Executives concerned about enhancing their own operational preparedness through better policies, response plans, procedures, and training, should be dealing with questions such as:
- What protective actions should each facility take for each of the five Homeland Security Advisory System threat condition levels?
- What are the credible threats facing my facilities, and what is the probability of occurrence?
- What are the physical weaknesses in our site layout, buildings, utility systems, and computer networks that make our personnel and our business functions more vulnerable?
- What gaps exist in security policies, procedures, or other programs that would impact the ability to deter, detect, or effectively respond to a threat?
- Are any of our facilities considered a "critical" facility? A critical facility is defined as a facility or combination of facilities that if damaged or destroyed would: (1) significantly impact the ability to serve a large number of customers for an extended period of time, (2) have a detrimental impact on the reliability or operability of the energy grid, or (3) cause significant risk to national security, national economic security, or public health and safety.
- Do our facilities have an effective evacuation plan that is practiced regularly? Do occupants know the location of primary and secondary exits as well as where to assemble after exiting the building? Is there an alternate assembly area? What protocols do we have to account for our personnel?
- Does each facility have a primary and alternate emergency operations center that could be used to manage an emergency?
- Are utilities and mechanical equipment rooms properly secured to prevent unauthorized access?
- Are areas of the building that are easily accessible to the public (e.g., lobbies, loading docks, parking garages, etc.) constructed or secured to deter a criminal or terrorist act?
- Are mailrooms located and constructed to contain the release of a biological agent or package bomb? Have workers in the area been trained to recognize a suspicious package and do they know what to do if they find one?
Who's Looking Out for You?
Members of Enigma's Risk Management team have extensive experience in the development of security programs as well as personnel training and exercising. They can help you strengthen your security capabilities and preparedness for incident response. From security assessments to security program plan design, to cyber risks assessments, to security exercises, we can help your create a more secure environment.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact us.
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