Strategic Security Management

personnel should also be convinced of the importance of immediately report-

ing to security any equipment that is malfunctioning so that repairs can be

affected. Although it might be somewhat burdensome for a security depart-

ment to have to ensure that repairs of equipment are being addressed in a

timely manner by security product vendors, the positive result in following this

approach is that the repairs can be tracked more efficiently and they will more

than likely be completed in a timelier manner given the more focused over-

sight. In addition, it is also easier for security decision makers to more quickly

detect trends in like equipment failures at multiple facilities. This information

can then be relayed to the security product vendor to determine whether there

is a need to modify existing equipment at other facilities before it encounters

the same difficulties. Information of this type would be especially useful if addi-

tional equipment was being considered for future purchase from the manu-

facturer whose equipment was failing.

Auditing Effectiveness

To further ensure that the security equipment that has been installed is being

utilized as intended, an audit process should be implemented. Security depart-

ment personnel should regularly check to make sure the equipment is func-

tional and that it is being used according to the organization’s standards. For

example, if you have a facility that has a digital CCTV system that you have set

up to monitor alarms in high-risk areas at certain times of the day, you more

than likely have implemented guidelines that require the facility personnel to

regularly check to see if alarms have been generated on the system. As with any

other required security standard, simply setting the standard and communi-

cating it to organizational personnel does not ensure compliance. Auditing the

use of security equipment greatly increases the likelihood that the equipment

is being used to the organization’s standards.

Yet auditing just for the sake of auditing can be a waste of time if the secu-

rity department audits are not backed by the organization’s management and

operations team. Too often in the corporate culture, audits are conducted by

security personnel and operations responds with “lip-service” promising to

correct the problems found in the audit, but rarely following through with

those promises. Audits without management support may identify the prob-

lems, but rarely do they correct them. This is not to say that security must

always go in with a “big stick” or with an “I got you” mentality when conduct-

ing audits. To the contrary, security personnel should continually strive to

be viewed as part of the team. Whenever possible, audits should be put into

the context of an opportunity to educate management on existing security

programs.

Establishing good rapport with facility management is of the utmost impor-

tance if a security program is to be effective. By showing facility management

the usefulness and effectiveness of the security tools that have been provided

Security Measures: Deploying Physical Security 229