How Physical Security Can Integrate with Your Operations

As a leader of your organization, your employees and customers look to you to keep their data and other assets safe.

But having a robust, integrated physical security presence doesn’t happen overnight; it takes planning, thoughtful design, and the right tools to bring it all together. When combined with other cybersecurity measures, physical security can help your organization mitigate the risks of theft, vandalism, and environmental damage to your workspace or critical applications and infrastructure.

However, in a time when high-dollar ransomware attacks are making headlines and employees are constantly faced with phishing emails and malware attacks, it can be hard to balance your spending on network security with your physical security controls. Yet, some of the biggest threats come from weaknesses in physical access to a network, including insider threats, document theft, and identity theft.

This article will help your team understand the key elements of physical security and demonstrate how an integrated approach can benefit your operations.

What are the key elements of physical security?

No matter the size or scope of your organization, the physical security of your employees, customers, and physical assets is critical. But, what exactly encompasses your organization’s physical assets, and how can you begin to organize and prioritize them?

That’s the rationale behind why many security professionals inventory and categorize an organization’s physical assets into three general categories:

     Property

    People

     Data

With this inventory in hand, organizations can then understand the different types of technologies and controls that can be implemented to protect your assets with a layered approach that works with network security elements. For example, a complete system will include physical and network-based controls that are able to provide:

• Deterrence: Prevent entry with physical barriers, including secured doors and security cameras.

• Detection: Identify a potential security event via sensors, alarms,
  and notifications.

• Delay: Slow the movement of a physical intrusion.

• Response: Get notified of breaches to initiate appropriate remediation.

Creating and constantly refreshing this inventory and series of security controls is especially important for schools, government organizations, healthcare providers, and critical infrastructure providers, among others.

Why is integrated physical security and access control important?

In a time of tight budgets and even tighter demands on technology staff, it can be easy to deprioritize the implementation of physical security and access control. 

However, with an integrated, layered physical security system in place, your organization can experience a range of benefits, including some that go beyond just providing peace of mind. Proactive security can:

• Prevent access to unauthorized people or terminated employees in order to protect the safety of your property, data, and people.

• Give you the ability to identify issues fast and take quick, appropriate responses in other parts of your organization’s physical or network environment.

• Deliver the level of security your customers, employees, and regulatory bodies expect.

How else can physical security tools benefit operations?

Organizations have also found that the technology that enables their physical security can be used to support other business goals. 

For example, businesses have been able to:

• Collect environmental data that can be used to supplement business information, such as tracking customer journeys through your stores or assisting with the placement of advertisements and displays.

• Use body cameras to provide video footage support during delivery or curbside services.

• Leverage advanced video analytics to pinpoint specific events without having to manually review data.

• Utilize video and open system architectures to provide visibility into product inventory needs or site status to help offset the effects of a tight labor market.

How do you implement the physical security elements your organization needs?

As with many elements of security, every organization’s requirements and goals will be different. In turn, the technology, tools, and implementation will be unique to their needs.

In other words, implementing physical security isn’t a one-size-fits-all effort; it is one that benefits from having the support of an experienced, trusted partner that can:

• Evaluate your organization’s security needs and requirements.

• Provide demos and help to select the right tools and management equipment to deploy.

• Measure your existing infrastructure for compatibility and performance.

• Develop a custom, prioritized physical security plan.

Take the next step with a trusted partner.

Every organization begins its security journey in a different place, which is why VectorUSA uses our expertise, decades of experience, and diverse, vendor-neutral portfolio of technology partners to find the right solution for your business. 

We know that implementing physical security and access control is not something your organization takes lightly; you need a partner that is able to deliver the full range of physical security solutions, always with a customer-first approach.

Ready to get started? Then schedule a quick chat with our team to ensure you are on track to total physical security.