Due to terror threats that have been experienced through the years, America has integrated its physical security. This involves balancing between maintaining effective security and carrying on with the business as usual. However, many facilities do not have a management plan in times of crisis and thus the need to develop physical security plans in all facilities. The major challenges is making everyone understand that something needs to be done and then implementing it (Philpott & Einstein, 2011). Developing a physical plan involves modeling the facility, analyzing the gaps, closing the gaps, developing the strategic plan and then implementing it. Elements to be considered include people, assets, operations, and inter-dependence.

Building physical security into a data center

Every security facility should have a data center secure from terrorism, natural disasters, and corporate espionage. The following should be observed to make the center withstand all disasters, building on the right spot, having redundant utilities, paying particular attention to walls, limiting the number of windows, using landscaping, using retractable barriers at entry points, planning for bomb detection, limiting entry and exits points, installing plenty of surveillance cameras, high protection on the building machinery and hardening the core with security layers (Scalet, 2015).

Protecting the System: Physical Security

The information system needs to be physically protected. This involves the protection of the building sites and equipments from all types of damage. It requires power supplies, solid buildings, climate control, emergency preparedness, and protection from intruders. Physical threats to consider include natural disasters, weather conditions, intentional and unintentional destruction. Some of the countermeasures that can be applied include avoiding arousing unnecessary interest, maximizing on structural protection and minimizing external access. Since some countermeasures may not be feasible in some circumstances, it is good to prepare for fire emergencies, maintain a considerable climate within the room and be careful with non-essential materials (National Center for Education Statistics).

The most important information learnt this week is that all facilities should be physically secure from all kind of disasters ranging from natural to man-made disasters. It is good to be always prepared and have countermeasures to be applied in the unavoidable circumstances. This can be very helpful in my future job since I will be able to maintain a high-level security in my facility of work and provide adequate countermeasures.

It is good to consider that the facilities are also exposed to other dangers such as fraud, bribery, blackmail, counterfeiting among others (National Check Fraud Center). Anyone can coerce an employee to reveal confidential information about the facility. There are many types of fraud existing in this digital era, and every facility should have countermeasures for such frauds.

References

National Center for Education Statistics. Protecting Your System: Physical Security. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2015, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/safetech/chapter5.asp:/

National Check Fraud Center. Types and Schemes of White Collar Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2015, from http://www.ckfraud.org/whitecollar.html

Philpott, D., & Einstein, S. (2011). The integrated physical security handbook II (2nd ed.). Longboat Key, Fla.: Government Training. Retrieved July 22, 2015, from http://www.governmenttraininginc.com/pdfs/Excerpt-from-IPSH-II.pdf

Scalet, S. (2015, March 31). How to build physical security into a data center. Retrieved July 22, 2015, from http://www.csoonline.com/article/2112402/physical-security/physical-security-19-ways-to-build-physical-security-into-a-data-center.html

 
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