Introducing Physical Security 401
Securing the Physical Area
When looking at the overall security stance of an organization, you must also consider
the facility itself. Someone breaching security and getting into the facility can easily steal
equipment or data and possibly even perform vandalism or sabotage. In the physical world,
the first type of controls that someone wishing to cause harm is likely to encounter are
those that line the perimeter of an organization. When performing an assessment of your
organization, pay attention to those structures and controls that extend in and around your
organization’s assets or facilities. Every control or structure you observe should provide
protection in the form of either delaying or deterring an attack, both with the ultimate
goal of stopping unauthorized access. Though it is possible that a determined attacker will
successfully bypass the countermeasures in the first layer, additional layers working with
and supporting the perimeter defenses should provide valuable detection and deterrent
functions.
It is also important to note that during the construction of new facilities, the security
professional should get involved early to advise on what measures can be implemented
during this phase. However, it is more realistic to assume that the security professional
will arrive on the scene long after construction of facilities has been completed. In such
cases, the security professional will have to conduct a thorough site survey with the goal
of assessing the current protection offered. If you are tasked with performing a site survey,
do not overlook the fact that natural geographic features can provide protection as well as
the potential to hide individuals with malicious intent from detection. When a site survey
of an existing facility is undertaken, consider items such as natural boundaries at the
location and fences or walls around the site. Common physical area controls placed at the
perimeter of the facility can include many types of physical barriers that will physically and
psychologically deter intruders. These include
■ Fences
■ Gates
■ Doors and mantraps
■ Locks
■ Walls, ceilings, and floors
■ Windows
Fences
Fences are one of the physical boundaries that provide the most visible and imposing
deterrent. Depending on the construction, placement, and type of fence the individuals
deterred by this countermeasure may be only the casual intruder or a more determined
individual. As fences change in construction, height, and even color, they can also provide
a psychological deterrent, For example, consider an 8-foot iron fence with thick bars
painted flat black—such a barrier can definitely represent a psychological deterrent. Ideally,
a fence should limit how easy it is for an intruder to access a facility as well as provide a
psychological barrier.