Due to the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers of New York, America has heightened its security measures. Different measures of security have been improved. The development of Homeland Security was established to strengthen the security at public institutions and places in order to prevent another 9/11 attack by preventing the entry of terrorists in public transports and public buildings. Airports, train and bus stations are now being strictly monitored and security extremely tightened. It is therefore the aim of this paper to first define what physical security is and what are the different tools involved in physical security. This paper also defines in particular what security surveys are and what their advantages and disadvantages are. Lastly, this paper is going to give a short discussion and instructions on how to conduct a simple security survey.
[...] Different law enforcement agencies are willing and able to help private homeowners learn how to conduct different security surveys by providing them with a checklist for doing the survey. Here is an example of a checklist taken from The American Association of Retired Persons in Washington D.C. First thing to consider is the burglar's point of view about your home. Starting from the outside you should answer or to these following questions; Do trees and shrubbery obscure doors or windows? [...]
[...] The success of a security program is usually attributed to nothing happening. This is the traditional way of measuring the performance of any implemented security program. While this has been an effective measure, this however does not consider the effective cost/benefit analysis of the security in terms of resources that are used in order to achieve the desired effect of “nothing happening”. Without cost/benefit analysis, security resources may deteriorate over time. For example, if there has not been an incident in a certain facility for several years, security managers might tend to get complacent and therefore will reduce the amount of resources that are provided to maintain the level of security in that facility. [...]
[...] In order for your home to pass your security survey checklist, it is important to ask your local law enforcement for the proper techniques that could ensure the safety of your home. Security surveys are not always burglar-proof and therefore there should always be measures for further protecting your belongings or measures to help easily recover stolen items just incase there was a breached in your home security. In storing valuables, it is important to establish a security closet or a safe inside your house to store valuables and assets in. [...]
[...] These questions are important since would-be burglars to your home would easily be discouraged when they know that there is a chance for them to be seen. Trees and shrubbery should be pruned away from the windows and entrances so not to give burglars a way in and to be able to easily see if a person is outside your house. Next thing to consider is inside the house. Again, you have to answer or to the following questions: Are exterior doors secured using a deadbolt lock? [...]
[...] The recognition of physical security as a daunting task is essential in order to prevent complacency, overconfidence and arrogance since these traits are not compatible with good physical security. Physical security is difficult and overwhelming because it has different dimensions and aspects that need to be considered. Physical security should make sure that all aspects in terms of vulnerabilities are considered. Vulnerabilities are the areas that are not secured which an adversary can penetrate into to cause damage. An adversary is anything or anyone that can cause harm to the valuables that physical security is intending to protect. [...]
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