This article will help identify areas in which you need to perform a risk assessment to help determine the security measures you will need for your new building.
First, the usage of the building needs to be determined so the security requirements can be flushed out to meet the functional expectations of the building.
Besides complying with building codes, security must be an integral part of a building from the design phase forward. Retro fitting a building after construction for security is very costly and sometimes impossible.
When performing the risk assessment, try to obtain a history of losses for the established facilities in the area, if possible, as the findings can help with the vulnerability assessment. The assessment is very important as you need to know what threats exist.
The following are questions you need to ask when constructing your building to prepare for determining the threats:
- What type of business you are in?
- Who do you sell to?
- What is the nature of the data and/or materials you keep in your building?
Here is a list threats to ponder:
- Vandalism
- Theft
- Terrorism
- Unauthorized disclosure of information
- Interruption of services
- Fire and natural disasters
Facility Location
Location of the facility needs to be reviewed before the first shovel of dirt is turned. The location dictates many of the security controls you will need. For example, if you build in an inexpensive area with high crime, the perimeter of your building may need added security controls (fencing or cameras) as compared to the building built in a patrolled industrial park.
Location selection also means identifying different types of risks related to specific areas such as natural disasters, crime rates, and neighbors.
The following is a list of criteria to help you determine in which areas you may need to perform a threat risk assessment:
Visibility
- Surrounding terrain
- Potential hazards from surrounding areas
- Building markings and signs
- Population density
- Neighbors
- Crime rate
- Proximity to police, medical and fire stations
- Road access
Natural Disasters
- Likelihood of floods, tornados, earthquakes, or hurricanes
- Hazardous terrain
Facility Construction
The building materials being used in construction are very important in creating a secure structure. Issues such as fire protection, environmental issues and structural decisions will need to be evaluated. A fine balance of usability and security need to defined and negotiated between management and the security team to ensure a building that is both effective and one that can be secured.
When looking at the actual structural components of the facility, the windows for example may need to be bullet proof, translucent or opaque. Both interior and exterior doors may need to have particular opening directions, certain fire ratings, and protection against forcible entry.
The following are construction elements that need to be reviewed to determine if they meet the security guidelines for your new building. This list is not designed to provide the solutions but to create a dialogue between management, security and the building contractor to ensure the material used will meet usability features while still maintaining security.
Walls
- Combustibility materials (wood, steel, concrete)
- Fire rating
- Reinforcement for secure areas
Ceilings
- Combustible materials
- Fire rating
- Load and weight bearing rating
- Drop ceiling considerations
- Motion sensors in drop ceiling to detect hiding intruders
Doors
- Combustible materials
- Fire rating
- Resistance to forcibly entry
- Emergency markings
- Placement
- Alarms
- Directional opening
- Electronic locks may need to revert to disabled state on power outage
- Type of glass
- Strike plates, reinforce doors
- Tamper-resistant hinges
Windows
- Translucent or opaque requirements
- Shatterproof
- Alarms
- Placement
- Accessibility
Flooring
- Load and weight bearing rating
- Combustible materials
- Fire rating
- Raised floor (electrical grounding)
Heating and Air Conditioning
- Positive air pressure (air flows out, not in)
- Protective intake vents
- Dedicated power lines
- Emergency switch-off values
- Placement of equipment
Power Supplies
- Backup and alternative power sources
- Clean proper source
- Dedicated feeders to required areas
- Placement and access to distribution panels and circuit breakers
Water and gas lines
- Shutoff valves
- Positive flow
- Placement of lines
Fire Detection and Suppression
- Placement of sensors and detection
- Placement of sprinklers
- Type of detectors and sprinklers
Conclusion
It is easy to be caught up in the excitement of designing a new building for your organization. It is very important in the design phase of the building that management, security, and the contractor discuss the threat risk assessment to ensure the building is designed and built not only with usability but also with security in mind. A secure building is your first line of defense against unauthorized activity. If the bad guy can’t get in, it makes it very difficult for them to compromise your assets.
