Addressing Terror Threats

Donald R Turnage and William F Booth have identified 11 ways on how organizations can address terror threats. 

1. Examine operational measures
2. Craft a good Security Policy
3. Seek the advice of Security Consultants
4. Conduct employee background checks
5. Maintain a clear, written Security Policy
6. Awareness is paramount
7. Increase physical security measures
8. Don't forget the parking lots
9. Turn up the lights
10. Use CPTED Principles
11. Be aware of the building's surroundings

Examine operational measures

• Put in place fundamental security policies and principles 
• Ensure Incident management plans and tools are up-to-date and functional

Craft a good Security Policy

• If a policy is already available, it must re-evaluated on a regular basis. This is to ensure all aspects of the security needs have been taken care of.
• Update security plans at least every 2-3 years. This is needed as the company may see growth, the personnel may change and there may also be changes in the security equipment. Security devices may have been upgraded or replaced with newer technology.
• A security plan must be aligned with the organization's business needs. It should also include short-term, mid-term and long-term security goals. The security plan should be written by a security manager or director who will be in charge of executing it.

Seek the advice of Security Consultants

• While developing a security plan, some security aspects may be overlooked at. Hiring Security Consultants can help in devising the plan with the Security Manager. Security Consultants can also provide advice as well as guidance on what the security plan should cover.
• Security consultants can also conduct security threat analyses and surveys.
• If there is inadequacy in the present security configuration, the Security Consultant may identify it based on his/her analysis and propose improvements.

Conduct employee background checks and know who is in your building

• Organizations must know who is working for them. It must be ensured that the employees have been properly and adequately screened; especially the contract and temporary workers.
• A serious mistake is assuming that the agency supplying the contract/remporary workers is screening them before assigning them.
• Some of the lowest-paid contract employees (housekeeping) are usually allowed access to all areas of a facility.
• Vendors cannot be allowed to roam freely without being escorted by an internal staff.

Maintain a clear, written Security Policy

• Written Policies and Procedures are very important in maintaining security and safe environment. These policies and procedures must be supported by the Senior Management to be effective. In some cases, strict enforcement of a policy may be necessary to ensure its effectiveness.

Awareness is paramount

• Employees must be "security conscious". And when they have suspicious observations, they must have the opportunity to report those to a company official.
• Security awareness trainings help employees to buy into the Security Plan. There is no better security measure than having the employees as the eyes and ears looking for and reporting security breaches.

Increase physical security

• This is among the most obvious aspect to protect personnel, properties and other assets of an organization.
• Perimeter of the facility should be marked and defined with "No Trespassing" signs, CCTV cameras, fences, natural barriers, intrusion detection devices; depending on the threat level and the same must be applied within the facilities.

Don't forget the parking lots

• General parking should not be allowed within 50-100 feet of a building; this is to protect against bombs in vehicles. Barriers or bollards may need to be introduced to protect critical structures or specific departments within the facility.
• "No Parking" signs should be put in place and written policies must be placed on towing illegally-parked vehicles. This is speed-up the removal of suspicious vehicles.

Turn up the lights

• One of the most effective ways to increase security; provide lighting at pedestrian walkways, parking areas and building entrances.
• Studies have shown that criminal activities decrease when higher level of lighting is installed.
• Proper exterior lighting also makes building reconnaissance a difficult task for potential terrorists. 

Use CPTED Principles

• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles should be applied to the facilities and grounds; trimming trees and shrubbery and removing obstacles for unrestricted view of the grounds are some examples of applying these principles.
• Not well taken care building and ground convey a message that the management does not care on what happens at their facility.

Be aware of your building's surroundings

• Neighbouring facilities and tenants can also be the terrorists' targets; therefore, an organization must be aware of the surrounding facilities and have plans to manage incidents should those facilities become a proximate target.