Customizing instead of a one-fits-all concept

Folding doors as an airport security gate. © Zabag Security

The threat scenarios vary from company to company. In addition, each site has its own local conditions. They play a decisive role in the selection of suitable security systems. For these reasons, standard solutions do not help. Instead, security concepts are required that optimally meet the individual conditions. In order to develop these, you need to start with a thorough analysis of the current situation. The following questions need to be clarified first:

• What legal requirements need to be met?
• Risk analysis: Which threat scenarios are conceivable? Who are possible attackers? What is the probability of a particular scenario occurring?
• What are the local particularities? For example, if the site can be reached from the water and this natural barrier is not sufficient protection against intrusion, then the quay wall should be secured using electronic sensors.
• What are the climatic conditions like? While the technology for Scandinavia, for example, requires heating elements, constructions for the Middle East have to be able to cope with sandstorms.
• Are there any sources of interference with video surveillance and electronic sensors? These could be plants and animals on the site, difficult lighting conditions or even vibrations caused by a nearby road or heavy truck traffic.
• Which people are mainly on the site? Is it an industrial plant or a public facility? If, for example, the aim is to protect a high-security area, it is often important that the design blends in with the respective surroundings, in addition to using materials that are resistant to penetration and bullets.

The long-term consequences are included in the calculation of profitability

The aim is to estimate the expected damage for the most likely incidents. It is also important to determine the cost-benefit ratio. On the one hand, consequential damage such as loss of image or customer migration should also be taken into account. On the other hand, there may be positive additional effects that need to be taken into account. A practical example from the food industry: by replacing the barriers at the entrance with a modern gate system, the producer was able to be audited as a known consignor and now benefits from simplified customs clearance.

Combining stand-alone solutions into a holistic security system

Mechanical and electronic protective measures must be deeply integrated with each other via interfaces. Only in this way can the systems interact and react without delays and there are no security gaps. Alarm systems such as fire alarm systems or gas detectors must trigger an alarm immediately in the event of danger - on site, on the computers and mobile devices of staff, in the security control center and, if necessary, also to the fire department or police. This requires them to communicate with the other systems in real time. This could be the access control system of the affected area, for example, which then immediately opens the escape routes. Or a production management system that performs an emergency shutdown for certain systems. Surveillance systems, including video surveillance, sensor technology, motion and intrusion detectors, should also not end at the plant security monitors. In the event of irregularities, they must immediately inform those responsible, possibly also outside the company - such as external security guards. What's more, the company must be able to configure them if further measures are to be taken automatically. It is conceivable that if unauthorized access is suspected, the doors to particularly sensitive areas could lock or additionally request a password.

Use technically mature systems with a high degree of automation

After all, not every mouse that scurries across the premises should trigger an alarm. However, even after the initial installation of modern devices and systems, further fine-tuning or seasonal adjustments are often necessary. Possible reasons include changes in weather conditions or plant growth. The advantages of automated processes are obvious: they run faster than manual activities and free employees from routine tasks. A digital gatekeeper, for example, or license plate recognition using innovative video systems relieve the burden on security staff. The technology is also less prone to error than humans, for example in stressful situations, and is virtually impossible to manipulate and incorruptible. And let's not forget sustainability. In order to make the security system fit for the future, technological developments of the individual components should be planned for as far as possible from the outset and later software adaptations and technical extensions should be permitted.

Check feasibility at an early stage.

Another important point is feasibility, which should be checked during the planning phase by means of appropriate feasibility studies. The most effective safety concept is worthless if it cannot be implemented. A practical example: if the local temperatures are extremely low - for example in Siberia or Alaska - only steels whose material strength does not change adversely under these conditions should be selected. However, it is not enough for this type of steel to exist; it must also be available on the market in sufficient quantities and in accordance with the time specifications.

Installing redundancies and smart maintenance.

Even the best technology does not guarantee absolute freedom from errors. This is why it makes sense to protect against particularly high risks in two ways. Redundant data exchange throughout the entire security system is recommended, for example via data line and radio. In this way, functionality is still guaranteed if one of the two transmission options fails. Another must is the automatic and permanent status monitoring of the safety equipment and its functionality, from the mechanical processes and sensor performance to the electronic control system, for example in the form of an emergency stop. Monitoring should be able to take place via secure cloud-based remote access. In this way, it is possible to detect immediately - and without being on site - if systems such as gates, barriers, bollards or turnstiles are defective and to take remedial action at an early stage. Another advantage is the intelligent monitoring of maintenance intervals: instead of fixed periods, they are based on actual usage data, such as how busy an access system is. Optimum after-sales service also includes the statistical evaluation of all automatically logged events. This forms the basis for rationalization measures and further technological developments.

Systems are becoming more intelligent

It is foreseeable that solutions with artificial intelligence (AI) will also become increasingly important in perimeter protection. For example, AI in video surveillance enables the early detection of fires. Further advances in object recognition and classification can be expected in the near future. There are currently technological developments that will enable access systems to automatically recognize certain types of vehicles, such as emergency and police vehicles or fire departments, and grant access without delay. Biometric recognition systems are also gaining ground in access control, which will have to interact well with physical security devices. However, it is unlikely that the threats to companies, institutions and public facilities outlined above will disappear. Comprehensive perimeter protection supported by intelligent technologies is therefore essential in the long term.

Michael Simon, Managing Partner of Zabag Security Engineering