Physical security is very important for an institution such as UMUC. It is usually much overlooked, and little emphasis is put on it but poses some of the greatest risks within an organization if they are not well established. In the world of IT, today organizations mostly put much of their focus on technological aspects of countermeasures against attacks.  It is an aspect that has grown to be very difficult for organizations because of the cost associated with establishing it effectively as well as the increases in ways to breach such security measures. Physical security is also associated with a lot of vulnerabilities that attackers prey on. The increased vulnerabilities have developed more and more forms of compromise that put computer systems belonging to organizations such as UMUC at the risk of unauthorized access.

Physical security requirements

 In the world of computing today there have been developed the aspect of portability as well as wireless technology, and these are factors that add up to the increased vulnerabilities of physical security in organizations. The mobility of computer devices has made it very easy to access information from a system. More precautionary measures are needed in order for the safety and protection of a computer to be guaranteed (Hutter, 2016). Physical security stands at a great position for securing such systems and organizations need to have a great analysis of how it operates in order to identify vulnerabilities that exist in order to close them. Some of the requirements of physical security measure in an organization include; control associated with access by unauthorized people, testing the physical security system, and surveillance. These three are some of the essential physical security requirements that are needed to address the problem of vulnerability in an institution such as UMUC (Physical security, 2017).

Proposed solution

Access controls play very important aspects in the establishment of a physical security measure in an organization. This is because of their association with the development of systems and mechanisms that are expected to manage access to physical and technological resources of an organization. Access controls also require the development of obstacles within the premises of the organization in order to make it hard for attackers to access. They may include developing a strong perimeter fence with electricity to bar away anyone one with malicious intentions of accessing the premises. It also includes other important aspects that include the use of sophisticated locks and alarm systems, biometric access controls, motion sensors, hiring experienced guards, having guard dogs and other aspects that would ensure that access is only limited to the people that have authorization (Hutter, 2016).

On the other hand, surveillance is another measure that helps organizations account for the people that have breached access to the premises of the organization without authorization. Surveillance is associated with the use of electronic equipment such as cameras. Use of closed circuit televisions which are well known as CCTVs is very important as a measure to ensure physical security. These cameras record activities within the premises of an organization and the recordings can be used to trace people that had access without authorization. They can be used to apprehend them. Others include motion and heat sensors that provide notifications of intrusions through alarm systems (Physical security, 2017).

The other aspect of physical security is associated with the use of testing. This involves measures that try to assess the strength of the physical security system already in place. It may be done through the use of drills that test the abilities of employees as well as the system itself of the risks of attack that may exist. Tests can also be used to identify more vulnerabilities within the system (Physical security, 2017).

Justification

The three components and measures are very important in ensuring physical security is high. They are measures that ensure the prevention, detection as well as the recovery of information and other important resources lost as a result of unauthorized access. Access controls are the factors between the inside and outside of the premises of an organization. The nature, as well as the level of security, is the one that determines the level of safety the organization has. Surveillances are important for the detection as well as the recovery in case an incidence of attack occurs. With surveillance, evidence can be easily recorded and culprits charged in court for their crimes. Surveillance also helps to scare away potential attackers because they are a sign of security for the organization. Testing is used as a measure for monitoring and evaluation of the existing physical security system. It can be used to identify new vulnerabilities and also determine the readiness of the existing system to protect the organization (Guil, 2003).

The world of today as explained above is characterized by mobility in terms of computer devices. Many people have access to laptops, flash drives, memory cards and other forms of technology that can be used to carry information from an organization and into the world where they are at greater risk of access by unauthorized people. The existence of this form of mobility has also made it very difficult for organizations to protect its data. There needs to be developed more measures that would ensure the safety of information and provide more effective measures that would control the use of mobile devices within the organization because they have become gateways to attacks (Physical security, 2017).