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).
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Works
Cited
Guil, Felicitas. "Computer Rooms – Meet the
physical security measures." SANS Institute (2003).
Hutter, David. "Physical Security and Why It Is
Important." SANS Institute (2016).
"physical security." (2017).
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/physical-security.
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