NSS GroupProtecting Critical Infrastructure
Some infrastructure is too important to your business to leave without anything but full protection, so make sure you are doing everything possible to ensure your systems work and are 100 per cent safe. The following is a brief guide to protecting critical infrastructure.
Identifying what’s important and your objectives
First of all, it is important to be able to identify the pieces of critical infrastructure for your business. List any infrastructure that is critical and your objectives in protecting the item, including your physical office space, crane, trucks, website or data objectives, theft/loss, vandalism, fire, trespass, etc. The sooner you know what these items are and what your objectives are, the sooner you can go about protecting them properly.
Monitored alarm systems
One of the best ways to protect your critical infrastructure is by investing in a monitored alarm system, as this way you will have eyes on your place 24/7, every day of the year. Go with any monitored service that can be attached to an alarm system, whether it’s video monitoring, GPS tracking or whatever facility best achieves your objectives within budget. Every deterrent counts; from physical security, such as security guards, to signage and lighting, there are plenty of options available. However, these won’t deter everyone, so having a high-quality monitored system in place will ensure any breach will be immediately detected, and a response put into action straight away.
Security guards
Some infrastructure is too important to ever leave unattended, in which case professionally trained security guards are a fantastic option. Having a physical security presence by way of the guards will deter the vast majority of threats, and for those undeterred, they will have a difficult time making it past this highly trained line of defence undetected. These guards can work with a monitoring centre to increase their effectiveness to be guided to where the risk is at any one point in time.
Physical barriers
Electric and security fences or walls can all provide an increased level of security, and when part of a larger security plan, can play a very important role in keeping critical infrastructure safe. The barriers themselves may not be enough to protect your infrastructure on their own, but the harder it is to access the site, the less likely an intruder is to choose your site as a target — especially if their presence has already been detected by CCTV cameras, motion sensors or the like.
Natural threats
Some companies focus exclusively on threats to their business from people and forget about the devastating and destructive power of Mother Nature. If you are planning on keeping your key infrastructure secure, make sure you think about fire and flood just as much as vandalism or theft.
Cameras
Should anyone manage to breach your defences and make it to your crucial infrastructure, you at least need to have evidence, such as quality CCTV, to be able to prosecute the offenders. This makes CCTV cameras a wise investment for any business.
However you go about it, make sure you provide adequate protection for all your business’s crucial supports, and never underestimate the talents and abilities of people who may choose to target you for whatever reason. Most threats are targeted towards unprotected or ‘soft targets’, so make sure you do enough to make it known that your business is serious about protecting its crucial infrastructure.
