Security - 101

Purpose of this article ?

In the last decade, hostility and aggression have seen new highs within our society, city, state and nation. May it be targeted aggression like physical and sexual abuse against women & children or social unrest like the CAA and anti law protests. Or even extreme cases like the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. As civilians with little situational awareness, it is very difficult to ascertain when your surroundings would turn hostile. In such a scenario, it is important that we understand the subject of security to an extent that we can take ownership of our personal security, if not contributing to the security others around.

This article will help you understand some simple concepts about security, its various components and aspects that you can control. I will also make an earnest attempt to help us understand the difference between Security & Safety.

So let's get started....

While you will find many definitions on the subject online, I'm describing it in my perspective. A perspective that I have shared with many young and old, civilians and security professionals, educated and not so educated and have found significant acceptance and understanding. If you find it useful, please do share with your employees, family, friends , children and those who matter to you most.

What is Security ?

It is a continuous process of using Tools, Tactics & Personnel in a combination most appropriate (as per the security architecture) to create multiple layers of protection / difficulty around something you wish to secure. 

However, it must be clear that 100% Security, is a MYTH.         

What are Tools, Tactics & Personnel ?

Tools are the elements that can be used as leverage. A CCTV is a tool that gives you the leverage of eyes without being physically present. A whistle is a leverage that helps you raise a more audible call for help/alarm. A baton is a leverage that can be used in an unarmed fight. A gun is a leverage that can neutralise a threat from a distance, and so on.

Personnel, are the people who are entrusted with the responsibility of security. The security guards, the close protection operatives, the police, etc. 80% of their efficiency to handle a threat/situation, depends on the intensity and content of their training. The rest 20% is their mental and physical preparedness & application, and their ability to use the tools with or around them accurately.

Tactics, are well contemplated and well practiced ways of responding to a situation of concern. The highlight is on the underlined. If not, the tactic will just be a mere reaction who's efficacy can never be guaranteed. For example - A guard is attacked in a basement parking that is not well lit. While he becomes aware that he cannot blow the whistle loud enough to alert the other guards, he chooses to bang his hand onto the bonet or the side doors of a couple cars around him to activate their anti theft alarm. Creating a visual & auditory alarm. Another example - a woman realises she has a tail (a term used to communicate someone following you). She immediately searches for the nearest police station and drives right into it.

What is Security Architecture ?

This process has 2 aspects:

• Studying the Asset/Principle to be secured. This means an in-depth study of the existing vulnerabilities of the asset with respect to its interaction with man, material and space (nature). The quality and depth of this study lays the foundation to the security architecture. Once this is done, we then move to identifying the threats that can come from the outside. We will understand these threats better once we have a complete knowledge of the vulnerabilities. I say so because most threats are designed to exploit an existing vulnerability. Or to create them, in order to be exploited in future.
• Having understood both vulnerabilities and threats (laid the foundation), we now use Tools, Tactics & Personnel to create a security architecture to create layers of protection around the asset/principle. For example - On a critical site where extremely time sensitive info is handled, the greatest vulnerability would be, any way how an employee can take that info out of the facility. So we eliminate the internal vulnerability such as cellphones, pen and paper, voice recorders, digital storage devices, etc by not allowing them into the facility in the first place. We also create multiple circles of access points that cause enough delay in entry and exit of employees to make the time sensitive info, invalid, in case one chooses to smuggle the info in his mind.

So in the above example, we used Tools - body scanning machines to detect electronics as small as a SSD card, access control systems, CCTV's. Tactics - creating a delay mechanism in entry and exit, and Personnel - guards who make sure the smooth running of the entire process. The key to an effective security architecture is in the constant assessment of the vulnerabilities, threats, efficacy of tools and tactics and the training and briefing of personnel.

Security in the 21st century will be the responsibility of EVERY SINGLE citizen out there. As I always say - we have more than a billion CCTV's in India, its people. If we can train ourselves with some basics, we would have created the much needed detente.

If you have any queries regarding what I have shared above or want to share your own examples in connection to those I have shared, please do so in the comments section and don't forget to tag me.

In my next article, Along with the difference between SAFETY & SECURITY, I will share a bit about how civilians can take small steps to better secure themselves and their loved ones against malicious intent and action. So if you have any questions you'd like me to include in this piece, feel free to write in...

Regards