How to Protect the Physical Security of the Organization?

To possess a robust and well-defined organizational security is imperative in today's age. The corporate security framework must focus on both information technology and security. Having a sturdy security structure is vital for fulfilling the business requirements and staying ahead in the race of competition in the marketplace.

Security can be viewed as a barrier to companies' success, but it is the only way to protect the enterprise from various threats and prevent a data breach. According to a survey, 74% of cybersecurity experts say that organizations are impacted because of the global shortage of cybersecurity skills.

There are fundamentally two factors that affect the security of an enterprise. The first attack is by nature, such as fire, flood, power fluctuation, or other natural disasters. Although the information might not get misused, it becomes tough to retrieve it and might result in permanent loss of the data. The other attack is by a malicious party that includes theft, terrorism, and vandalism. No matter whatever the condition might be, every organization does face several different kinds of physical security threats.

According to research performed by Gemalto, the data records are lost and stolen at a rate of over 5 million per day which means 68 every other second. As the numbers are growing along with the complexity of cyber-attacks, a new trend is emerging that shows that physical security is somewhat neglected as many organizations are prioritizing their resources to prevent cyber threats. This study is supported by a recent survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute. In the survey, 71% of the respondents said that they had found a paper document in a public area that has some private and sensitive information.

When it comes to information security, defending and protecting the organization against physical threats should not be overlooked. Read the remaining part of the article to have an insight into how to secure the physical security of the organization.

Physical Security Forwarded by ISO to be Enforced in the Workplace

ISO stands for the Information Organization for Standardization, which is a code of information security to practice. It comprises several numbers of sections that cover a wide range of security issues.

The risk assessment and treatment cope with the fundamentals of security risk analysis. Maintain an organized infrastructure to regulate how the company enforces the information security process. Assets management includes proper protection of the organizational assets and ensuring that information is secured in the right manner. Personal security management is all about guaranteeing suitable jobs for contractors, employees, third parties, as well as preventing them from misusing the information processing facilities.

The enterprises must use the barriers and perimeters to protect secure areas. Entry controls should only give access to authorized people and it should be limited to essential regions only. Protected areas should be designed in a way that they withstand any natural calamity. Safeguard the pieces of equipment, secure the power cables along with the safe access to information.

Other Ways to Safeguard the Organization

Most of the business organizations don't realize the importance of physical security and how it can help in protecting their data. There are many ways by which hackers gain access to sensitive data and at times, it doesn't involve a computer too. Bolstering physical security will keep hackers and social engineers away from having the required information to access and steal the data. Here are some ways by which you can strengthen your organization's physical security.

1.  Making a Risk Profile and Process

Before addressing the physical security requirements, creating a risk profile is crucial in establishing effective processes. You should develop an understanding of the context as well as interested parties along with their needs and expectations. For organizations functioning as part of a supply chain, it is necessary to identify the risk appetite of those who work closely with any supply chain that is as strong as its weakest link.

Numerous interested parties might come across, but collectively, they drive the top management and mainly, their approach to risk management is something to watch. When it comes to information security, this step is extremely crucial.

Throughout the assessment process, pieces of evidence are searched that an organization has established a repeatable process that prioritizes the risk treatment in terms of design and not in terms of the order. It allows appreciating how the controls are designed to work. Therefore, together with the organization and their internal audit team effectiveness of the controls used can be accessed.

2.   Secure Access

Most of the organizations allocate an operating space, and within the divisions of that space, the sensitivity of data storage and access privileges differs. Here it is essential to understand where the most secure areas need to be and how they should be protected- either it is safe in the corner of a room, an area where all private activities take place, or a secure data center hall.

Recognizing the business value associated with confidential information is quite a logical way of assuring appropriate investment in its protection. But, despite putting physical barriers in place, it can be tough to confirm who is and is not entering the space in question. A company must follow the following steps to ensure secure access:

• Enforce and ensure supervision requirements.
• Perform identity checks to ensure those secure accessing spaces are who they expected to be.
• Regularly review the access log to have a list of people owing to access identities and also evaluate the temporary access list.

3.  Equipment Protection

Protecting equipment and maintaining the infrastructure is essential in ensuring the security of the working environment. Handheld computers and laptops pose a particular physical security risk. A thief can steal the entire computer including data stored on its disks along with network login passwords that might be saved. Thus, employees should take their system when they leave the office or secure them with password managers or with a cable lock.

4.  Perform Regular Backups

Backing up all critical data is a vital element in disaster recovery, but don't forget that the information on those backup disks, discs, and tapes can be stolen and used by someone present outside the company. Many IT managers keep the backups next to the server in the server room. They should lock it in a drawer or safe. Moreover, a set of reserves must be kept off the site and you must take care to make sure that they are secured in the offsite location. Apart from backups, the staff must learn to use the appropriate anti-virus for their computer systems. Read this helpful guide and get more insight into the best anti-virus service.

Don't forget that some workers might back up their work on floppy disks, external hard disks, and USB keys. If this practice is allowed, make sure to have policies requiring that the backups must get locked up at all times.

5.  Establish a Security Culture

One of the most essential and fundamental things that people within an organization can do for your physical security is to make sure that all the staff members take the security seriously. If the staff notices any creepy or unusual activity, they must report it as soon as possible.  Also, provide regular training sessions to your team regarding the importance of proper security practice and the things they can do to benefit the business in becoming more secure.

Final Thoughts

Physical security has immense importance for the business organization. Its primary purpose is to protect the belongings and facilities of the company. The notable responsibility of physical security is to defend the employees as they are among the most crucial assets of the company.

However, physical security is overlooked and neglected quite often. Most of the companies take care of the administrative and technical aspects of security. But they forgot that all the firewalls, intrusion detectors, and other security measures would be of no use if someone is capable enough to break in the organization and steal important data. The points mentioned above are some of the best ways of ensuring the physical security of your workplace. Follow these practices and make your work environment an ideal one.