Developing an Effective Security Strategy

An Approach for Success

To ensure the best chance of success for your security strategy:

• Get Buy-in from All Levels: Security is everyone’s responsibility.
• Communicate Clearly: Ensure your security strategy is communicated clearly and concisely.
• Regular Reviews: Regularly review your risk assessments, security plans, and response strategies.
• Ongoing Process: Make security an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
• Customer-Facing Consideration: Allow normal business operations to continue without disruption.

What Do You Need to Protect?

The foundation of an effective physical or cyber security strategy lies in understanding the unique threats, risks, and vulnerabilities that an organisation faces. Therefore, the first element in the development of a security strategy is to understand your environment:

• Identify What You Need to Protect: This could be your data, systems, infrastructure, physical assets, or people.
• Assess the Threats You Face: Consider internal and external threats, such as cyber-attacks, natural disasters, human error, terrorism, and criminal activity.
• Evaluate Your Vulnerabilities: Identify weaknesses in your systems, processes, and controls that could be exploited by attackers.

A Thorough Risk Assessment

Conducting a thorough risk assessment is the next step in identifying and mitigating potential risks and their potential impact on the business. This process involves evaluating the organisation’s assets, assessing potential vulnerabilities, and estimating the likelihood and severity of various risks.

By gaining a comprehensive understanding of the threat and risk landscape, organisations can prioritise their security efforts and allocate resources effectively, tailoring their physical and cyber security measures to mitigate specific vulnerabilities.

Developing a Security Strategy

The combination of threat modelling and risk assessment provides the foundation for the security strategy. Establishing clear security objectives and policies is essential for guiding the development and implementation of a physical and cyber security strategy. These objectives should align with the organisation’s overall aims and address the identified risks.

A Security Framework

Choosing a security framework can provide best practices and guidelines for managing security risks. Popular frameworks include:

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• ISO 27001
• Protective Security Management Systems Authority (PSeMS)

Using a framework can help structure your strategy and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

Implementation Stage

The implementation stage involves prioritising areas such as access control, surveillance, perimeter security, continuous training, response planning, and regular auditing to create a fortified environment that protects physical assets and personnel.

• Access Control: Implement measures like electronic key cards, biometric systems, or traditional locks and keys to restrict access to authorised personnel.
• Surveillance: Install high-quality CCTV cameras to monitor critical areas and act as a deterrent.
• Perimeter Security: Use physical barriers and intrusion detection systems to secure the perimeter.
• Training for Everyone: Regularly train employees on security best practices and create a security-conscious culture.
• Incident Response Plan: Develop a plan outlining steps to take in the event of a security incident.
• Audit, Assess, and Test Security: Regularly audit and assess the security posture to identify and address vulnerabilities.