Security is a word generally linked with the absence or presence of danger to life and property. It is of concern to all and sundry, consciously or unconsciously.

The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines security as the measures taken to prevent spying, attacks, and theft of target.

These activities mentioned in the definition generally result in loss of valuable assets of a nation, corporate organizations, and individuals. The definition of security can therefore be extended to include measures taken to protect assets against loss through spying, attacks or theft. Security is also referred to as assets protection.

The assets of an individual comprise his family, money, personal property and documents. For an industry or corporate organization, assets comprise its personnel, cash, property, equipment and machinery, goods and products, and its business documents.

Assets enable life and living. For the individual, his assets enhance the quality of life he lives and his ability to provide essential services for himself, his family and other persons. Similarly, an industry’s assets enable it to achieve the objectives for which it was established.

An industry needs personnel to perform all the activities of the organization; it needs money for the procurement and establishment of the facilities, machinery and equipment it needs for its operations, as well as pay the salaries of its employees. An industry needs its machinery and equipment for production; and it needs the products for sales for profits.

The truth is, employees need the industries to survive, just as the industries need the employees for success. Government, as well, need the taxes paid by industries on their profits, and that paid by the employees on their earnings. Security ensures that none of these needs are hindered or eroded. There is therefore every reason for ensuring the security both of individuals and of organizations.

The need for security is emphasized by the reports, daily, in both the electronic and print media, of losses through robbery with violence, thefts, fraud, embezzlement, and espionage; also of crimes such as vandalism, rape, kidnap, assassination, arson, sabotage, and murder. These are all threats to life and property as are all threats to life and property as are featured in the foregoing section.

The administrative and physical measures for ensuring total security or the containment of these attacks are basic and peculiar. They need to be applied painstakingly by security-conscious managements and employees of organizations, as well as individuals. Security is indeed everybody’s business; and everybody’s needs to be security conscious to apply appropriate security measures.

They were incidents that happened to individuals and organizations, and with disastrous consequences. They could happen again, to the same victims or other persons or organizations, if measures are not taken to hinder the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity.

The first step to be taken in determining necessary security measures is analysis of the security threats to the organization and the targets of the threats, an assessment of the severity of the effect; these will advise what forms and standard of countermeasures are required. This is also, because each person or organization would have peculiar threats and targets, therefore peculiar countermeasures.

Threats to which an organization or individual is exposed, and the targets are determined by status, wealth, location, product, goods and cash; personnel and community relations, political affiliations and bias, trade or business competition and relationships, individual personal relationships, personal behaviour, and accessibility.

1. Crime: arson, burglary, robbery, embezzlement, false statements, forgery, fraud, bad cheques, assault, disorderly conduct, drug offences, kidnapping, larceny, murder, sex offense, trespassing, eavesdropping, anarchy, bombing, high-jacking.

2. Conflict of interest: bribery, disaffection, espionage, kickbacks, sabotage, unfair competition.

3. Terrorism: extortion, kidnapping, assassination with political overtones.

4. Civil disturbance: insurrection, riot5. Other risks: disturbed persons, personnel piracy.

The security survey is a detailed and in-depth examination of all prevailing security offences, measured against current and projected risk designed to provide the management or individual with sufficient information and recommendations that will enable them formulate feasibility security plans.

It is a critical on-site examination and analysis of an industrial plant, business, homes, private and public institution to:

1.Ascertain the present security status.2. Identify deficiencies.3.Determine the protection needed.4.Make recommendation to improve the

overall security. 

Having decided what the threats and targets are, and the need for protection, it becomes necessary to plan what countermeasures need to be put in place. No single security measure provides absolute protection, so a number of complementary measures are adopted.

An effective security plan will include:1. Management leadership and commitment,

which will evolve a policy statement, assigned responsibilities, adequate budgetary provision.

2. Administrative and enforcement unit of trained, experienced and disciplined management and work force.

3. Effective countermeasures system for:◦ Facility protection. ◦ Information protection.◦ Executive protection.

i. Employee screening, relations, education, and monitoring.

Manpower is essential to every organization. A security program would appropriately be

concerned with who is employed to handle the affairs of the organization. It is important to eliminate bad eggs at the recruitment stage. Enquire into the background of prospective employees.

 

It is also important to sustain the loyalty of staff through good employee relations. A disgruntled staff with serious financial problems could easily be persuaded to engage in activities inimical to the interests of his employees.

An employee may also ignorantly expose his employers to security risks. It is therefore important to make employees aware of the security risks that the organization is exposed to, and their role in ensuring the protection of the assets of the organization.

Since human beings are prone to external influence that may change their behaviour for the bad, it would be useful to continue to closely monitor the behaviour of staff for any changes that may be indicative of corrupt practices.

ii. Physical Barriers. Physical barriers are installed with the

following objectives:◦ To delineate the boundary.◦ To control entry into, or exit from, an installation through

designated control points.◦ To deter would-be intruders.◦ To delay the entry of intruders, detect their presence,

and alert security personnel to the situation.◦ To prevent unauthorized removal of property and/or

materials from the installation.◦ To protect installation personnel from surprise attack. ◦ To demonstrate that all reasonable practical precautions

have been taken to keep out innocent passerby, including children, for their own protection.

To achieve these objectives, the following facilities are employed:◦ Doors, usually constructed to withstand the

security threat to which the area of the installation is exposed.

◦ Roofs and ceilings, construct to the able to withstand or defeat attempts at forced entry.

◦ Floors, so constructed that their penetration resistance is increased tremendously

◦ Fences, which must be constructed to specifications and of a type that can resist breaching, such that penetration time is extended to such an extent as to discourage an intruder.

◦ Walls, which must be thick and at least 2.4 m high, are the most penetration resistant structure. They are often topped with spikes and barbed wire, and sometimes treated with anti-climb paint.

iii. Locking Devices and Systems. Locks are a very essential complement of a

security system. They have to be strong enough to prevent unauthorized access through access and exit points.

Locks vary from padlocks to indoor locks, electromechanical locking systems, to mechanical locking systems. An essential aspect of locking devices and systems is key control. It must be possible to establish who made an entry into a facility and when, through a system of controls for the handling of keys.

iv. Intruder Detection and Alarm Systems.

Despite installed physical barriers, would-be intruders still attempt to breach security and will penetrate if undisturbed. For this reason intruder detection and alarm devices of various designs and makes are used. They pick up the presence of an intruder and activate audible local or remote alarms and, if desired, visual display of the intruder (closed circuit television).

V Normal man is afraid of darkness, but

the criminal is afraid of light. Ample illumination of a facility and its approaches makes detection easy, and discourages would-be intruders. Lighting should optimize conditions for intruder psychological deterrence, visual detection and identification and visual incapacitation of the intruder.

VI. Communication. The importance of communication in a security

system cannot be over emphasized. Communication systems vary from telephones to intercoms to radio. They enable information about attacks to be relayed to response sources for quick response and apprehension. They ensure that remain alert, and systems exist which will alert a monitoring station if a guard is in difficulty.

 

VII. Closed – Circuit Television. Closed circuit television enables the monitoring

of all critical or vulnerable areas electronically from a central location, fast and effectively. This ability to instantly assess and evaluate the cause of alarms, or to identify individuals or actions within the monitored area, has allowed the size of the on-site guard force to be reduced to a smaller, more efficient, better trained and more easily managed force. In addition, close-circuit television system (CCTV) enables incidents to be recorded on videotape, and hard copies produced for evidence.

VIII. Access Control. People have to operate a facility, and

the problem, form the security point of view, is allowing the right people to become involved. Access control therefore involves procedures, equipment, and materials for discriminating between authorized and unauthorized persons. Systems employed include identity cards, keys, key cards, visitor’s Passes, Entry and Exit Searches.

IX. Security Guard Service. The security guard service is an

essential element in the security system. It complements all the other security systems that will not be effective without the guard service personnel. The guard service personnel handle surveillance (patrol), access control, search, escort, alarm station monitoring, response, and key control.

Guards should be young, educated, physically, fit, and trained, and should be well paid. It should be realized that much of a security personnel’s functions revolve around his commonsense, judgment, initiative, intuition, intelligence and perseverance, which qualities are an accomplishment of sorts to be found in individual.

Industrial organizations need to jealously guard their trade secretes such as product formula, research and development results, and marketing strategies. Effective protection of vital information requires a sound management policy regarding all sensitive data, which the employees should be aware of. Physical security measures should be designed and installed.

These will ensure that the information could only be obtained by unauthorized individuals through industrial espionage. The policy statement must be simple, and must address the basic problems of identification, transmission, storage, and destruction of sensitive information.

Employees should be made to sign a statement saying they understand their obligations for secrecy. Adequate storage space and a way to destroy unwanted material must be provided. The system should be monitored to ensure its implementation as laid down.

Business executives and employees in sensitive positions are exposed to security threats; there security should therefore be given serious consideration. Security measures should include protection at home. While on the road, traveling, and in the office.

Such measures include advice on what the individual should do or not do in certain situations physical security measures; access control measures; trained bodyguards, and protected vehicles. An executive being involved in a security incident could have a serious adverse effect on a company and its operations.

The major duty of the security department is to protect life and property; that is the protection of company’s personnel, assets and information from damage, theft or loss. This involves:

1. Provision of prompt and effective response to any criminal or security incident or other fire/security related emergency that may be detrimental to company’s interest.

2. Identification of immediate and possible threats to the company and assets and report such intelligence report to the divisional management.

3. Conducting investigation or criminal and security incident and submitting such report/recommendations to management.

4. Issuing and controlling the use of company ID cards to authorized persons for effective access into the company’s locations as the main office areas, industrial areas and residential areas etc.

5. Provision of security advises to both staff and management

6. Liaison with government law enforcement agencies

7. Carrying out executive protection and escort duties.

8. Understand foot, mobile patrol duties9. Checking/Controlling human and vehicle

traffics.10 Screening for suspicious objects at the

airport and helipad before boarding the aircraft or helicopter.

 

IN THE OFFICE:1.All doors leading to the offices must be

properly locked and keys handed down in the designated place when closing or leaving the office.

2.All appliances must be properly switched off before leaving the office.

3. In a computer network, access to strategic information should only be granted to authorized users e.g. production data.

4. Sensitive information should not be published on company’s website to avoid information tapping.

5. Computer usage in a network system must be pass-worded to restrict log in.

6. Unwanted documents should be properly destroyed, if possible, by shredding.

7. Restrict company’s discussions to limited areas.

8. Faulty doors and windows should be reported promptly and followed up immediately.

9. Avoid leaving your visitor alone in the office especially when there is cash or valuables

in your drawer. 10. Do not leave workmen, cleaners, hawkers

etc in the office.11. Avoid keeping shared keys under foot mat or

other known places.12. Avoid monetary transactions, especially cash

payment in the office.

AT HOME.1.Do not live alone (case of the murdered

pilot in Lagos).2.If you must need house help, ensure that

you demand for his/her photograph, written application with both his signature and fingerprints and must provide guarantor(s) and he must not harbor strangers in the house.

3.Ensure security lights can be switched on and off from within the house.

OUTSIDE HOME (PUBLIC).1.Do not count money openly. It could be the

reason why you were trialed home.2.Do not patronize strange women/men.

They could be agents of robbers or ritual killers.

3.When traveling, ensure that valuables are close by you, within reach.

4. It is very important that you seriously observe the look and movement of the occupant of a bus/taxi before entering.

5. Dump the habit of eating from people you do not know. 

6. Avoid going alone, especially in the night, if possible.

7. Try to vary the timing and route home. Do not create a regular pattern of behaviour that enables an attacker to know your movements and plan an attack.

8. Keep to your faith, supernatural problems require supernatural solution-prayers.

9. As much as it lies within your power, live at peace with all men, they may be your unpaid guards in your absence.

10. Never underrate anyone, everyone has his day even the fool for a day of destruction.